BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF CORE WRITING-INTENSIVE
COURSES
Dr. Hugh Ormsby-Lennon.
Office, 466 St. Augustine Center | Voice mail: (215) 592-8102
Fax: (215) 238-1187 (with approval).
Final Grade: 40%
writing; 20% final exam; 20% class participation; 20% journal. Each part must
be passed in order to pass the course.
Mode of Teaching: Seminar discussion and informal
lecture and discussion.
Writing Assignments: All papers must be typed, except
for those completed in the classroom. Late papers will be penalized.
Students MUST retain a copy of their papers because papers can go
unaccountably astray, and it is the student's responsibility to have a replacement in the
unfortunate event that a paper is lost. Papers should be handed to me at the beginning of
class, faxed to me, sent to my e-mail address, or handed in to the English Department
Secretary on the fourth floor in SAC so that s/he can note the date and time it
was handed in. You should be aware that I have reported students for plagiarism;
they not only get an F for the course, but also have the plagiarism
entered on their record.
Papers must be thesis-driven, i.e.,
"argumentative." Consult A Writing Reference as to
writing an essay based on argument.
This seminar is designated "Writing Intensive" by the
University, and thus the department requires 6,000 words from each student in the course
of the semester. This adds up to some thirty pages @ roughly 200 words
per page; some students write more words per page, others less, but I keep a tally of each
student's productivity in my file on the student. NOTE that work performed for
another class may not also be submitted to this class. If you do so, it is regarded
by the university as plagiarism.
There will be four formal papers (3-6 pp, of increasing length) and
each student will rewrite at least one paper (for details of revisions please see the next
section).
Journals: Journals will enable undergraduates to
complete some of their writing in more informal circumstances; these are designed to
promote confidence and fluency. (Handwritten journals will be accepted, but my experience
is that many students now compose upon the screen.) I have not mandated the subjects upon
which students write in their journals--some undergraduates choose to reflect upon their
individual experiences at Villanova, many of them cultural--but in I shall expect to see
some significant exploration of themes we have discussed in class. In their journals
students will thus be required to write an account of a significant excursion to
Philadelphia and a brief review of at least one of the films screened during Villanova's
semester-long Cultural Film and Lecture Series. Journals must end up at least
fifteen pages long; entries will be dated. See Professor Radcliffe's advice on Keeping a Journal.
Classroom discussion: This is a discussion class and
it will thrive only if students contribute to our joint enterprise of opening Augustinian
perspectives on modernity. Once the class has got under way, there will be a regular
schedule of reports and of student responses to them; a roster will be posted on a link on
my home page, and students will be responsible for knowing the dates and subjects of their
reports or responses. These reports and responses will not, however, represent an
opportunity for other students to abstain from debate. I shall keep a record of individual
student contributions in my files.
Grades: Final grades will be based primarily (but by
no means exclusively) upon the performance of undergraduates as writers in the formal
writing exercises (the "essays" or "papers") and on the final exam.
All students are encouraged to revise every paper (but every student must revise one). The
new grade will not replace the old one, but improvements will be registered in a new grade
which will improve the undergraduate's overall grade. Please note that a revision will NOT
be accepted as a revision UNLESS it is accompanied by a copy of the
original paper with my suggestions and corrections upon it. Undergraduates are encouraged
to visit the Writing Center; I shall keep a copy of the peer counselor's report in each
student's individual file.
Student journals will not be graded, but I shall mark up and keep a
record of student performance. See Keeping a Journal.
E-mail has become an important part of all our lives; I shall keep a
printed record of each undergraduate's communications with me. E-mails are not
"shopping lists" or other scribbles designed "for your eyes only."
Grammar, spelling, and general literacy will thus be scrutinized.
This is a seminar that requires student participation so contributions
to classroom discussion, as well as performance in reports, will also comprise an
important factor in the assignment of final grades. "Speaking" no less than
"writing" has again been deemed a crucial component of undergraduate education
in universities across America.
A variety of other "imponderables" also enters into the
assignment of a final grade. Improvement (particularly in writing) can prove a major
consideration. Come to conferences with something to say; don't stare at me like a fish.
Don't fall asleep in the classroom; don't stare blankly out the window; or don't endeavor,
surreptitiously, to catch up with work for other classes. Don't chatter with, or pass
clandestine notes to, your colleagues. Read the newspaper at home, please. A student's
overall attitude is important, and it will be noted. Please remember, too, that grades in
every class must display some "curving."
Conferences: At least two conferences will be
scheduled with each student. You are expected not only to be on time but to have something
to say about your work. "Blowing off" a conference will adversely affect a
student's grade. If circumstances prevent you from keeping an appointment on the day of
our conference, call me promptly. I do not have e-mail facilities in my office so an
e-mail will not reach me there.
Class Communication: Students are expected to
read my e-mails to them. If you arrive in class and find yourself in a minority of one (or
two or even three) as regards a missive from me, there is clearly something wrong with
your communication system!
Academic Honesty: You are required to familiarize
yourself with the latest statements of the university's policies on academic honesty.
Etiquette: Unexplained absences, as well as late
arrivals to class, will be recorded by the instructor. Please familiarize yourself with
university policy on unexplained absences. Students, alas, can encounter sudden crises in
their lives--I am always sympathetic--but please do not wait until the end of the semester
to explain why you haven't attended class or submitted papers; I am not nosy, but a call
from the University's Counseling Center or a doctor's note will help.
Conference appointments will be faithfully observed (and grades will
suffer from any cavalier disregard on the part of undergraduates). Students who neglect to
bring their books to class will be shown the door. Students (such as those who have been
absent from class) are expected to remain familiar with the syllabus and with fresh
postings on my home page.
The Final Examination will be objective, students
being required to identify and comment on quotations from the texts we have read. The
final examination is open-book: bring notes, syllabi, and whatever else
you wish (except laptops) to the examination room. This final is important insofar as a
students' performance on the identification (and commentary) question will reflect their
familiarity with crucial passages of the works that we have discussed during the semester.
Student essays will provide further indications of such familiarity.
Final Grade: 40%
writing; 20% final exam; 20% class participation; 20% journal. Each part must be passed in
order to pass the course.
Note: It is the policy of Villanova
University to make reasonable academic accommodation for qualified individuals with
disabilities. If you are a person with a disability and wish to request accommodations to
complete your course requirements, please make an appointment with the course professor as
soon as possible to discuss the request. If you would like information on documentation
requirements, contact the Office of Learning Support Services at 610-519-5636 or visit the
office in Geraghty Hall.