 | | | | | Junior Composition Course Development
Junior Composition Course Proposal Worksheet (.doc file) Criteria for Junior-Level Composition Courses as revised by the CWAC, Spring 2008
I. General Criteria for "J" Courses
- The aims of the course are broad enough to justify its existence as a writing course fulfilling a University-wide requirement.
- The department considers the course an important component of its program.
- Instruction in writing is the focus of the course. Therefore, writing is frequent, and at least 5000 original words are assigned. The writing will be evaluated and revised.
- A variety of purposes and types of writing appropriate to the discipline should be assigned. Because the course fulfills a University requirement, the audience for the writing usually is imagined to be an intelligent and critical lay audience, rather than the teacher or some highly specialized members of the discipline.
- Any prerequisites should be appropriate for junior-level students within the field of study.
- Enrollment is limited to 20 students to encourage evaluation and revision, critical thinking, and interaction.
- The instructor is interested in the craft of writing and in helping students achieve higher levels of competence as writers.
- J-Course syllabi include required policy information as defined by the Fcaulty Handbook, including clear course goals and explicit student outcomes statements (please see http://www.ohio.edu/facultysenate/handbook/ for more information).
II. Criteria for Evaluation of Course - As is the case with all University courses, students evaluate "J" courses.
- Syllabi will be collected by the Director of the Center for Writing Excellence and reviewed by the J-course subcommittee of CWAC every three years.
III. Criteria for Good Writing Instruction - The goal is writing that is readable, lucid, and logical and seeks applicability across the disciplines. Matters of mechanics, grammar, and spelling receive appropriate attention.
- Some of the subjects or purposes of the writing assignment are initiated by the students.
- Teacher/student responses to writing and rewriting are integral components of the course.
- The student's writing is discussed with the teacher both in class and in individual conferences.
- The instructor distributes a syllabus with clear explanations of assignments and criteria the instructor uses to evaluate student writing.
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