COURSE POLICIES AND REQUIREMENTS

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Portfolios: You must maintain a portfolio (a manila folder) containing all of the work you do for this class. The instructor will hand back papers after reading and commenting on them. You are responsible for keeping them in your portfolio. At the end of the quarter, you must submit your portfolio with all of your writing assignments. You must include the copies with the instructor’s comments on them. If you wish to keep your portfolio, you must pick it up during the following quarter.

Attendance: Attendance is mandatory. The workshop nature of the course requires participation, and you must attend to participate. No more than two absences are permitted during the quarter. Missing a scheduled conference is considered an absence. Lateness is not accepted, and being more than 5 minutes late twice is equal to one absence.

Copies for Workshops: On workshop days, it is expected that you come prepared with copies of your assignment to discuss with the class and/or your group. The number of copies needed is described in the course schedule and will be discussed in class. You must come to class on time with the appropriate number of copies for distribution.

Late Papers: No late papers will be accepted, including drafts and revisions, unless you make special arrangements with the instructor. Late papers are subject to grade penalties at the discretion of the instructor.

Paper Format: Papers must be stapled, typed, and double-spaced. Submit assignments in black ink on 8.5” X 11” white paper. Use a non-decorative 12-point font, such as Times New Roman, and use 1” margins. Do not include title pages. Include your name, section number, instructor name, assignment number and date. Include page numbers on all pages. Use the MLA website or a current MLA style guide for style, grammar, format, and citation questions.

Non-sexist Language: Please refer to the Non-sexist language policies as described by the Online Writing Lab at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_nonsex.html. In general, Warren Writing endorses the use of the singular they to resolve the problem of indefinite pronoun references in written and spoken English. The singular they is gender-inclusive, has a long and continuing history of use and seldom leads to awkward constructions. The OWL website provides background information and good examples for how to maintain non-sexist language use in your writing.

Classroom Environment: Any comments or actions that instigate or contribute to a hostile environment will not be tolerated. This classroom is a place where claims can be explored, challenged, and argued for and against without fear of oppression and/or reprisal by your peers or the instructor. Any individual who, as a result of their words and/or behavior, silences their classmates will be held accountable. Cell phones and pagers must be turned off.

Statement of Academic Integrity: Students are expected to do their own work, as outlined in the UCSD Policy on Academic Integrity published in the UCSD General Catalog: “Cheating will not be tolerated, and any student who engages in suspicious conduct will be confronted and subjected to the disciplinary process. Cheaters will receive a failing grade on the assignment or the exam and/or in the entire course. They may also be suspended from UCSD. Academic misconduct includes but is not limited to:

• Cheating, such as using "crib notes" or copying answers from another student during the exam, modifying a graded exam and returning it for a new grade, or submitting the same paper or assignment for two or more different courses unless authorized by the instructors concerned.

• Plagiarism, such as using the writings or ideas of another person, either in whole or in part, without proper attribution to the author of the source.

• Collusion, such as engaging in unauthorized collaboration on homework assignments or take home exams, completing for another student any part or the whole of an assignment or exam, or procuring, providing or accepting materials that contain questions or answers to an exam or assignment to be given at a subsequent time.”

Evaluation Standards at Warren Writing

• An “A” essay demonstrates excellent work. It has something to say and says it well.  It develops its argument clearly and consistently, demonstrating a complex understanding of the assignment, and does so using varied sentence structure. It often rises above other essays with particular instances of creative or analytical sophistication.  There may be only minor and/or occasional grammatical errors.  

• A “B” essay demonstrates good work. It establishes a clear claim and pursues it consistently, demonstrating a good understanding of the assignment. There may be some mechanical difficulties, but not so many as to impair the clear development of the main argument. While a “B” essay is in many ways successful, it lacks the originality and/or sophistication of an “A” essay.

• A “C” essay demonstrates adequate work. It establishes an adequate grasp of the assignment and argues a central claim. In addition, the argument may rely on unsupported generalizations or insufficiently developed ideas. It may also contain grammatical errors.

• Work that earns a grade of “D” or “F” is often characterized by the following problems: it fails to demonstrate an adequate understanding of the assignment; it fails to articulate an adequate argument; and/or it contains significant grammatical problems.