WR 100 Syllabus Template

Version: 2014-07-1

Please use the following template when creating your WR 100 syllabus.

The Writing Program requires certain parts of syllabi to be common across all course sections.
Text that must be included verbatim in your syllabus is in black. Section headings in black
indicate that you must include such a section in your syllabus, although its contents are up to
you.

Slots for section-specific information are in {brackets and red}.

Recommended, suggested, or optional text is in blue.

You may format your syllabus as you choose. You are not required to retain the formatting of this
document.

Suggested calendars for WR 100 are at the end of the document.

WR 100 {Your section designator}

Writing Seminar: {Your course title}
Fall 2014
WR-100 XX 2
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evaluate and improve your own reading and writing processes

respond productively to the writing of others
express yourself verbally and converse thoughtfully about complex ideas.

In WR 150, you will continue developing all of these abilities while working intensively on prose
style and learning to conduct college-level research.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
As a writing seminar, WR 100 requires both a good deal of reading and writing and your active
involvement in a variety of class activities. Specific course requirements are:
self-assessment
additional exercises as assigned
three major papers
final portfolio
one conference with your instructor
attendance and participation

COURSE MATERIALS
Turabian, Kate L., Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. Student's Guide to Writing
College Papers. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2010.
{Identify additional required texts and other materials. You may also wish to include
recommended materials as well.}

Our class has a Blackboard site that contains the syllabus, assignments, and other course-related
materials. You can log in to our Blackboard page at:

http://blackboard.bu.edu/

{Insert additional information about your course-management site.}

Email Policy: I welcome your email communications. Please allow 48 hours for a response.

ASSIGNMENTS
You will be given a range of assignments in this course, including a self-assessment, various
reading and writing exercises, three major papers, and a final portfolio. Much of this work will
not be graded, but that does not mean it is unimportant. Students who prepare diligently for class,
participate actively, and take the homework exercises and drafts seriously generally learn more
and write better final papers than those who do not.
 WR-100 XX 4

Self-Assessment: At the beginning of the semester, you will be asked to submit a written self-
assessment in which you take stock of your reading and writing abilities and establish some
personal goals you wish to pursue over the course of the semester. For grading purposes, your
self-assessment will be considered your first exercise.

Exercises: We will use the term exercises to refer to various low-stakes assignments and
activities that you will be asked to complete over the course of the semester. You will do some of
these exercises in class; others will be given as homework. I recommend that you purchase a
notebook to contain your in-class writing and that you bring this notebook with you to class each
day. Your exercises will not receive explicit grades, although you will receive credit for
completing them on time. Your performance on these assignments may also affect your
participation adjustment (see below).

Major Papers (drafts and final versions): We will use the term draft to refer to unfinished or
preliminary versions of your three major papers. You will be required to write at least one draft
of paper 1 and at least two drafts of papers 2 and 3. For papers 2 and 3, one of your drafts will
receive comments from me, either in written or verbal form; the other will receive feedback from
your classmates. Drafts will not receive explicit grades, although you will receive credit for
completing them on time. Remember that you are more likely to write a better final paper if you
write a substantive draft. Your performance on your drafts may also affect your participation
adjustment (see below). Your course grade will be determined primarily by the quality of the
final versions of your major papers. All drafts and final papers must be word-processed and be
documented in either MLA or Chicago style. Please include a word count (available as a function
on most word processors) at the end of all written work.

Portfolio: At the end of the semester, you will be asked to submit a portfolio containing your
self-assessment, major papers (drafts and final versions), other supporting artifacts, and an
introductory essay. The portfolio provides you with an opportunity to document and reflect on
your development as a reader and writer over the course of the semester. Your portfolio will
contain work that has already been graded. This work will not be re-graded in the portfolio.
Rather, your grade for the portfolio will be based on those things that make the portfolio itself a
coherent work: the introduction, any additional framing (annotations, captions, etc.), the
selection and arrangement of artifacts, and overall organization.

Sharing of Student Writing: Experienced writers routinely share their work with others,
because they understand that the best way to improve a piece of writing is to test it out with
actual readers. In this class, you will learn how to respond productively to the writing of others
and how to use feedback from others to improve your own work. All students in the class will be
required to share at least one draft of each paper. If you are concerned about sharing your
writing, please talk with me about your concerns.

GRADING AND EVALUATION

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Your final grade will be calculated as follows:

{Sample grade breakdown:}

Exercises and Drafts (credit for submission): 5%
Participation: 5%
Paper 1: 15%
Paper 2: 25%
Paper 3: 40%
Final Portfolio: 10%

Your final grade may also be adjusted to reflect your attendance and participation as described
below.

Late and Missed Assignments: Unless you make other arrangements with me in advance,
graded assignments will be penalized by one-third of a letter grade for each class day they are
late. If you submit a homework exercise or draft late, I cannot promise to read it in time for my
comments to be useful to you. If you do not turn in drafts, you are still responsible for turning in
final versions of your papers when they are due. Please note too that we will regularly work with
our exercises and drafts in class. If you are habitually late with your assignments, you will be
unable to participate fully in the class.

As your instructor I am committed to providing you with timely written or verbal feedback on
one draft of each major paper and written feedback and a grade on the final version of each
major paper. You can generally expect my responses to your drafts within ______ of your
punctual submission of them; graded final versions will be returned to you within _______.

Participation and Attendance: Since this course is a seminar, your regular attendance and
participation are essential both to your own learning and to your classmates learning.
Under ordinary circumstances, missing more than one week of class will lower your final grade.
Missing more than two weeks of class may lead to a failing grade in the course. Note that these
absences need not be consecutive.

{Here the instructor should state his/her specific attendance policy, within the guidelines
indicated above. Please note: 1) Students must be able to miss one week of class with no direct
penalty; after that, some direct penalty should be applied, either to the participation grade or to
the final course grade. 2) The absences required for a student to fail a course should not be fewer
than two weeks of class plus one (5 TR classes / 7 MWF classes) nor greater than three weeks of
class plus one (7 TR classes / 10 MWF classes). Exceptional circumstances should be handled on
a case-by-case basis.

Examples
 WR-100 XX 6

A more forgiving TR policy might read as follows:

The second and third weeks of absences (3-6) will each lower the participation grade by a third
of a letter for each class missed (e.g., B becomes B-C+CC-). Seven or more absences
(more than three weeks) could be grounds for an F in the course.

A more conservative policy for a MWF class might read as follows:

The second week of absences (4-6) will lower the final course grade by a third of a letter for
each class missed (e.g., B becomes B-C+C). Seven or more absences (more than two
weeks) will be grounds for an F in the course.}

If you have a special obligation that will require you to miss several classes (e.g., varsity
athletics, religious observances), please talk with me at the beginning of the semester. Missed
conference appointments will be counted as absences.

{If you choose to figure participation in your grading (some teachers do not), you should
describe here one of the two mutually exclusive ways to do so: 5% of your course grade is
allocated to participation and ungraded work over the course of the semester. Or: Your final
grade may be adjusted up or down by one-third of a letter grade to account for the quality of your
participation and ungraded work over the course of the semester. Please make sure the grading
breakdown above reflects your policy on participation.}

CAS CENTER FOR WRITING

At the CAS Center for Writing (100 Bay State Road, 3rd floor with a satellite office at Mugar
Library) students enrolled in WR courses can receive one-on-one consultations about their
writing with well-trained tutors familiar with WR assignments. When you visit the center, you
should expect to be actively involved in your session. Tutors will work with you at any stage in
your writing process, but they will not edit or correct your paper for you. Rather, they will work
with you to help you do your own best work. The center is a resource for all WR students.
Whether you consider yourself to be a strong writer or a weak one, you can benefit from
consulting with a tutor.

The CAS Center for Writing is open Monday through Friday. Hours for the current semester are
posted on the website below (common hours are between 9 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. or 7:30 p.m.).
While the center accepts walk-in visits, you are strongly encouraged to make an appointment in
advance. Because of the high demand for consultations, students are limited to one reservation
per week. You may schedule a session online:

http://www.bu.edu/writingprogram/the-writing-center/

You may also schedule a session in person at the CAS Center for Writing or by calling 617-358-
1500. Cancellations must be made at least 9 hours in advance.
 WR-100 XX 7

WR
The CAS Writing Program publishes an online journal of exemplary writing from WR courses. If
you are interested in looking at samples of successful WR papers, or if you just want to read
some good essays, I encourage you to visit the journal:

http://www.bu.edu/writingprogram/journal/

PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism is the passing off of anothers words or ideas as your own, and it is a serious
academic offense. Cases of plagiarism will be handled in accordance with the disciplinary
procedures described in the College of Arts and Sciences Academic Conduct Code. All WR
students are subject to the CAS code, which can be read online:

http://www.bu.edu/academics/resources/academic-conduct-code/

Penalties for plagiarism can range from failing an assignment or course to suspension or
expulsion from the university. In this class, we will discuss conventions for using and citing
sources in academic papers. If you have any questions about plagiarism, I invite you to speak
with me.

RESOURCES
CAS Writing Program: Administers all WR courses and the CAS Center for Writing. You may
contact the Writing Program if you have any concerns about your WR class.

100 Bay State Rd., 3rd Floor

617-358-1500
<[email protected]>

Boston University Libraries: Offer a wealth of online and print resources. Research Librarians
will introduce you to the many resources the library offers in any field of research. They can
work with you to develop a research plan and organize your sources. The Research Center
welcomes you for walk-in consultations on the first floor of Mugar Memorial Library or at any
other library on campus.
Research appointments can be made at http://www.bu.edu/common/request-an-appointment/.

Mugar Memorial Library

771 Commonwealth Avenue
Phone: 617-353-2700
http://www.bu.edu/library
 WR-100 XX 8

Educational Resource Center: Offers tutorial assistance to all undergraduate students in a range
of subjects, including writing. You should use the Writing Programs Center for Writing for your
WR classes, but you may wish to visit the ERC for tutorial assistance in other subjects.

100 Bay State Rd, 5th floor

Phone: 617-353-7077
http://www.bu.edu/erc

CAS Academic Advising: A central resource for all questions concerning academic policy and
practice in the College of Arts and Sciences. The office is headed by the Associate Dean for
Student Academic Life and has a staff of fifteen faculty advisors and five academic counselors.
All students can receive academic advice about and assistance through this office. Students who
have not yet declared concentrations can receive pre-registration advising through this office.

100 Bay State Rd. 4th Floor

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 617-353-2400
http://www.bu.edu/casadvising/

Here are links to the advising offices of other BU colleges:

CFA: http://www.bu.edu/cfa/resources/advising/
CGS: http://www.bu.edu/cgs/students/fact-sheets/academic-advising/
COM: http://www.bu.edu/com/current-students/student-services/
ENG: http://www.bu.edu/eng/current-students/ugrad/advising/
SAR: http://www.bu.edu/sargent/current-students/academic-services-center/
SED: http://www.bu.edu/sed/faculty-staff/handbook/admin-and-org/ (see Student Affairs Offices)
SHA: http://www.bu.edu/hospitality/academics/advising/
SMG: http://management.bu.edu/undergraduate-program/academics/advising/

Office of Disability Services: Responsible for assisting students with disabilities. If you have a
disability, you are strongly encouraged to register with this office. You may be entitled to special
accommodations in your courses, such as additional time on tests, staggered homework
assignments, or note-taking assistance. This office will give you a letter outlining the
accommodations to which you are entitled that you can share with your teachers. If you require
accommodations, you must present me with an official letter from Disability Services.

19 Deerfield Street, 2nd floor

Phone: 617-353-3658
http://www.bu.edu/disability
 WR-100 XX 9

WR 100 Suggested Schedules Fall 2014

{FYI, here is the official Fall 2014 calendar from BU's Registrar
(http://www.bu.edu/reg/dates/semester-dates/semester-dates-fall-2014/:}

Fall 2014
Labor Day Holiday Monday, September 1
Classes Begin Tuesday, September 2
Last Day to ADD WR Classes Monday, September 8
Last Day to ADD non-WR Classes Monday, September 15
Last Day to DROP Classes (without a W grade) Monday, October 6
Columbus Day Holiday, Classes Suspended Monday, October 13
Substitute Monday Schedule of Classes Tuesday, October 14
Parents Weekend Friday, October 17-Sunday, October 19
Last Day to DROP Classes (with a W grade) Friday, November 7
Thanksgiving Recess Wednesday, November 26 -Sunday, Nov. 30
Classes Resume Monday, December 1
Last Day to Officially Take a Leave of Absence
or Withdraw from the University for Fall 2013 Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Last Day of Classes Wednesday, December 10
Study Period Thursday, December 11 -Sunday, Dec. 14
Final Exams Begin Monday, December 15
Final Exams End Friday, December 19

Suggested Tuesday/Thursday Schedule

Week 1
T 9/2 Assign self-assessment
Th 9/4 Assign paper 1

Week 2
M 9/8 [Last day to add a WR class]
T 9/9 Self-assessment due; Assign Final Portfolio
Th 9/11

Week 3
M 9/15 [Last day to add non-WR classes]
T 9/16
Th 9/18 First draft paper 1 due
 WR-100 XX 10

Week 4
T 9/23
Th 9/25 Final draft paper 1 due; Assign paper 2

Week 5
T 9/30
Th 10/2

Week 6
M 10/6 [Last day to DROP classes (without a W grade)]
T 10/7
Th 10/9 First draft paper 2 due

Week 7
T 10/14 [No class: Substitute Monday schedule]
Th 10/16

Week 8
T 10/21 Second draft paper 2 due
Th 10/23

Week 9
T 10/28 Final draft paper 2 due; Assign paper 3
Th 10/30

Week 10
T 11/4
Th 11/6
F 11/7 [Last day to DROP classes (with a W grade)]

Week 11
T 11/11
Th 11/13 First draft paper 3 due

Week 12
T 11/18
Th 11/20 Second draft paper 3 due

Week 13
T 11/25
Th 11/27 [No class: Thanksgiving Recess]
 WR-100 XX 11

Week 14
T 12/2 Final version paper 3 due; [Last Day to Officially Take a Leave of Absence
or Withdraw from the University for Fall 2014]
Th 12/4 Draft of final portfolio due

Week 15
T 12/9 Last day of classes; Course evaluations; Final portfolio due
 WR-100 XX 12

Suggested M/W/F Schedule

Week 1
W 9/3 Assign self-assessment
F 9/5 Assign paper 1

Week 2
M 9/8 Self-assessment due; Assign final portfolio; [Last day to add a WR class]
W 9/10
F 9/12

Week 3
M 9/15 [Last day to add non-WR classes]
W 9/17
F 9/19 First draft paper 1 due

Week 4
M 9/22
W 9/24
F 9/26 Final draft paper 1 due; Assign paper 2

Week 5
M 9/29
W 10/1
F 10/3

Week 6
M 10/6 [Last day to DROP classes (without a W grade)]
W 10/8
F 10/10 First draft paper 2 due

Week 7
M 10/13 [No class: Columbus Day]
T 10/14 [Substitute Monday schedule]
W 10/15
F 10/17

Week 8
M 10/20 Second draft paper 2 due
W 10/22
F 10/24
 WR-100 XX 13

Week 9
M 10/27 Final draft paper 2 due; Assign paper 3
W 10/29
F 10/31

Week 10
M 11/3
W 11/5
F 11/7 [Last day to DROP classes (with a W grade)]

Week 11
M 11/10
W 11/12 First draft paper 3 due
F 11/14

Week 12
M 11/17
W 11/19
F 11/21 Second draft paper 3 due

Week 13
M 11/24
W 11/26 [No class: Thanksgiving Recess]
F 11/28 [No class: Thanksgiving Recess]

Week 14
M 12/1 Final draft paper 3 due
T 12/2 [Last Day to Officially Take a Leave of Absence or Withdraw from the University
for Fall 2013]
W 12/3
F 12/5 Draft of final portfolio due

Week 15
M 12/8
W 12/10 Last day of classes; Course evaluations; Final portfolio due