Generic 1201 syllabus

English Department Syllabus
College English I

The department syllabus is designed to help instructors put together their own syllabi for ENGL 1201, College English I. It includes specific guidelines for teaching the course, entrance requirements, a model course, and suggested assignments. Please read this syllabus carefully before creating your own syllabus; in fact, we suggest that faculty save this syllabus to their computers and use it as a template for creating their own syllabi.

ENGL 1201 fulfills two Core Proficiencies: Critical Thinking and Reading/Writing. Please mention this fact in your syllabus and include a description of each Proficiency, similar to those given in this syllabus.

New Rhetorical-Genre Curriculum     *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *
All instructors except adjuncts are expected to follow the new rhetorical-genre curriculum, which better addresses the Writing Program Administrators Outcomes Statements.  Although the basic elements of the program–the number and length of essays, the grading policies, the Writing Center, etc.–will remain the same, the purpose and design of the essays will shift some, a focus on reading and writing rhetorically will sharpen, and metacognition (reflection) will play a greater role in student learning.  The curriculum is outlined in the following links:

Examples of Syllabi and Assignments

Lisa’s syllabus
Ed’s visual analysis assignment (cultural critique essay)
Jackie’s research paper assignment (proposal essay)

*    *     *     *     *    *    *     *     *     *    *    *     *     *     *    *    *     *     *     *    *    *     *     *     *

Elements For College English I (ENGL 1201)

We use Directed Self-Placement for all first year-students. This means that students who would normally be tested (i.e. with a verbal SAT under 550 or cumulative high school GPA less than 3.5) can place themselves into either ENGL 1201 or ENGL 1201-0160 (our basic skills course). Students complete a survey and write an essay in response to one of three readings. As part of this survey, the students tentatively place themselves into either of the two courses, according to guidelines provided on the survey itself. These responses and placements are then evaluated by the Director of Basic Skills, the Director of First-Year writing, or the Coordinator of Second-Language Writing. If the faculty member disagrees with a student’s placement, they contact the student and advise the student accordingly. Many students switch their placement according to the faculty member’s advice, but the final decision remains the student’s.

Introduction
ENGL 1201 College English I and ENGL 1201-0160 are First Year Writing Courses, the main subject of coursework consists of the writing and reading processes of expository and persuasive rhetoric/argument.
• Students are required to write between three to five papers (fifteen – twenty pages of formal writing).
• TAs and TFs must assign at least four papers.
• At least ONE paper, the research paper and the last of the semester, 5-6 pages.
In addition to strong ideas and organization, these papers should also demonstrate the students’ understanding of sound grammar, mechanics, and vocabulary. Prewriting and rewriting techniques are stressed as necessary to all papers; thus the importance of gathering information, organizing, clarifying, shaping, drafting, and revising is emphasized. ENGL 1201 requires students to write generally shorter, well-developed papers, though the last paper must be a somewhat longer researched essay.

ENGL 1201-0160. Our Basic Skills courses are extended versions of 1201, with supplemental class-time. In other words, ENGL 1201-0160 functions as an intensive version of ENGL 1201. The requirements are exactly the same except for the number of class meetings and Writing Center visits. The main difference lies almost entirely in the amount of time that students have to master the material. They meet 300 minutes per week instead of 150. Thus there is the opportunity for far more in-class work and discussion. Students can begin assignments in class so that they can raise questions with the instructor present, instead of at midnight. Essays can be discussed more thoroughly, and there will be time for more intensive reading and writing instruction. Shorter, more informal writing assignments can help students come up with ideas for essays. Problems noticed in a morning session can be attacked in greater depth in the afternoon session. For all these strategies, the freshman writing website is a resource for the kinds of intensive work with reading and writing that can be planned in this course.  Students attend the Writing Center six times, always meeting with the same tutor; the entire class meets at the Writing Center at the start of the semester to arrange individual tutoring schedules.

Table of Contents:
Required Textbooks
General Assignments
First Year Students’ Summer Reading
Working with Non-Native English Speakers
Technology
Disability Accommodation
Plagiarism
Mid-Semester In-Class Essay
Conferencing
Attendance Policy
Various Components of the Course
Library Orientation
Grading
If You Need to Miss Class
Course Evaluations
Observations
Writing Center
Poetry-in-the-Round
Office Hours
Syllabus Approval
College English I – General Components to be Included in Syllabi

Required Textbooks

Core English I (ENGL1201):

  • Lunsford, Andrea, et al, editors, Everyone’s an Author, with Readings, 4th  edition, W. W. Norton, 2023 (with 2016 MLA Update)
  • Birkenstein, Cathy, and Gerald Graff, They Say/I Say, 5th edition, W.W. Norton, 2021 (with 2016 MLA Update
  • Bullock, Richard, et al, editors The Little Seagull Handbook. 4th edition. W.W. Norton, 2021(with 2016 MLA Update)
  • summer reading (changes from year to year)

General Assignments

Faculty members are expected to follow the general assignments for ENGL 1201, as outlined below:
To prepare students for college-level writing, they are required to use their reading as the basis for their writing assignments in ENGL 1201. Paper topics should be directly related to the essays students have read for class from their textbook. When papers are due, instructors must collect all phases of the process: prewriting, outlines, drafts, and the final paper. Doing this will encourage students to work thoughtfully through each stage of the process and helps them avoid the temptation of plagiarism.

Instructors are required to collect a complete draft of each essay and return it with comments for the purpose of revision.
The following general strategies should be covered in these required papers: analysis of visual text, analysis of written text, persuasion, and research. How you combine these strategies will be up to you, but you may feel free to follow the suggestions in the sample syllabi at the end of this document.

Note: there should be no ungraded essay; all essays should be graded – with the following exception if you desire. You may, if you wish, have students revise their diagnostic as a preliminary assignment, which might be left ungraded and simply criticized by the instructor. Or you may simply collect and evaluate the diagnostic essays and return them, offering no option for revision.

Students will learn and may use as tools five patterns of organization throughout the semester in their formal essay assignments (Definition, Process Analysis, Cause and Effect, Division and Classification, Comparison and Contrast), thereby acquiring a variety of techniques for developing their ideas and arguments. Normally, we would not assign a “comparison/contrast” essay, for example, but would teach that rhetorical strategy as a tool to use in an essay devoted, overall, to a larger purpose. Students also may learn and use other writing concepts (Audience, Tone and Stance, Logical Fallacies, Logic and Metaphor, Bias in Language) throughout the semester.

Everyone’s an Author should be the focus of class discussions and journal assignments.   Have students read at least four of the text essays for each writing assignment. While the Reader may occasionally be supplemented with other materials, the text should be the major source for assigned readings. N.B. This is not a literature course. Do not assign readings in fiction, poetry, or drama, even if they are included in the text. Instructors are encouraged to use “assignment sequencing” as they plan their writing assignments. This term refers, in general, to having a goal and working toward it, with a clearly planned series of assignments leading up to it. For more information, see assignment sequences.  The following are some practical tools or assignments that deliberately focus on close or critical reading in a context that leads to writing:

Reading into Writing Exercises

Checklist/Quiz/Question Approaches to Teaching Rhetorical Reading

Little Seagull Handbook, second edition (Norton 2014) should be used to supplement the reader to guide the students toward sound writing and to strengthen individual skills. Part I in the Handbook, “The Writing Process” should be studied along with prewriting skills in the first few weeks of the semester. From that point students should be instructed to use the Handbook as problems arise on an individual or group basis. Part II, “Academic Writing” offers help on writing about texts and argumentation, as well as a section on “writing in the disciplines.” The following is a useful supplement to The Little Seagull Handbook citing visual texts: http://libguides.trumbull.kent.edu/MLA_Guidelines.

They Say, I Say, 4th edition (Norton, 2014), should be used to teach students about the ways the sources can be used to develop, support, challenge, and extend ideas, as well as how to integrate them into students’ texts.  It approaches source usage in a more sophisticated way than regular handbooks do, emphasizing the way that using sources is akin to joining a conversation.

First Year Students’ Summer Reading

Each year the first year class is assigned a book to read for the summer. This text should be the basis of at least one class discussion and, if the instructor wishes, part of an assignment. It will also be the basis of the diagnostic, which will be distributed to instructors prior to the start of the semester.
Diagnostic Essay: At the first class meeting, students must write an essay in class to be used for diagnostic purposes. A diagnostic question for you to use for this purpose will be distributed prior to the first class meeting. The instructor should comment at length on these essays and return them as soon as possible. This gives the instructor and the students an opportunity to assess strengths and weaknesses and plan accordingly. (As mentioned above, you may choose to have the students revise and re-submit the diagnostic as a first assignment.) The diagnostic will include questions about how to quote and to paraphrase sources, citing them correctly.

Working with Non-Native English Speakers

NNES, when appropriately placed in your College English I class, will be able to succeed despite making a number of mistakes that native English speakers won’t usually make. But native speakers will often have the same challenges that NNES have when it comes to developing a thesis, finding appropriate sources for a research paper, or integrating quotations. They will need consistent work addressing errors in grammar or usage, but a focus on this should not overwhelm the other aspects of instruction. Here are some a tips for working with NNES students.  And here is the very practical College Composition and Communication Conference Statement on Second Language Writing.

Technology

Seton Hall University has made a large commitment to the use of technology, and the English Department has been active in this initiative.
All 1201 courses have their own Blackboard courses. Faculty should make use of their Blackboard course for course information (where the syllabus should be placed), class discussion/assignments, announcements, and external links. Encourage your students to check their Blackboard course regularly. See Veronica Armour of TLTC if you need extra help. If you have material in Blackboard from previous courses, it can be translated into your new Blackboard suite.
A large amount of important information about 1201 is available through this website, Resources for First-Year Writing.
Use of technology
In class requires vigilance. You must be aware at all times of what your students are doing. This means walking around the room, having students close laptops when they are not specifically in use, and giving students specific assignments and deadlines. Students should not be checking e-mail, instant-messaging, participating in a chat room, or surfing the net while the rest of the class is otherwise engaged.

Disability Accommodation

It is the policy and practice of Seton Hall University to promote inclusive learning environments. If you have a documented disability you may be eligible for reasonable accommodations in compliance with University policy, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and/or the New Jersey Law against Discrimination. Please note, students are not permitted to negotiate accommodations directly with professors. To request accommodations or assistance, please self-identify with the Office for Disability Support Services (DSS), Duffy Hall, Room 67 at the beginning of the semester. For more information or to register for services, contact DSS at (973) 313-6003 or by e-mail at DSS@shu.edu.  On the web at https://www.shu.edu/offices/disability-support-services/.

You may also include on your syllabus the following statement:  If you have other needs and wish to discuss non-disability related academic accommodations, please contact me as soon as possible.

Plagiarism

The English Department has a clearly articulated academic integrity policy that addresses plagiarism. Please click on this link to read it in its entirety. And do make sure that it is posted in your Blackboard course. Please inform Dr. Aruna Sanyal, Director of First Year Writing, of any incidents of plagiarism. (Changes and clarifications in the policy are highlighted in yellow.)  For an excellent set of guidelines, see the Writing Program Administrator’s Statement on Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: http://wpacouncil.org/files/wpa-plagiarism-statement.pdf.  See also the self-paced instructional video.

Mid-Semester In-Class Essay

Because students receive tutoring and other outside assistance, it is sometimes difficult to determine exactly how much progress they are making. Thus, each instructor is required to administer an in-class writing assignment at the mid-term in order to get a first-hand sample of students’ writing. This can also be used as a follow-up diagnostic to assess continuing needs and problem areas. The in-class essay should be scheduled into the syllabus from the outset. In 1201, this is not to be considered a true “midterm exam,” but should be an informal piece of writing – perhaps a draft for a paper or a journal.

Conferencing

All instructors in 1201 and 1202 are required to hold individual conferences with each student at the time the first formal writing assignment is returned; (this should be no later than the end of the fourth week of the semester in 1201). Encourage your students to come for conferencing throughout the semester.

Attendance Policy

The attendance policy should be adhered to in a consistent way by all instructors to be fair to our students. There is flexibility built in, but please be attentive to the details. Incompletes should be awarded only to students who have already completed the majority of the assignments and have a single assignment due or a few end-of-term assignments they have missed for a legitimate reason.

Various Components of the Course

Journals
Journals (or other kinds of informal writing) are regarded as basic to any writing course. Require students to use them to record academic responses to the readings The journal should not be a personal diary but rather an extension of the course work.. Some faculty use other forms of informal writing instead of the journal. The key thing is to make sure that your students have plenty of opportunity for informal and ungraded (in the formal sense) work. Indicate on your syllabus how the journal will be included in the grade breakdown (separate grade, part of class participation, etc.) Probably most instructors include it as part of class participation; how you include it is up to you, but it should be indicated on the syllabus.
Quizzes
Some form of quizzing or in-class writing about reading assignments is strongly encouraged in ENGL 1201 for a variety of reasons
• to encourage students to attend class
• to make sure students read the assignments and do so critically and analytically
• to encourage to students to participate thoughtfully in class.
If you plan to use quizzes, be sure to mention this on your syllabus and indicate how they will be included in the grade breakdown.
Grammar
While some instructors like to set aside regular class time for grammar instruction/practice/review, others prefer a holistic approach, allowing such work to be determined by the types of errors students make in their papers. The approach depends on both the instructor and the needs of the particular class. In either case, it is important that students use the Handbook throughout the semester. They should be directed to specific pages and chapters for additional help with mechanical, grammatical, or other problems.
Research
At least ONE of the assignments for 1201 should involve research and be essentially a miniature term paper in preparation for the more extended research requirement of 1202. Overall, in the research paper, students are introduced to the basic elements and methods of research and the MLA style of documentation and formatting in ENGL 1201, which will prepare them for longer papers in ENGL 1202. This preparation should include, above all, critical analysis of texts and evidence the ability to link texts in a coherent and meaningful way. Research skills should also include the following:
• library research (at least three sources)
• use of primary and secondary texts from a variety of sources
note-taking
• formal outlining (with stated thesis)
• direct quotation, paraphrasing, summarizing, blocking a quotation
• in-text citation format
• Works Cited format
• Searching the internet and selected computer databases.
The English Department requires that students be taught the use of the MLA format for all papers. This includes such elements as the heading, title, margins, and pagination. This information is available in the Handbook.
E-Portfolio
At the end of the semester, have students post their best essay and their self-assessment. Instructors will receive guidelines as to how to assist students in doing this toward the end of the semester.
Meta-writing
Meta-writing is a technique whereby students analyze and write about their own writing in order to identify problems they are having during the composing process. It can be as directed or undirected as the instructor likes. This technique can be used as a regular part of the writing process or as a tool to help students evaluate their progress at various stages of the course.
Peer Review
Peer review should be a part of every writing class. Students can exchange papers in class, working in pairs or small groups. They can also work at home, using Blackboard, and commenting on each other’s drafts. The entire class might be assigned a particular student’s essay for a group workshop. It is helpful to give students some guiding questions for peer review. It is also helpful to have them write (or type on Blackboard) their comments and to require that these comments be handed in. If you have any questions about how to use peer review in your classes, please contact the Director of First Year Writing or the Director of Basic Skills.
Exams
All instructors are required by the University to give a final exam. This must be administered during the scheduled exam period for the course; it may not be administered during a regular class session.
For 1201 this exam should include a self-assessment that should be graded as the final but also posted in the student’s content system to become part of his or her e-portfolio (and eventually accessible for assessment of our program). You will receive instructions on how to help students do the self-assessment and how to post it toward the end of each semester. You should also include a section on the final exam that tests students’ ability to cite and to use sources correctly, including quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing. If you decide to do the final exam as a take-home, you must still be present during the final exam period for your students to drop off their final and to allow for final conferencing. If you wish to include other items in the final, besides the required self-assessment and section on use of sources, you may do so.

Library Orientation

All sections of ENGL 1202 will include an advanced library orientation, building on the material the students learned in ENGL 1201.  A link will be emailed at the beginning of the semester to sign up for this orientation.

The following may not be used as sources: Cliffs Notes, Monarch Notes, Barrons, Wikipedia, or the like.  Use of on-line sources should be restricted to full-text databases in most cases.  Evaluating on-line sources should be part of the teaching of the research paper.

Grading

Be sure to work out how you will grade your students and spell it out clearly in your syllabus. See also the 1201 website for sample “A,” “B,” and “C” papers and other information on grading.
At least 60% of course grade is based on the three to five major essays you assign.  You should NOT include essay exams, quizzes, or writing for traditional and multimedia presentations in this total.
A typical breakdown might look as follows:
• Final Papers: 60% [Some instructors prefer to weigh the later papers more heavily due to their length and level of difficulty.]
Segments of papers (prewriting, outline, draft): 10% (for a total of 60%)
• Attendance (and participation (the latter includes participation in writing assignments in class): AT LEAST 15 %
• Writing Center: included as part of class participation or as part of a specific paper grade (definitely no more than 5%)
• Journal: 5- 10%
• Final exam: 10%
• Other: informal writing, quizzes, etc. 5-10%
It is important to specify your grading standards (including all percentages for grades–e.g. 60% essays, 10% final exam, 20% class participation, 5% WC, 5% journal), policies regarding absence, attendance, lateness to class, late papers, missing or late drafts, etc.–in your syllabus.

Grading Conventions 

Letter grade       Quality points           Numerical percentage
A                              4.00                               94 -100%
A-                            3.67                              90- below 94%
B+                            3.33                               87- below 90%
B                              3.00                               84- below 87%
B-                           2.67                               80- below 84%
C+                            2.33                               77- below 80%
C                              2.00                               74- below 77%
C-                            1.67                                70- below 74%
D+                            1.33                                67- below 70%
D                              1.00                                60- below 67%
F                              0.00                                Below 60%

If You Need to Miss Class

In the First-Year Writing Program, we try to make sure students will have some kind of meaningful classroom experience even if as instructors we have to miss class due to illness, conference, or family emergency.  We have set up a “buddy system” to help solve the problem.  A buddy someone who can help cover your class either in an emergency or if you know in advance.  Typically, a coverage buddy is someone who teaches before or after you (often, but not necessarily, in the same room) who can cover the class in your absence.  The absent professor would normally post some kind of in-class work in Blackboard and have the sub take attendance, ensure the students do the work, and put the attendance sheet in the professor’s mailbox after the class.  Another possibility for a coverage buddy is someone who teaches at the same time as you but right next door or down the hall.  This would involve less close monitoring, but taking attendance and checking in on the students a couple of times during the session would be expected.  In any case, you should inform both the department chair and the First-Year Writing Program director via email that you will be absent in as timely a fashion as you can manage.

Course Evaluations

There are two evaluations administered by First Year Writing courses. The first, which evaluates the course itself, will be available on-line toward the end of the semester. You will be sent instructions on how to administer this evaluation. You must set aside time in class for students to complete the evaluation so that we have high rates of return. The results will be available to you some time in the following semester. The second is the Writing Center evaluation for those students who availed themselves of this service; though all students are supposed to attend, only those who actually did should fill out this evaluation. This evaluation will also be available on-line. Once completed, these evaluations will be reviewed by the Writing Center staff to improve services.

Observations

Adjunct, term-contract, and tenure-track instructors are observed at least once (twice for teaching graduate students) during the academic year by a full-time faculty member. Additional observations may be conducted on an as-needed basis. These observations are scheduled by the Assistant Chair, Director of First Year Writing or, for instructors of 1201-0160, the Director of Basic Skills. Instructors should submit two assignments, as well as a copy of an essay that they have commented on, to be included as part of the formal written evaluation. First year TAs and TFs are observed once each semester by the Director of First Year Writing; second year TAs and TFs must be observed by another full-time faculty member of their choice; they should notify the Director of First Year Writing of their preference for observer, and she can arrange the observation. After the observation, instructors receive a written evaluation of their performance.

Writing Center

English 1201 students are required to attend the Writing Center at least once during the semester.  This requirement may be adjusted after the professor reads the diagnostic or other early essays.  Students should be told where the Writing Center is and how to make an appointment. Please visit the Writing Center site to learn more about its location, hours, purpose and procedures.  Follow these directions to access a report that shows your students’ attendance record and tutor comments:
• Log into Compass
• Click on the “Reporting” icon
• (Last icon in the tray on the left)
• Under “Appointments”, choose the “Appointment Summaries” option
• On the next page, change the date range to match you search criteria
• Under “Care Unit” select “Tutoring”
• Under “Filter by Location” select “Writing Center”
• Scroll down to “Fall 2018 Data” and open those options
• In the “Enrolled with Professor” category, enter your name
• Click the search button
• To collect all records, go to Actions at top left of report, click on down arrow, & choose Export to Excel

Poetry-in-The-Round

Seton Hall is fortunate to sponsor Poetry-in-the-Round, currently directed by Dr. Cara Blue Adams of the English Department. In the past, readings have been given by the late James Merrill, Geoffrey Hill, Thylias Moss, Joyce Carol Oates, Gwendolyn Brooks, Adrienne Rich, and many others. Students should be strongly encouraged to attend one of these readings since Poetry-in-the-Round offers cultural experiences that can enhance their studies. In 1201 students might be required to write an essay about their experience at a poetry reading for extra credit. Such an assignment may not substitute for the regular, required papers in the course. Each year’s schedule of poets and authors is posted in the fall. Upcoming events will also be posted.

Office Hours

All instructors at the university are required to keep at least one office hour for each course they teach. These should be scheduled at reasonable times, and must be listed on the syllabus. During the first week of each semester, the Department secretary will ask each instructor to fill out a form so hours can be posted for student reference.

Syllabus Approval

All ENGL 1201 instructors (except TAs and TFs) must give the Director of First Year Writing a copy of their syllabus and have it approved before the semester begins. All ENGL 1201-0160 instructors must give the Director of Basic Skills a copy of their syllabus and have it approved, ideally one week before classes begin and definitely no later than by the end of the first week of classes. The syllabus should indicate all major assignments and their due dates, readings, and other requirements of the course. A weekly guideline (or possibly daily) should indicate clearly to students what they are to expect in the course. Grading standards and percentages should be clearly indicated.

Although changes to accommodate individual classes are expected, the University requires that each faculty member distribute a syllabus during the first week of classes. In addition, copies of the English Department’s policy on plagiarism and cheating must be distributed with the syllabus and discussed in class. These are available through the department secretary.

Note for Teaching Assistants and Teaching Fellows. TAs and TFs should post send their syllabus to the Director by the specified date (August 5 in summer, Jan. 3 in winter). During the course of the semester, all TAs and TFs must also provide the Director of First Year Writing, with a copy of all hand-outs – whether assignments, tests, quizzes, or informational hand-outs – before distributing them in class. This requirement also applies to electronic handouts, which should be e-mailed or printed out. Materials, in whatever form, must be submitted at least three days prior to their intended distribution date in order to provide adequate time for review.

College English I – General Components to be Included in Syllabi

See syllabus checklist.

The premise for the course outlined below is that argument is central to good writing. The various modes should be the emphasis of writing assignments rather than subjects in and of themselves. Throughout the semester, the following concepts—each of which is discussed in the Reader and Handbook– should be addressed on a regular basis:

• idea as central to good writing
• thinking critically and analytically about writing, whether one’s own or others’
• audience and tone
• types of argument–appeal to intelligence/ reason (logos), appeal to the emotions(pathos), and appeal to ethics (ethos)–and their uses.
• logical development of ideas
• avoiding biased language

Please include the following outcomes statements into your syllabus and let students know that you will be using these guidelines in assessing their papers.  The primary trait rubric may be helpful to you as you use the outcomes in your grading. You may wish to distribute it to your students or modify into your own personal grading rubric:
See link for Primary Trait Rubric.
NOTE: There are five possible assignments to be given in 1201: Exploratory Essay (not required), Analysis of a Visual Text, Analysis of a Written Text, Persuasion, and the Research Paper. Faculty (except for TAs and TFs) may teach from THREE to FIVE essays, combining the five types in varying ways. TAs and TFs must teach THREE essays. These may be combined in various ways, so long as the research essay is last and 5 – 6 pages long. See below for guidelines as to how to teach these assignments.

Week I: Introduction; diagnostic essay (questions to be distributed); syllabus review; discuss Writing Center requirement (see earlier link). The diagnostic essay should be returned with instructor comments, but no grade. Instructors might choose to indicate what grade the essay and preliminary “steps” would have received for sample purposes; Little Seagull Handbook, Write, “Writing Contexts.” One or two essays from Everyone’s an Author should be assigned, even in the first week.

Week II: Little Seagull Handbook, “Writing Processes” and “Developing Paragraphs”; Everyone’s an Author, chapters on rhetorical reading. Again, at least one or two essays from Everyone’s an Author.

Goal: Instructors should introduce the overall process of writing expository prose, explaining the rhetorical modes in a general way. It should be made clear that a rhetorical mode will not be the main structure for an assignment. The main focus of the assignment should be the overall principle for that unit. For each unit also, a research and stylistic concept may be discussed. See details that follow and the sample syllabus for ideas on how to set up these units. The 1201 website also offers instructional ideas. See also the Writing Faculty Blackboard course for how your colleagues structure their syllabi and assignments.

Weeks III through XV: The following skills should be taught, combined in whatever way the instructor chooses, into THREE to FIVE meaningful assignments. See sample syllabi for some possible approaches.

Modes of arrangement (may be taught as “tools” to be used in the larger assignments):
Process Analysis
Definition
Cause and Effect
Comparison and Contrast
Division and Classification

Writing concepts to be developed cumulatively throughout the semester (and, again, taught as “tools” to be used in the larger assignments):
Purpose and audience
Tone and stance
Logic, metaphor, and analogy
Logical fallacies
Bias in language

The following sample syllabi (see links) show how you might organize your course for FIVE assignments, two versions of FOUR assignments, and THREE assignments.
Sample Syllabus with FIVE Assignments.
Sample Syllabus with FOUR Assignments, with Analytical Essay 1 and 2 Combined.
Sample Syllabus with FOUR Assignments, no Exploratory Essay.
Sample Syllabus with THREE Assignments.

This sample lesson plan is just one way of many you might organize a unit.

This generic syllabus is meant to be as helpful as possible in guiding you through the creation of your own syllabus and the conducting of your own 1201 class. Please know that the English Department supports you, and please feel free to contact any of those listed below if you have any concerns or problems:

Dr. Kelly Shea, Director of First-Year Writing, ext. 2545
Dr. James Daniel, Director of Basic Skills, ext 2545
Dr. Aruna Sanyal, Director of the Writing Center, ext. 2183
Dr. Melinda Papaccio, Assistant Director of the Writing Center, ext. 5100

Here are some other faculty you may wish to contact:
Dr. Angela Weisl, Chair of the English Dept., ext. 9387
Dr. Donovan Sherman, Director of the Graduate Program

During the summer, e-mail is the best way to contact most of us, but in the fall, do not hesitate to contact any of us for help by either calling or e-mailing.

We hope you have an enjoyable and rewarding semester.