TEACHSOC: Fw: TEACHSOC: Re: Courses with "Writing Intensive" Designations

[Anne Eisenberg]

Just to make sure this response went to everyone - see below.   Anne F. Eisenberg Assistant Professor Department of Sociology SUNY-Geneseo 123D Sturges Hall Geneseo, NY  14454 716-245-5447 (office) 716-245-5337 (fax) [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original Message ----- From: Susan Webb To: 'Anne Eisenberg' Sent: Monday, November 28, 2005 4:06 PM Subject: RE: TEACHSOC: Re: Courses with "Writing Intensive" Designations Our university-wide Core Curriculum requires four Writing Intensive courses for graduation:  Freshman & Sophomore English, then two others.  All majors offer at least one – in our department Research Methods, Social Demography, and Internships are “WI”.   Courses that meet the requirement must include writing assignments: ‘at least twelve pages of clear prose in formats appropriate to the discipline involved,’ broken into a minimum of three assignments spaced through the semester, each of which must be returned with constructive comments.  WI courses must include instruction in writing.  Writing assignments must comprise no less than 10% of the student’s course grade.  Here are some WI courses across our curriculum:   Art History, Spanish Literature, Politics Through Film and Literature,  Business and Professional Communication, Major American Poets.  Paradoxically, “Writing Workshop – Fiction” is not, nor are any of the courses in the Communications major, which requires its majors to take ‘cognate’ classes in other fields and thus get the WI requirements fulfilled.    I’m yet again on the Core Curriculum committee and we will be revisiting the WI requirements, the rather eclectic and haphazard set of courses, and the extent to which the requirements are actually met in the courses.  We have an even more ill-defined and spottily implemented ‘computer usage’ course requirement (1 for each student) that has not been revised since it was put in place in 1988.  The committee must tackle both these this year.  Doesn’t that sound like fun?!   Susan Webb President,  National Council of State Sociological Associations           and Professor of Sociology Coastal Carolina University (843) 349-2933     From: teachsoc@googlegroups.com [mailto:teachsoc@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Anne Eisenberg Sent: Monday, November 28, 2005 2:27 PM To: teachsoc@googlegroups.com Subject: TEACHSOC: Re: Courses with "Writing Intensive" Designations   hi, Susan -   All first year students are required to take a specific writing intensive class.  Otherwise, we do not put such a designation on any class.   Anne F. Eisenberg Assistant Professor Department of Sociology SUNY-Geneseo 123D Sturges Hall Geneseo, NY  14454 716-245-5447 (office) 716-245-5337 (fax) [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: teachsoc@googlegroups.com Sent: Monday, November 28, 2005 2:24 PM Subject: TEACHSOC: Courses with "Writing Intensive" Designations   Hi, I am on a committee which is reviewing a policy that has been in place for over 15 years on "Writing Intensive" courses. At Corning Community College this is a designation included after the course description in our college catalog.  It's purpose has been to indicate a substantial writing requirement and the course grade will be based on both content and the writing process.  They are typical courses (The Family and Social Problems, for example) but they let advisors and students know that most of the grade will be based in written assignments and essays (research papers as well as a final exam that is at least 60% essay).  Do other colleges use any specific designation to indicate substantial writing or any type of writing?  I appreciate any input you may have.  Susan St. John, Assoc. Professor of Sociology Corning Community College 1 Academic Drive Corning, NY 14830 (607) 962-9526 or secretary 962-9239