Program Handbook

Department of Composition Handbook

UNIVERSITY of LOUISVILLE

COMPOSITION PROGRAM HANDBOOK

Revised April 2020

Welcome to the Composition Program at UofL

Program Contacts: Where Do I Go For Help and Information?

Welcome to the Composition Program at UofL!

UNIVERSITY of LOUISVILLE

Composition Program

June 2020

Dear Composition Instructors:

Welcome to the University of Louisville Composition Program. We are committed to teaching students to become more creative and critical writers and readers. Our writing courses are our opportunity to help students develop their writing as a way of thinking, learning, and communicating in ways that will enrich their lives in the University community and beyond.

The Composition Program is also committed to providing instructors with the support and materials to allow them to become the most effective teachers and scholars possible. We do not work from a single syllabus or textbook. Instead we believe that the strength of the program comes from the creativity of individuals engaging in thoughtful, reflexive teaching practices. Toward that end we provide professional development in the form of periodic teacher workshops, online resources such as E-Files, and the Bonnie Endowment Library of books on literacy, rhetoric, and teaching writing.

We are here to help you in any way possible. Please don’t hesitate to talk with any of us about any question, problem, idea, or suggestion you have. We are proud of our teachers and program. We hope this year will be productive and enjoyable for you and your students.

Sincerely,

Andrea Olinger

Rachel Morgan

Chelsea Schaper

Christina Davidson

PROGRAM CONTACTS

Where Do I Go For Help and Information?

Dr. Andrea Olinger, Director of Composition

Humanities 320, 852.3051

arolin01@louisville.edu

Linda Baldwin, Composition Program Administrative Specialist

Humanities 315C 852.6896

llbald01@louisville.edu

Assistant Directors of Composition

CHAPTER 1 How Do We Approach Teaching Writing at UofL?

Director of Composition

These are some of the questions about teaching philosophy that are often on the minds of instructors new to the UofL Composition Program. The answers do not attempt to be exhaustive, but instead introduce you to the ongoing conversation we have about teaching writing at UofL. Many of the thoughts on these pages are complex issues that we will talk about at length in English 602, in teaching workshops, and in casual conversations in the hallways. These questions and answers are also not intended to get at the nuts and bolts of how the program works, most of which can be found in other sections of the Handbook. As with all information in the program, never hesitate to ask members of the Composition Program staff any questions you have.

What is the philosophy for teaching writing at UofL?

We are committed to teaching students to become more creative and critical writers and readers. Our writing courses are our opportunity to help students develop their writing as a way of thinking, learning, and communicating in ways that will enrich their lives in the University community and beyond. In our writing courses we want students to learn how to negotiate and write in unfamiliar writing situations. No set of writing courses could possibly predict the variety of writing challenges that students will encounter in college and in their daily lives. We want students to develop the ability to encounter a new writing situation, in or out of the classroom, and be able to think about it rhetorically in terms of audience, purpose, style and voice, persona and ethos, and so on, so they can figure out how to write effectively in that situation. Accomplishing this goal requires that students write and read in multiple genres and learn to think about writing and reading as rhetorical acts. Students should receive thoughtful and engaged responses to their writing and learn multiple strategies for invention and revision. Most important students should be taught how to reflect on their writing, both in process and as a final product. Such analysis not only allows students to consider their strengths and weaknesses as writers, but offers them approaches to thinking about their writing processes and rhetorical strategies as life-long learners.

Is there a single syllabus?

We do not work from a single syllabus or textbook. Instead we believe that the strength of the program comes from the creativity of individuals engaging in thoughtful, reflexive teaching practices. The entire program benefits when individual teachers have the freedom to attempt innovative practices and assignments, and then share those successful innovations with their colleagues. Instructors teaching for the first time and enrolled in English 602 will follow the common syllabus.

Do we teach formulas such as the five-paragraph theme or the “modes of discourse”?

We do not teach rigid formulas for essays such as the five-paragraph theme, nor do we teach the “modes of discourse” (narration, description, comparison and contrast, etc) as fixed models of essays. Students, in encountering these approaches, learn to think of writing as inflexible and formulaic and are ill-prepared to handle the complexity of the genres they will encounter in their writing lives. Of course teaching description or comparison as a rhetorical strategy within an essay may be useful. In talking about genres, however, students need to see how conventions shape genres, how genres change with rhetorical contexts, and how any given piece of writing is apt to include a number of different strategies.

What is the difference between English 101 and English 102?

English 101 is the course most incoming first-year students take in the fall. The focus of the course is on helping students understand how to write essays in which they have to establish an authorial position or presence, whether it is a personal essay or a more traditional argument. We find that our students have some experience in writing narratives or report-oriented prose, but have more trouble in writing essays that take a position and include significant analysis or critique. This is the case for personal essays and argumentative essays. In English 101 we want students to learn how to frame and develop a position through invention and drafting strategies, support their focus with detailed examples and evidence, and learn how to engage in thoughtful and substantive revision. We also want English 101 students to work with and reflect on their writing processes to make them more aware of how they write most effectively and how they negotiate unfamiliar writing situations. The emphasis in English 101 is not research. We do, however, like to have students write at least one essay in which they have to work with a text (say in responding to a reading, etc) so they begin to understand how and why one works with source material.

Most students take English 102 in the spring and it focuses more on research writing. The goal is to teach students how to develop a question, find information to answer it online, in the library, and through direct research, read and evaluate the research, and develop the information into an argument supported by the relevant evidence. Consequently English 102 requires working with students on how to find research sources and then read those sources rhetorically and evaluate their content. We then work with students on how to develop an argument from those sources and then use them to support the argument. The same philosophy that guides English 101 – of focusing on rhetorical awareness, writing in multiple genres, taking and supporting a position, and reflecting on writing and writing processes – guides our work in English 102.

What kinds of writing assignments do people typically use in English 101 and 102?

While there are a wide variety of assignments people use in these courses, often finding innovative and creative ways of trying new strategies, there are some kinds of assignments that are relatively popular. In general assignments in 101 and 102 are non-fiction and are usually oriented toward argument and analysis. Still, there is room for much variety in assignments. Many instructors, for example, use some kind of Literacy Narrative or Autobiography in their courses. Such assignments not only help instructors have a better sense of where students are as readers and writers, but they offer useful opportunities for students to reflect on the variety of their literacy practices and analyze how they have been influenced by the people and culture around them. Other instructors assign students essays that engage current political topics of either national or local relevance. Other instructors have students write personal essays that ask students to reflect on their experiences in some depth. Some assignments ask students to engage in interviews or observations, others to do archival research in either the UofL Library or the local historical society. Finally, multimodal assignments are becoming increasingly common in these courses. More information and sample assignments can be found in several places in the program, including E-Files, the Composition Program office, through the Assistant Directors, in teaching workshops, and in English 602. For more information about ideas for writing assignments, see Chapter Four.

The other question that often arises in terms of writing assignments is whether explicitly personal writing is allowed or required. The answer to the first question is, yes, explicitly personal writing is allowed. Writing that draws on experience can be personally engaging and rhetorically effective, whether in the form of a literacy narrative, a personal essay, or as support in more traditional arguments. Students who learn how to use personal writing effectively are that much more flexible and creative as writers. In addition, it is worth noting that all writing is “personal”, it is just that writing that does not explicitly acknowledge the presence of the writer allows the reader to assume a particular default authorial identity.

We want students to consider how best to establish an authorial position in any piece of writing and whether including writing from experience will best help communicate their ideas. The answer to the second question of whether such writing is required, however, is no. Instructors are not required to create assignments that include explicitly personal writing.

Do instructors in the program hold individual writing conferences with students?

Yes. There is a strong commitment in this program to individual writing conferences. We believe that the kind of individual response and dialogue that takes place in a writing conference is simply not replicable in written responses on student essays. It is important to be able to talk with students about their writing and their writing processes. It is also important that the writing conference be a true dialogue, not just a mini-lecture to the student about the mistakes in the paper. The purpose of a writing conference is for the student to begin to identify the places a paper needs work, to become a more reflective and effective writer.

Of course, given teaching loads and the other work obligations it is usually not possible to hold conferences with students as often as any of us would like. Still, most instructors have individual writing conferences with students three or four times a semester. It is acceptable to cancel classes during the week you hold conferences, though instructors often create out-of-class assignments for the students during those weeks. There are many different ways to approach conferences, which you will talk about in English 602 or that you can ask colleagues or ADCs about. Don Murray’s A Writer Teaches Writing has a particularly good chapter on conference strategies. There are also ideas in books in the Bonnie Endowment Library.

Do instructors use student peer-review writing workshops in writing courses?

Yes, most instructors have students engage in some kind of peer-review writing workshops at several points during the semester. Students who can identify and respond well to the writing of others become better writers themselves as well as provide useful responses to their peers’ drafts. Instructors use peer-review workshops for a variety of purposes in the semester, from brainstorming ideas, to developing focuses for essays, to responding to drafts, to final editing. There are many different ways to approach peer-review workshops as well, which you will talk about in English 602 or that you can ask colleagues or ADCs about. There are also ideas in books in the Bonnie Endowment Library.

How is grading approached?

Most of the instructors here have students compile some kind of final portfolio of their writing that includes finished essays, earlier drafts, and reflective essays. It is not a requirement of the program to use a portfolio-based grading system, however. What is most important is that grading criteria and processes are made clear to students and then applied consistently. We encourage instructors to talk with students about how and why particular grading criteria are established as an ongoing part of the course. We do ask that students receive some sense of how they stand with their grade in the course, whether a brief portfolio, a graded essay, a progress report with a grade, before the course withdrawal deadline. For more information on grading and portfolios, see Chapter Two.

How do we approach teaching grammar and style?

We believe that issues of style and grammar are best taught in the context of students’ own writing. Students who work on grammar worksheets can get quite adept at completing grammar worksheets without the knowledge translating into better writing. We approach the teaching of style and grammar as a rhetorical concept that is an ongoing concern in student writing, not just a matter of catching mistakes at the proofreading stage. Consequently we combine in-class work such as commonplace books and style-focused revision exercises with individual work with students on stylistic problems in their drafts. To find resources that would help with teaching issues of grammar and style see Chapter Four.

Do we have classrooms with computers in them?

The English Department has two computer-equipped classrooms and a MAC Lab. You may request that your class meet in one of these computer labs. While we do our best to accommodate these requests, we do have limited space. Many of our classrooms are equipped with an instructor station and projector. Technology can also be requested from IT at the following link:

http://louisville.edu/english/department-filing-cabinet/department-equipment/equipment-request

How do we help each other with teaching?

There are several ways that we try to build and sustain a supportive teaching community. First, all instructors new to the UofL classroom are assigned to a small teaching support group with one of the Assistant Directors of Composition, or with me. These offer opportunities for talking about what is happening in your classes, trading teaching ideas, and getting questions large and small answered. You also have the opportunity to go to optional nuts-and-bolts pedagogy lunches to talk about specific pedagogical strategies and assignments for your courses.

We begin the academic year by having a half-day workshop session the Friday before classes start.

In addition we have online teaching support in the form of E-Files. All instructors are encouraged to submit teaching materials to E-Files.

For more places to find ideas about teaching see Chapter Four.

Last, but often most important, are the informal conversations about teaching that go on among instructors all the time. Never hesitate to ask for advice or ideas, or just feel free to join in the ongoing talk about teaching.

CHAPTER 2 Course Policies: What Should Be In My Syllabus?

Student Learning Outcomes

The Student Learning Outcomes Statements for are intended to provide instructors and students with a sense of what kinds of knowledge students should be expected to acquire and demonstrate by the end of each course. The student learning outcomes, which were created through the participation of instructors in the Composition Program, are intended to create a sense of common purpose for the courses and clear expectations for the students. At the same time, the student learning outcomes have been written to maintain the flexibility in the program that allows individual instructors to continue the tradition of innovation and creativity in the classroom that is one of the great strengths of the University of Louisville Composition Program.

English 101 (Intro to College Writing)

The focus of English 101 is recognizing and responding to different rhetorical situations and developing effective writing processes. A student in English 101 should expect to write and revise essays in multiple genres. Each essay should establish a clear purpose and sense of the writer’s presence and position. A student in English 101 should expect to write four to six papers during the term totaling about 18-20 pages of text.

Student Learning Outcomes for English 101:

Rhetorical Knowledge (responding appropriately to a variety of rhetorical situations)

By the end of English 101, students should demonstrate the ability to produce writing that

Focuses on a clear and consistent purpose
Analyzes and responds to the needs of different audiences
Employs a tone consistent with purpose and audience
Uses a variety of genres or adapts genres to suit different audiences and purposes
Chooses evidence and detail consistent with purpose and audience

Critical Reading and Thinking (analyzing rhetorical positioning of texts)

By the end of English 101, students should demonstrate the ability to produce writing that

Identifies the purpose(s) for which a given text may have been constructed
Identifies the audience(s) for which a given text may have been constructed
Demonstrates awareness of the role of genre in making meaning from a given text
Summarizes argument and exposition of a text accurately
Demonstrates understanding of knowledge and information as existing within a broader context
Demonstrates awareness of multiple points of view

Processes

By the end of English 101, students should demonstrate the ability to produce writing that

Demonstrates through reflection awareness of their own writing processes across multiple drafts

Demonstrates strategies of invention, drafting, and revision

Demonstrates ability to critique own work and work of peers

Conventions

By the end of English 101, students should demonstrate the ability to produce writing that

Demonstrates knowledge of genre conventions in terms of organization, formatting, paragraphing, and tone

Demonstrates control of such surface features as syntax, grammar, punctuation, and spelling

Uses conventions of structure and format appropriate to the rhetorical situation

Adopted 11/06

English 102 (Intermed. College Writing)

The focus of English 102 is creating and answering questions through research and writing that draws upon written texts and other sources. A student in English 102 should expect to create research questions, find relevant information to answer those questions, and write longer essays that use the information to create and support a clearly defined position on the topic involved. A student in English 102 can expect to write four to six papers during the term, including at least one extended research essay, totaling about 20 to 25 pages of text.

Student Learning Outcomes for English 102:

Rhetorical Knowledge

By the end of English 102, students should demonstrate the ability to produce writing that

Demonstrates rhetorical purpose by creating a position relative to their research
Analyzes the needs of the audience and the requirements of the assignment or task
Demonstrates knowledge of genres employed in writing with research
Provides supporting evidence from research sources
Employs a tone consistent with purpose and audience

Critical Thinking and Reading

By the end of English 102, students should demonstrate the ability to produce writing that

Identifies rhetorical strategies and summarizes main ideas of outside sources
Places sources in context with other research
Represents and responds to multiple points of view in research

Processes

By the end of English 102, students should demonstrate the ability to produce writing that

Identifies a research question
Develops a research strategy
Identifies and evaluates sources
Uses research sources to discover and focus a thesis

Conventions

By the end of English 102, students should demonstrate the ability to produce writing that

Integrates sources with one another and with own analysis
Demonstrates control over conventions of format and presentation for different purposes and different audiences
Demonstrates an understanding of the purposes and conventions of documentation
Demonstrates awareness of multiple methods of citation

Adopted 11/06

English 105 (Honors Composition)

English 105 is an honors course that satisfies both the English 101 and English 102 requirements. To enroll in the course, incoming first-year students must have an ACT composite score of 28 or higher or the equivalent SAT score of 1240 (composite math and verbal scores) and a high school grade point average (GPA) of 3.5. Because English 105 is the only first-year writing course honors students are required to take, it needs to cover the rhetorical and writing process concerns of English 101 as well as the writing with research concerns of English 102. Instructors teaching English 105 should also review the Student Learning Outcomes for English 101 and English 102. A student in English 105 should expect to write and revise essays in multiple genres, each with a clear purpose and sense of the writer’s presence and position. The student should also expect to create and answer questions through research and writing that draws upon written texts and other sources. A student in English 105 can expect to write four to six papers during the term, including at least one extended research essay, totaling about 20 to 25 pages of text.

Student Learning Outcomes for English 105:

Rhetorical Knowledge (responding appropriately to a variety of rhetorical situations)

By the end of English 105, students should demonstrate the ability to produce writing that

Focuses on a clear and consistent purpose

Analyzes and responds to the needs of different audiences

Employs a tone consistent with purpose and audience

Uses a variety of genres or adapts genres to suit different audiences and purposes, including writing with research sources

Chooses detail and evidence, including evidence from research sources, consistent with purpose and audience

Critical Reading and Thinking (analyzing rhetorical positioning of texts)

By the end of English 105, students should demonstrate the ability to produce writing that

Demonstrates awareness of the role of genre in making meaning from a given text

Demonstrates understanding of knowledge and information, including information from research sources, as existing within a broader context

Represents and responds to multiple points of view, including the positioning of research sources

Processes

By the end of English 105, students should demonstrate the ability to produce writing that

Identifies a research question and develops a research strategy

Identifies, evaluates, and uses research sources to discover and focus a thesis

Demonstrates through reflection awareness of their own writing processes across multiple drafts

Demonstrates strategies of invention, drafting, and revision

Demonstrates ability to critique own work and work of peers

Conventions

By the end of English 105, students should demonstrate the ability to produce writing that

Demonstrates control over conventions of format and presentation for different purposes and different audiences

Demonstrates control of such surface features as syntax, grammar, punctuation, and spelling

Uses conventions of structure and format appropriate to the rhetorical situation, including purposes and conventions of documentation and multiple methods of citation

English 303 (Scientific & Technical Writing)

The focus of English 303 is recognizing and responding in writing to different rhetorical situations in scientific and technical discourse communities. A student in English 303 should expect to create and revise documents in multiple genres. Each document should establish a clear purpose, sense of audience awareness, and sense of the writer’s presence and position. A student in English 303 should expect to complete four-to-six projects.

Student Learning Outcomes Statement for English 303:

The Student Outcomes Statement for English 303 is intended to provide instructors and students with a sense of what kinds of knowledge students should be expected to acquire and demonstrate by the end of this course. The student learning outcomes are intended to create a sense of common purpose for the courses and clear expectations for the students. At the same time, the student learning outcomes have been written to maintain the flexibility in the program that allows individual instructors to continue the tradition of innovation and creativity in the classroom that is one of the great strengths of the University of Louisville Composition Program.

Rhetorical Knowledge (responding appropriately to a variety of rhetorical situations)

By the end of English 303, students should demonstrate the ability to produce writing and use oral communication skills that

Demonstrate knowledge of audience, which includes the ability to determine appropriate scope, genre, technical vocabulary and detail, and tone when writing for both technical and non-technical audiences

Demonstrate knowledge of context, which includes analyzing professional cultures, social contexts, and audiences to determine how they shape the various purposes and forms of writing

Demonstrate an ability to use, explain and integrate quantitative information with verbal prose to achieve particular rhetorical purposes

Demonstrate knowledge of research methods that produce professional documents, including analyzing professional contexts and assessing and summarizing information resources

Processes

By the end of English 303, students should demonstrate the ability to produce writing that

Demonstrates knowledge of the writing process, which means engaging various strategies for planning, researching, drafting, revising, and editing documents that respond effectively and ethically to scientific and technical situations and audiences

Demonstrates knowledge of collaborative strategies, such as writing in a team setting, working and communicating on-line, setting and achieving project goals, and responding constructively to peers’ work

Conventions

By the end of English 303, students should demonstrate the ability to produce writing that

Demonstrates control of the editing process, including the production of documents which exhibit concise language, appropriate technical vocabulary, appropriate format, proper sentence structure, and standardized grammar

Demonstrates knowledge of document design, including the implementation of various principles of format, layout, and design of professional visual/verbal documents that meet multiple needs and integrate a variety of written, visual, and oral elements of design

English 306 (Business Writing)

The focus of English 306 is recognizing and responding in writing to different rhetorical situations in the professional world. A student in English 306 should expect to create and revise documents that incorporate elements of critical thinking as well as demonstrate intellectual and professional standards of effective communication. A student in English 306 should expect to complete four-to-six projects.

By the end of English 306, students should demonstrate the ability to produce writing that

Appropriately responds to specific business writing situations with an understanding of context, purpose, and audience
Reflects an analysis of workplace problems and proposes clear, precise, and innovative solutions for a specific audience
Incorporates accurate and relevant evidence that supports well-reasoned solutions to workplace problems with a depth and breadth of significant, well-researched information
Demonstrates the ability to consider co-workers' perspectives with intellectual fairness, empathy, and humility
Adheres to professional standards and conventions of business communication genres such as letters, reports and resumes
Indicates the perseverance to revise writing to achieve clarity, precision, and appropriate tone, considering multiple perspectives and sensitivity to cultural differences
Incorporates a knowledge of document design, including the implementation of various principles of format, layout, and design of professional visual/verbal documents that meet multiple needs
Reflects a control of the editing process, including the production of documents which exhibit concise language, appropriate format, proper sentence structure, and standardized grammar.

English 309 (Inquiries into Writing)

Prerequisites: ENGL 102 or 105

Note: Approved for the Arts and Sciences upper-level requirement in
written communication (WR).

The focus of English 309 is recognizing differing rhetorical situations and responding to them at an advanced level in appropriate modes for diverse audiences. A student in English 309 should expect to create and revise compositions in multiple genres. Compositions should establish a clear purpose, exhibit audience awareness, and reveal a sense of the writer’s presence and position. A student in English 309 should expect to complete four to six projects of their own design. Themes may vary per section as determined by the instructor.

Student Learning Outcomes for English 309:

Rhetorical Knowledge (responding appropriately to a variety of rhetorical situations)

By the end of English 309, students should demonstrate the ability to compose texts and presentations that

Develop and negotiate an advanced rhetorical situation

Integrate and are informed by their own multiple literacies

Exhibit awareness of audience, including the ability to determine appropriate scope, genre, and tone for a public text or particular discipline

Exhibit knowledge of context, which includes analyzing discourse communities to determine how they shape the various purposes and forms of composing

Critical Reading and Thinking (analyzing rhetorical positioning of texts)

By the end of English 309, students should demonstrate the ability to produce texts and presentations that

Evidence skill in reading and understanding texts that draw from multiple literacies

Indicate knowledge of research methods by analyzing social contexts, assessing the validity of sources, and summarizing and evaluating relevant information

Result from designing their own research projects by identifying questions, developing strategies, using primary and secondary sources to support arguments, and choosing effective methods of presentation

Acknowledge the complexity of issues by engaging and evaluating multiple points of view

Processes

By the end of English 309, students should demonstrate the ability to produce texts and presentations that

Use writing as a tool for exploration and reflection

Employ strategies for composing as a recursive process of inventing, investigating, shaping, drafting, revising, and editing

Exhibit the ability to work collaboratively, including in-class, online, and in individual projects

Evidence the ability to reflect on their individual writing processes

Exhibit an awareness of the communicative options available for any project, text, or composition and make composing choices accordingly

Conventions

By the end of English 309, students should demonstrate the ability to produce texts and presentations that

Indicate awareness of various modes of presentation and ability

to select the mode(s) most appropriate to the audience and purpose

Address the expectations of readers in specific disciplines or public audiences by presenting ideas in appropriate language, format, and citation style

Course Syllabus Guidelines

Composition Program students should receive a syllabus in the first class meeting and the syllabus must be posted to Blackboard.. A copy, with syllabus checklist (see pages 12-13 of this handbook) completed and attached, for each section taught must be placed on file in the Composition Program office (Humanities Bldg. Room 321) by the end of the first week of each semester. Substantial changes in the syllabus must be communicated to the students in writing and filed in the Composition Program Office.

The syllabus should contain clear and direct statements of the policies and procedures governing the course. It should also provide a schedule of the course's activities drawn up in detail sufficient to allow the students to know the extent, character, and timing of their work for the term, but not so great as to overwhelm them or to severely limit the instructor's ability to adjust to the realities of a given writing class. The syllabus should not to be confused with daily lesson plans, nor should it take the place of written assignments. The daily schedule may be maintained on Blackboard and updated unit by unit. This should be clearly stated on the syllabus.

Syllabus Checklist

A copy of this checklist can be downloaded and printed from the Composition Program website.

The following information should be included in your syllabus. Information with text already provided, such as the Disabilities or General Education statements, needs to have that text included verbatim. Please click on "Syllabus Checklist" link above and attach a copy of this sheet to your syllabus, with the required information checked off, and page numbers indicated, when you turn a copy in to the Composition Program Office.

Items that must be included:

Name of instructor
Official course name:
- English 101: Introduction to College Writing
- English 102: Intermediate College Writing
- English 105: Advanced Composition for Freshmen
- English 306: Business Writing
- English 309: Advanced Academic Writing
Course number and section
Year and term
Office room number (and carrel # if applicable)
Office hours
- two hours per week for one section and four hours for two or more sections. Summer teaching requires three hours per week. It is a good practice to explicitly indicate that students may make appointments for other times. NOTE: See further information in the OFFICE HOURS section of handbook. Also see information on STUDENT CONFERENCES.
Phone number and e-mail address
Course goals/ course description
- Provide an overview of the design of your course. Explain the relationships of writing and reading assignments and other activities to the overall purpose and goals of the course.
  
  NOTE: See further information on Assignment Sheets in the GRADING CRITERIA section of handbook.
General overview of required work

*Provide a brief description of the formal writing assignments, informal writing, participation, and any other work. Indicate the percentage each contributes to the final grade.
- Course prerequisites/ placement criteria
  - English 101: Open to all incoming students
  - English 102: Eng. 101, approved transfer credit for Eng. 101, or Portfolio Placement into 102.
  - English 105: Open only to exceptionally qualified students who have been notified of their
    eligibility.
  - English 303: Eng. 102 or 105
  - English 306: Eng. 102 or 105
  - English 309: Eng. 102 or 105
    NOTE: See further information on placement and ESL in the FAQ section of handbook.
- Texts and materials
- Grading policy:
- Grading policy
  *In addition to your policy, also inform students that English courses are graded on a plus/minus scale. If you use a numerical system to calculate grades, please use the following scale.
  A+ 100-97 A 96-93 A- 92-90
  B+ 89-87 B 86-83 B- 82-80
  C+ 79-77 C 76-73 C- 72-70
  D+ 69-67 D 66-63 D- 62-60
  F 59 and below
- General schedule of all major due dates
  The hard copy of the syllabus must contain due dates for major writing assignments (drafts and final manuscripts or portfolios). Individual daily reading and short writing assignments may be posted on Blackboard as long as that is stated on the hard copy of the syllabus.
- Attendance Statement
  Provide students with information of how attendance will affect their grades. Instructors are not required to factor attendance in calculating a student’s grade, but if they do, it must be in accordance with the Composition Program’s attendance policy.
  NOTE: See further information in the section of handbook on
  EXCUSED ABSENCES FOR UNIVERSITY-SANCTIONED
  EVENTS and CLASS ATTENDANCE.
- Late work policy
  Provide students with your policy for turning in and grading late work
- General education statement (for English 101, English 102, and English 105)
  This course fulfills a General Education Written Communication Requirement.
- Written communication statement (for English 303, English 306, and English 309)
  Approved for the Arts and Sciences upper-level requirement in written communication (WR)
- Right to make changes statement
  The instructor has the right to make changes to the course schedule/syllabus if necessary.
- Direct students to Blackboard for:

*These items can be placed on Blackboard as long as the hard copy syllabus explicitly tells students where they can find the policies.

Statement on behalf of students with disabilities

Students who have a disability or condition which may impair their ability to complete assignments or otherwise satisfy course criteria are encouraged to meet with the instructor to identify, discuss and document any feasible instructional modifications or accommodations. Please inform instructor about circumstances no later than the second week of the semester or as soon as possible after a disability or condition is diagnosed, whichever occurs earliest. For information and auxiliary assistance, contact the Disabilities Resource Center.

1. Grievance procedure statement
  Students who have questions or concerns about their grades, the class, or an assignment are encouraged to see their instructor as soon as possible. If not satisfied with that discussion, students may see an assistant director of composition, Hum 319F, 852.5919.
2. Plagiarism statement
  The University defines plagiarism as “representing the words or ideas of someone else as one’s own in any academic exercise.” Thus, all writing you do for this course must be your own and must be exclusively for this course, unless the instructor stipulates differently. Please pay special attention to the quotes, paraphrases, and documentation practices you use in your papers. If you have any questions about plagiarism, please ask your instructor. If you plagiarize, your instructor reserves the right to grant you a failure for the course and your case may be reported to the College of Arts and Sciences.
  NOTE: Please see further information in the PLAGIARISM section in the composition handbook.

Teacher Availability/Office Hours

During regular fall and spring semesters, instructors who teach two or more sections should post and keep at least four office hours per week. For those teaching one section, the requirement is to post and keep at least two office hours per week. During the ten-week summer term, three office hours per week are required. It is a good practice to indicate that students may make appointments for times other than the office hours posted. It is imperative that an instructor be in the scheduled office at his/her scheduled office hours so that students have adequate access. By accepting a PTL appointment or GTAship, instructors are agreeing to this office hour requirement.

Communication with Students and Administration

You will have a university email address, where you will receive important information. You must check this email box regularly. You should also advise students to use this email address to contact you.

Canceling and Moving Classes

The English Department expects all instructors to be present at every regularly scheduled course meeting, face to face or on-line, for the full length of the term. However, the Department also
recognizes that absences may occur due to conference attendance, illness, or personal matters, among other reasons. When an instructor cannot attend one or more classes—either consecutively or separately—the following policies apply:

A notification of any absence must be sent by email to Linda Baldwin (or another designated staff member). This notification should be separate from any sent out to students via Blackboard or ULink. Notifications of instructor absence sent to students shall not be considered an adequate substitute for notifications made to office staff.

The department should be told of absences as early as possible (recognizing that in certain circumstances prior notification may not be possible). Notification is unnecessary if the instructor has submitted the university travel forms.

If three or more classes are missed, the instructor is to arrange for some form of substitute instruction. The instructor may leave up to two missed class sessions without substitution.

Possible options for substitution include, but are not limited to: holding one or more of the missed sessions synchronously online; scheduling one or more additional class sessions to replace those missed; asking a colleague to teach one or more of the missed classes; or assigning the students an independent learning exercise or asynchronous lesson.

In a course conducted in person, synchronous online class meetings may be used to substitute for missed classes no more than three times. An independent learning exercise or asynchronous lesson may be used only once.

When five or more classes are missed, the instructor is to work with the chair to develop a substitution plan to make up for the missed sessions.

Recognizing that courses taught asynchronously online do not necessarily have formal class meetings, absence from student contact for any seven-day period will require a substitution plan comparable to that required for in-person or synchronous classes when an instructor misses three or class sessions. In the case of absences of more than seven days, the instructor is to work with the chair to develop an appropriate substitution plan.

It is required that you log all planned changes to the routine meeting times and/or locations (or office hours) in the Class Change Roster in Room 315C. Indicate the reason for the change and note where the class will meet if it has been moved.

Revision policy

Recognizing the importance of revision to writing development and the fact that peer feedback has purposes different from those of teacher feedback, in spring 2020 the Composition Program adopted the following teacher feedback and revision policy: All students must have the option to revise at least one project after receiving the teacher’s feedback and/or a grade. We encourage allowing revision on all projects that do not come near the end of the semester. As you craft your policy, consider the following factors:

Will you require revision on all major projects or the ones not at the end of the semester, or will you make revision optional for one or more projects?
Will you require students to complete any tasks to support their revision? For example, they could submit a cover letter describing the changes they made, attend a writing center consultation, or conference with you about the revision in class or out of class.
When will their revision be due? For example, they could submit it at a time of their choice, two weeks after they receive your feedback and/or grade, or at the end of the semester.
If you assigned a grade, would the new grade replace the old one, or would it be averaged with the old one?

Student Conferences

Effective writing instruction often requires direct communication between teacher and student working on specific writing problems. In view of the congestion in Humanities LL04, it is a common and reasonable practice to hold conferences elsewhere. If you do this during your office hours, please leave a conspicuous note letting other students know where you are, notify the Composition Administrative Assistant, and make the necessary entry in the Class Change Roster in Humanities 321. While in Humanities LL04, please be sensitive to the needs of your colleagues and their students. The two small conference rooms located in Humanities LL04 can be reserved for conferences using the red binder located on the table with the printer.

Instructors are encouraged to conference with students throughout the semester. It is acceptable to cancel up to a week of class for conferences. Please consider how this interruption to daily class routine will impact students and the classroom environment. We encourage conference days to be spread out so that students do not miss a solid week of class.

Placement Verification

If a question arises about whether or not a student is appropriately placed in English 101, 102, or 105, direct the student to see one of the assistant directors in Bingham Humanities, Room 319F, as soon as possible.

Transfer Students: See FAQ.

Portfolio Placement: See FAQ. You can also find information on portfolio placement on the English Department Composition website.

English as a Second Language (ESL): See FAQ.

Attendance Policy

Attendance Policy for Composition Program Instructors:

Composition Program Faculty may use student attendance as grounds for computing student grades. Instructors may lower a student's grade after she has accumulated two weeks' worth of unexcused absences (six days for a class meeting three times a week or four days for a class meeting twice a week). An instructor may give a student a failing grade for the course after she has accumulated three weeks' worth of unexcused absences (nine days for a class meeting three times a week or six days for a class meeting twice a week). These guidelines stipulate the minimum number of unexcused absences an instructor can use in determining student grades. Each instructor should devise her own attendance/grade policy.

Class Attendance:

The following statements outline the attendance policies of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Composition Program of the English Department.

A&S Attendance Policy Statement:

Effective Fall 1999, the A&S Faculty Assembly approved the following policy on class attendance. (This policy does not alter the University-wide policy on excused absences related to approved university activities):

"Students are expected to attend class. Instructors who choose to do so may include attendance in determining a student's grade. Instructors who use attendance as a factor must indicate on their syllabus what their policy is and how attendance will affect the student's grade."

Excused Absences for University-Sanctioned Events: The following policy is taken from the 2006-08 Student Handbook.

“On the recommendation of the Faculty Senate, Provost Willihnganz has approved the following guidelines for student absences excused by reason of participation in university-sanctioned events. These guidelines replace the Faculty Senate statement of July 8, 1998 and the revised policy of September 6, 2006..

“Resolved by the Faculty Senate, September 6, 2006:

“Although each college, school, or academic unit of the University of Louisville creates its own regulations concerning class attendance, all units hold students responsible for materials covered, lectures given, papers due, exams scheduled, or other evaluative measures administered. The academy requires student participation in the learning process, measurement of student progress, and the fulfillment of basic course requirements.

“However, because the university recognizes that educational experiences extend beyond the classroom and campus, faculty are expected to be flexible with students who are acting as official representatives of the university, or participating in university-sanctioned events or activities that require absence from class. A university sanctioned event or activity shall be one in which a student represents the university to external constituencies in academic or extra-curricular activities. These include but are not limited to student government congresses, intercollegiate athletic and debate contests, music competitions, academic meetings, and conferences. The deans, the student government association, or faculty sponsors of recognized student organizations may petition the provost to designate other events or categories of events as university-sanctioned.

“When students’ participation in university-sanctioned events or activities requires them to be absent from a class (or classes) during which an examination or other measurement of academic progress is scheduled, faculty are expected to provide students with opportunities to be evaluated at other times or by comparable alternative evaluation methods within a reasonable period of time prior to or after the absence.

“Faculty members are expected to provide students in their classes with clear syllabi, including attendance requirements and dates for required measurements or field experiences. Attendance policies should allow excused absences for university-sanctioned events.

“Students who seek excused absences to attend university-sanctioned events are expected to follow the instructions below, and are expected to complete assignments on time, actively participate in other class sessions, and to make up work missed as agreed upon with the faculty member. Students are expected to attend regularly at other times.

“Official notice of a university-sanctioned event shall consist of an excused absence request letter from the sponsoring unit or program to the faculty whose class(es) will be missed, delivered by the student. The excused absence letter may request blanket approval for a series of events or approval of a single event. If the event or class of events has not already been designated as university-sanctioned, the letter must be signed by the provost or her/his designee. The letter must be delivered to and received by the faculty member at the beginning of the semester for a series of events or a minimum of one week prior to the event or activity. The letter shall include the following data:

Name, date(s), and location(s) of the event(s).
Date of departure from campus and exact time when the student is expected to report for departure.
Date of return to campus and exact day and time that the student will be expected to return to class.

“The faculty member will respond in writing. Approval indicates that the instructor will provide opportunities for students to be evaluated at other times or by comparable alternative evaluation methods, within a reasonable period of time prior to or after the absence, without academic penalty.

“If the letter requests blanket approval at the beginning of the term for a series of absences and the faculty member determines that the absences will seriously compromise the student’s performance in the course, the faculty member may deny the excused absence request within the first week of classes, thereby allowing the student to drop the course and add another. If the letter requests absence from an exam or other evaluative measure later in the term (but at least one week in advance) and the faculty member determines that the requested absence will compromise the student’s performance in the course, the faculty member may deny the excused absence.

“The student may appeal denial of an excused absence to the provost or the provost’s designee [1]. Students who believe themselves to be penalized by an instructor, either by a disproportionate task to make up missed work or a grade reduction, may also appeal. Reprisals for following the policy or for reporting a failure to follow the policy are prohibited.

“On occasion, students will not anticipate an absence for a university-sanctioned event until late in the term and will be unable to provide a week’s notice. Such events include but are not limited to post-season tournaments or participation in a regional or national competition. In such instances, the student will provide the faculty member with a letter from the sponsor of the event as soon as the event is scheduled, and the faculty member is asked to be as flexible as possible.

“The designee for these guidelines is Dr. Dale B. Billingsley, associate university provost for undergraduate affairs (852.5209).”

Recording Attendance is Required

Composition program policy requires that instructors record attendance. Attendance records are always an important consideration if students petition for an administrative withdrawal, seek and incomplete, or file a formal grievance. Additionally, when entering grades for a student receiving an unearned F "UF," you will also be prompted to enter the student's last date of attendance. While these are not common occurrences, they are common enough to justify this requirement. Further, if students know that attendance is taken, they are often nudged into being better academic citizens. If you find this task cumbersome, consult with one of the assistant directors for some suggestions for taking attendance without unduly disrupting the ecology of your class.

Grading Criteria

English 101, 102, 105, 303, and 306 are graded A-F on a plus/minus system. The following general criteria may help you determine grades.

Syllabi should clearly define grading procedures, indicating the value of writing assignments, process work, and participation in the calculation of the course grade and generally how this work will be rated. Rating criteria for specific assignments should be indicated in the assignment sheets for those projects.

You should also provide an evaluation of the student's work before the last day to withdraw without academic penalty. The student should have enough information to be able to make an informed decision about continuing or dropping the course.

For Process Work:

A+/A/A- Exceptionally thorough, imaginative, thoughtful work; all assignments complete

B+/B/B- Good work, above and beyond satisfying the basic requirements; all assignments complete

C+/C/C- Acceptable work; all assignments complete

D+/D/D- Most assignments complete

F Few or no assignments complete

For Participation: The grade of C means showing up and doing the minimum to get by. Grades below C indicate that students have missed workshops and conferences, and have not provided a minimum contribution to workshop groups and to the class. Grades of A and B indicate depth and thoroughness and the student's significant contribution to workshop groups and class discussion as well as successful completion of major assignments.

Assignments: It is common practice to provide students an assignment sheet for each writing assignment as the course progresses. These sheets define the topic, length, and kind of writing required, the objectives of the assignment, identify the intended audience, and provide any additional guidance that is appropriate. These assignment sheets should also indicate the grading criteria to be applied in the assessment of the assignment.

Incompletes: If a student requests an incomplete for a course grade, the instructor should contact the Director of Composition.

Plagiarism: You should discuss plagiarism with your students, particularly as it relates to collaborative learning and writing and the principles of documentation. The Composition Program does not use plagiarism detection software and instead prefers to deal with the issue through effective writing process pedagogy, including good assignment design and individual responses to student writing.

If you suspect a case of plagiarism, you should notify an ADC and schedule a meeting with the student outside of class. You may request that an ADC be present at this meeting. You should decide how you plan to handle the case before meeting with the student. You should make copies of the plagiarized assignment so that you have a copy for your records. It is helpful to clearly have the source of the material to show to the student. You may also want to print or save the plagiarized source for your records.

Based on the type of plagiarism, you may select to do one of the following:

Provide the student with the opportunity and specific guidelines to redo the assignment for a reduced grade. If you choose this option, the guidelines should be written out and a copy given to the student and an ADC. This may take the form of an email.
Fail the student for the assignment. If you choose this option, make copies of the assignment and the plagiarized source for your records.
Fail the student for the course and notify the College A & S of the plagiarism. If you choose this option, make copies of the assignment and the plagiarized source for your records.

An ADC can help you to plan the course of action based on the details of the circumstance.

The following resources are available for further guidance on discussing plagiarism:

University Writing Center, "How Can I Avoid Plagiarizing?"
University Libraries, "Citing Sources"

Statement of Academic Discipline from the College of Arts & Sciences:

Questions which do arise are reviewed by a joint student-faculty committee, which advises the student and faculty concerned. Rights of the student to review and appeal are scrupulously observed, and minutes of all meetings are confidential.

I. Introduction

As members of the academic community, both students and faculty are expected to recognize and to uphold standards of intellectual integrity. The College assumes as a minimum standard of conduct in academic matters that the student is honest; credit for courses is given and received on the assumption and condition that all work submitted represents the student’s own efforts.

Unfortunately, cheating and plagiarism do occur. The pressure for grades is often great, and opportunities for dishonesty exist. Nevertheless, both the ideals of scholarship and the need for practices which are fair to all students demand that all dishonest work be rejected as a basis for academic credit. The definitions and guidelines given below are intended to clarify the standards by which academic work is to be measured.

II. Definitions

Cheating on examinations consists of any of the following: 1) borrowing someone’s answers; 2) providing answers to someone; 3) using unauthorized materials during the examinations.

Except when otherwise explicitly stated by the instructor, examination questions shall become public property after they have been given.

Plagiarism, in submitting individual work for academic evaluation, means simply to borrow someone’s ideas without citing the source, and to use them as one’s own. It is a particular type of cheating. Plagiarism in this sense is not limited to the use of direct quotations without citation; a paraphrase is indebted to the author’s ideas just as a direct quotation is. Nor is plagiarism limited to the use of published materials; borrowing from the written or oral work of others without citation is equally dishonest. On the other hand, in every area of learning there is a body of knowledge which belongs to the public domain. Guidance and experience may be necessary in order to distinguish where the requirement to cite a source no longer applies. The instructor or perhaps a style manual may be helpful in resolving questions about what should be cited.

III. Guidelines for Instructors

Instructors have at least two roles to play in maintaining proper standards of academic conduct:

to assist their students in recognizing the way in which general standards apply in the context of a particular course or discipline;
to take practical steps to prevent cheating and detect it when it occurs. Specific guidelines, several of them obvious, should be followed:
That instructors take the time to inform students of the standards of conduct expected of them with regard to assignments and examinations.
That practical measures be taken to minimize opportunities for dishonesty; e.g., adequate proctoring, the use of alternate forms of an examination if seating is crowded.
The practice of giving identical examinations to different classes, whether separated in time by ten minutes or by a semester, invites cheating. When there are good reasons for such repetition, appropriate security precautions should be taken.
The repeated assignment of the same material for papers or homework invites plagiarism. When assignments are repeated, students should be informed that the unauthorized reliance on earlier papers is forbidden and that the instructor has effective means of detecting same.
That the instructor specify with regard to assignments the degree to which students may confer and cooperate in achieving answers.
The College does not operate on an honor system. If within a particular class an instructor wishes to institute such a system, the students should be clearly informed of their responsibilities.

IV. Guidelines for Students

Recognizing his/her responsibility as a member of the academic community, the student should strive to maintain intrinsically honest academic conduct. The student must seek to avoid any action which would compromise academic integrity. To ensure both the fact and the appearance of proper conduct, the student should follow these basic guidelines:

During examinations, the student must be careful to do nothing that can be construed as cheating. The student shall follow carefully all directions given by the instructor with regard to taking tests and completing assignments.

The instructor’s request to keep test questions private shall be honored by the student.

If the student is aware of practices by the instructor which are conducive to cheating, or of acts of cheating by students, he/she may convey this information either to any member of the student-faculty review committee (see section “V. Procedures”) or directly to the instructor.

Learning the proper methods of documentation and scholarship is also the student’s responsibility. Such knowledge will help avoid committing plagiarism unwittingly.

V. Procedures

As evidence of the seriousness with which the College regards these matters, a student-faculty review committee, the Committee on Academic Discipline, has been established to assist in dealing with violators. The Committee on Academic Discipline exists also to protect the student’s right to a fair and impartial hearing. To ensure its effectiveness, the faculty should view it as the primary channel through which such problems can be resolved. The faculty member who believes a problem of cheating or plagiarism exists should first confront the student or students involved and attempt to resolve the matter. A report of the facts of the case and any decision which was made should be sent by the professor to the Dean or the committee. During this initial encounter the faculty member should inform the student of his/her right to appeal an unfavorable decision to the committee. This committee is comprised of three students, selected by a nominating committee of the Student Council; three faculty members, representing the three divisions of the College, elected by the faculty; and the Dean of the College, ex officio. The committee shall select its own chair. The committee can be convened by notifying either the Dean or the chair that there is a case.

Written statements shall be made by both parties and made available to both parties and the committee prior to any oral testimony. Any refutations may be made in writing or orally at the hearing. Evidence not submitted in the original written statements will not normally be accepted at the oral hearing.

All evidence in writing before the committee in a case shall be available to the principals. The committee shall hear such cases as come before it and allow the student to speak on his or her own behalf and to present evidence and witnesses. Further, the burden of proof rests with the person making the charge.

The committee is given the responsibility of recommending the penalties for the violator, and such penalties shall be commensurate with both the nature and the seriousness of the case in question. Typically, for the first offense of cheating or plagiarism, failure in the course will be recommended; of course, the instructor retains his/her right to assign the grade. Any subsequent offense may result in a recommendation to the Dean to suspend or dismiss the individual from the College. All final actions taken by the Dean that result from committee recommendations shall be entered in the student’s record.

The committee may adopt additional principles or procedures as seem appropriate. Such changes, however, should be presented to the faculty for approval.

Any student who believes the processing or final disposition of a charge of academic dishonesty was unfair may initiate a grievance under the Academic Grievance Procedure as outlined in the General Information section of this catalog.

Statement of Academic Discipline from the College of Arts & Sciences:

I. Introduction

II. Definitions

Cheating on examinations consists of any of the following: 1) borrowing someone’s answers; 2) providing answers to someone; 3) using unauthorized materials during the examinations.

Except when otherwise explicitly stated by the instructor, examination questions shall become public property after they have been given.

III. Guidelines for Instructors

Instructors have at least two roles to play in maintaining proper standards of academic conduct:

to assist their students in recognizing the way in which general standards apply in the context of a particular course or discipline;
to take practical steps to prevent cheating and detect it when it occurs. Specific guidelines, several of them obvious, should be followed:
That instructors take the time to inform students of the standards of conduct expected of them with regard to assignments and examinations.
That practical measures be taken to minimize opportunities for dishonesty; e.g., adequate proctoring, the use of alternate forms of an examination if seating is crowded.
The practice of giving identical examinations to different classes, whether separated in time by ten minutes or by a semester, invites cheating. When there are good reasons for such repetition, appropriate security precautions should be taken.
The repeated assignment of the same material for papers or homework invites plagiarism. When assignments are repeated, students should be informed that the unauthorized reliance on earlier papers is forbidden and that the instructor has effective means of detecting same.
That the instructor specify with regard to assignments the degree to which students may confer and cooperate in achieving answers.
The College does not operate on an honor system. If within a particular class an instructor wishes to institute such a system, the students should be clearly informed of their responsibilities.

IV. Guidelines for Students

The instructor’s request to keep test questions private shall be honored by the student.

Learning the proper methods of documentation and scholarship is also the student’s responsibility. Such knowledge will help avoid committing plagiarism unwittingly.

V. Procedures

The committee may adopt additional principles or procedures as seem appropriate. Such changes, however, should be presented to the faculty for approval.

CHAPTER 3 Nuts and Bolts

Professional Development Course Observations

Each new instructor will be observed twice in their first year of teaching, once in the fall semester by the Director of Composition and again in the spring semester by an Assistant Director of Composition. The observer will work with the instructor to schedule an appropriate time to conduct the observation. The instructor should send the observer an email containing the lesson plans for the class being observed prior to the observation. Once the observation has occurred, the observer and instructor will meet for a follow-up discussion. The observer will write a letter that will be placed in the instructors’ file following the guidelines at http://louisville.edu/english/composition/observation-template.html .

Instructors will also be observed in their second year of teaching and in their fourth year of teaching by an assigned faculty member. More information about this process can be found at http://louisville.edu/english/composition/professional-development-observations.html .

Accessing Rosters and Filing Grades

Instructions for accessing your class roster and filing your grades can be found at http://louisville.edu/registrar/grades.html

Please see Appendices B and C for a step by step copy of these instructions.

Book Orders

Please place your order (or indicate that you will not be ordering a book) here http://louisville.edu/contractadmin/bookstore/follett-discover-course-material-adoptions. If you have a problem with the online ordering process, you can send your book order by email to books@louisville.edu or contact the bookstore staff by phone at 852-8307.

Schedules

During the fall and spring semester you will receive a copy of the “scheduling preference sheets.” On this form, you will rank your preferences for composition courses and class-times. Your completed form is used to match you to the subsequent semester’s courses, according to your preferences.

As indicated on the preference sheet:

Please know that we solicit this information in a good faith effort to provide schedules that do the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Please also remember that the Composition Program schedule has to accommodate almost 70 people. We cannot guarantee the courses and the times/days you request, but we will do our best.

The scheduling of classes works by the following process, Tenure-line faculty are given first preference for which Composition sections that wish to teach and these are scheduled by the English Department. Once tenure-line faculty have been scheduled the Assistant Directors of Composition draft the first version for the schedule.

Preference sheets are arranged in the following order:

Full-time lecturers
Ph.D students
M.A. students
PTLs in Ph.D. Candidacy
PTLs on L11 contracts (in order of consecutive years teaching in the UofL program)
PTLS (in order of consecutive years teaching in the UofL program)

If you have any problems with your schedule, please contact the Director of Composition (853.6896)

Office Space

Composition instructors are assigned carrel space in the two adjoining rooms that make up LL04 located in the basement of the Humanities Building. There are several computers available in each room as well as printers. Please note that printer use is limited to single copies of documents—for class sets, please use the copy machine in 318F. See he following section on Photocopying and Printing.

Although you may be sharing a carrel due to limited space, you will most often do so with an instructor who teaches on days or times alternative to yours. Thus, many instructors will hold student conferences at their carrel. Alternately, there are two small conference rooms available within LL04 for your use.

The desk spaces in Humanities LL04 have a limited number of lockable filing drawers. Keys can be signed out from the Program Administrative Specialist. Keys are assigned on a first-come basis and must be returned at the end of each semester.

If you have questions about your carrel space, please ask the Administrative Specialist (852.6896).

Photocopying (HM 318F) & Printing

The Composition Program Staff and Instructors have access to a copy machine in HM 318F. Please ask the Administrative Specialist for assistance until you have familiarized yourself with the machine. If this machine is not in working order, instructors may use the machine in HM 315.

Photocopying Policy

Each instructor is allotted 500 copies per section per semester for every composition course you are assigned (this includes syllabi and class handouts). You must keep your own records in order to not exceed your quota. You must log in with your user UofL ID # to copy, and your number of pages is automatically recorded. An English department staff member will check the copying log monthly. Once you reach your allocation, your user ID will be deactivated, and you will not be able to make copies for the remainder of the semester. Note to GTAs: Photocopying services provided by the department are expected to be used for your teaching needs only – not coursework or other personal use. Copies for departmental duties, which include printing related to administrative, editorial, or research assistant positions should be made using the account number pertinent to each job.

In accordance with copyright law, the following rules of thumb apply when using the copy machine to duplicate:

Class-sets of material that are instructor produced may be copied; for example, syllabi and assignment explanations.
A copy of a journal article or book chapter (Note: no more than 1/3 of a book may be legally copied) which you plan to scan and make available to your students on BlackBoard.

Printing Policy

All composition instructors (GTAs, PTLs, and term faculty) are allotted 75 pages of printing per semester using the printer in the basement lab or offices. You must keep your own records in order to not exceed your quota. You must log in with your user ID to print, and your number of pages is automatically recorded. An English department staff member will check the printing log monthly. Once you reach your allocation, your user ID will be deactivated, and you will not be able to print for the remainder of the semester. Note to GTAs: Printing services provided by the department are expected to be used for your teaching needs only – not coursework or other personal use. Copies for departmental duties, which include printing related to administrative, editorial, or research assistant positions should be made using the account number pertinent to each job.

Digital Writing Instruction (DW)

The English Department maintains three computerized classrooms: Bingham HM 015, HM 104, and the MAC lab, HM 204. Instructors are encouraged to teach courses in the lab — no prior experience with technology is required. Please indicate your technology preferences on your scheduling sheet and we will do our best to accommodate as many requests as possible.

CHAPTER 4

Teacher Resources: How can I be a more effective teacher?

The E-Files

The E-Files is a teaching resource for instructors in the English Department at the University of Louisville. This site allows you to search for policy statements, syllabi, assignments and student papers for any English class taught through U of L, to join in online discussions about teaching, and to find links to other relevant information. To add a document to E-File, send it as an attachment to adcquery@louisville.edu

Access E-Files at this address: http://coldfusion.louisville.edu/jlwolf02/efiles/

Composition Office and ADC Files

The main Composition Office is located in Bingham Humanities 315C. The Program Administrative Specialist can assist you in finding answers to many of the questions/needs you will have over the course of a semester.

Pedagogy Workshops

Several times each semester, the Assistant Directors of Composition conduct teaching support workshops. All instructors in the program are encouraged (but not required) to attend and share their classroom strategies and stories—and maybe pick up a few tips from their colleagues.

Bonnie Endowment Library

Thanks to a generous endowment, the program acquires current books on composition theory and practice. This library is located in #333. Books may be signed out for a 30-day period (some books have a 7-day or overnight period) by checking with the Composition Program Administrative Specialist.

There is a limit of five (5) books at one given time and a 15-day grace period for overdue books. Infraction of the policy may result in revoking your privilege to check out books.

A searchable catalogue of The Bonnie Collection can be accessed online at http://coldfusion.louisville.edu/jlwolf02/efiles/

Information Technology (IT) Resources

Instructors not already using the Computer-Assisted Instruction rooms (see Digital Writing Instruction in Chapter 3: Nuts and Bolts of this handbook) may schedule audio-visual equipment for a class by going to http://louisville.edu/it/and clicking Online Forms, then select Access Classroom Services Forms. Complete the on-line form and submit it 48 hours before the date equipment will be used.

If equipment is not ordered 48 hours before the desired time, the instructor will have to pick up and return the equipment.

Bingham Humanities has several other classrooms equipped with audio-visual equipment cabinets that stay in the classroom. Class assignments to these classrooms should be requested well in advance of the semester start. Please check with Linda Baldwin.

Instructors teaching in the Education Building should call the Education Resource and Technology Center at 852.6437 for audio-visual equipment requests.

If you request technology and end up moving or canceling your class for any reason, please let IT know so that the equipment is not left unattended. You can easily do this by responding to the confirmation email that is sent to you when you make your request.

Ekstrom Library

The Library Reserves Center allows instructors to place books or individual articles on reserve for their classes. Here are the Reserves Policies:

Only items which are required course reading should be placed on reserve.
Reserve requests must be typewritten and submitted on the forms provided by the Reserve Room.
Photocopies supplied by faculty or copies from periodicals in the stacks for reserve will be placed in the photocopy files behind the Reserve Desk (arranged by author).
Personal copies of books supplied by faculty for reserve will be placed in the "Personal Copy" section behind the Reserve Desk (arranged by author).
All items placed on reserve will automatically be removed following the exam period at the end of each semester.
If a faculty member wants items to continue to be held on reserve for the following semester, a written request should be sent to the Reserve Room supervisor prior to the end of the exam period.

If you have questions about the Reserves policies, please refer to the following web address, http://minerva.louisville.edu/vwebv/enterCourseReserve.do or call 852.6757.

Student Counseling Center

This center provides group counseling, individual counseling, academic skills workshops such as time management, test anxiety management, and personal development workshops. For further information, see page 20 of the Student Handbook or contact Kathy Pendleton, Director, Counseling Services, Student Health/Counseling Building, 852.6585.

REACH (Resources for Academic Achievement)

REACH is a program to provide “academic support services and retention programs that encourage students to be independent and successful learners. These academic support services and retention programs offer participating students the opportunity to better prepare and adapt to college life and to improve their academic skills and performance in college courses” (qtd. from the REACH website). For more information on how REACH can benefit your students, please contact REACH offices located in the Belknap Academic Building, Suite 202, at 852-6706.

The Writing Center

The UofL Writing Center, located on the first floor of Ekstrom Library (Ekstrom 132), provides writing assistance to all students and faculty. The Writing Center has trained writing consultants on staff who can meet with your students to discuss their writings at any stage in the process, and students and faculty may visit the Writing Center or its website to find handouts on a large number of writing topics. The Composition Program works closely with the Writing Center and encourages you to make your students aware of its services.

A representative from the University Writing Center visits each section of 101, 102, and 105 during the first three weeks of the semester for a 10 minute presentation about their services. The University Writing Center schedules these class visits and will email instructors their scheduled date and time (either the beginning or end of class). Instructors may opt out or request to reschedule their presentations.

The Writing Center also supports instructors. For information on upcoming faculty workshops, see:http://louisville.edu/writingcenter/resources-for-faculty

Digital Writing (DW) Resources

The English Department maintains three computerized classrooms: Bingham HM 015, HM 104, and and the MAC lab (HM 204).

Instructors are encouraged to teach courses in the lab — no prior experience with technology is required. To request a computer classroom, indicate it on your scheduling preference sheet.

The Assistant Directors of Composition offer in-person and in-class pedagogical mentoring and support for all teachers in the department. Please contact one of the ADCs to find out more, and please give the ADCs one week advanced notice for in-class support sessions.

The Delphi Center for Teaching and Learning

The University of Louisville’s Delphi Center for Teaching and Learning offers technical and pedagogical support services for all instructors and students. According to its website, the Delphi Center offers the following services:

Workshops, conferences and materials to help faculty improve teaching

Development or promotion of methods to measure effective teaching and learning

Support for both face-to-face and technology-based instruction

Research in teaching and learning methodologies

Facilitation of campus-wide conversations and activities about the university’s central mission of teaching and learning

To learn more, visit the Delphi Center’s website at this address: http://delphi.louisville.edu/

Blackboard

Blackboard is the university-wide online resource center that offers many ways for you and your students to communicate and complete assignments. Blackboard enables you to complete such tasks as sending email to your entire class, posting readings, holding online discussions through discussion boards or chat, and calculating weighted grades.

The Assistant Directors of Composition offer Blackboard mentoring services to all instructors in the program. ADCs can come to your class for pedagogical support or meet with you outside of class to help you work through some of Blackboard’s quirks. (Please notify the ADCs at least a week prior to classroom visits.)

Other Technology

Many instructors are choosing to use other types of technology such as Twitter, WordPress Blogs, etc. in their courses. While these technologies can enhance the learning environment, they operate outside of the secure course management system provided by the university. If you choose to use online technology, outside of the university Blackboard system, you must inform your students that these alternatives are not supported by the university and are not secure as manner that the Blackboard course management system.

CHAPTER 5 Frequently Asked Questions

What are the duties of the Composition Program Administrative Specialist?

The Composition Program Administrative Specialist is your resource for issues pertaining to your teaching of composition classes (English 101, 102, 105, 303, 306, 309). You may contact the administrative specialist when you need information about carrel or classroom assignments; administrative paperwork such as grade change forms, petitions, etc.; and student or faculty evaluations of your teaching.

For information about assistantships or fellowships, enrolling in courses, or health insurance, you should see the Assistant to the Director of Graduate Studies, who is your resource for issues pertaining to you as a student. Additionally, you should see the Unit Business Manager for information about paychecks and travel reimbursement.

Where do I get office supplies?

Limited office supplies such as chalk, dry erase markers, and pens are available in the blue metal cabinet in the main English office, Humanities 315. Check there, and if you don’t find what you’re looking for, see the Office Manager, who may be able to fulfill your specific request.

What should I know about UofL students?

See https://louisville.edu/about/profile for up-to-date information about student enrollments, demographics, and average ACT score.

Additionally, a number of UofL students participate in a program called Metropolitan College, in which they earn partial tuition by working for the UPS Next Day Air operation. Most of these students take classes between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., and work 15-20 hours per week at UPS between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.

What do I need to know about using portfolios in my class?

Instructors using portfolios in their classes are encouraged to plan the semester so that portfolios will be ready to return to students during final exam week, possibly during the officially scheduled final exam time for the course. In addition, for ease of storage instructors are encouraged to require students to use paper folders rather than ring binders or to have their portfolios bound at one of the Copy IT Centers on campus. The Composition Program is obligated to store uncollected portfolios for one year.

Where should I store portfolios that my students don’t collect, and how can I access them when students do return for them?

Portfolios to be stored should be identified with the student’s name, course and section number, year and term, with teacher’s name written clearly across the top of the front cover. They are to be placed in the Portfolio Storage Room (located at the far end of 4F). A key to this room is located on the back of the 4H mailboxes, and you may use this to let yourself in either to leave portfolios or to return one to a student.

The composition program personnel will attempt to have a supply of empty boxes on the shelves for your use, but we ask that you find your own box if there are none available; please label the outside of your box with your name, section number, semester and year.

What is the overenrollment policy?

Individual instructors are not able to over enroll students in their course.

Students may only apply to over enroll in Composition Program courses if they are graduating seniors and need the course to graduate the semester they wish to over enroll. Graduating seniors who wish to enroll in a course that is full should first attempt to place their names on the electronic waiting list for the course. Once the waiting list has expired, if the graduating senior has not been able to enroll in the course, the student should obtain documentation of this status from the student's academic advisor and bring it to the Composition Program Office in Humanities 321.

What do I tell students who ask about adding or dropping a class after the deadline?

Students who miss the deadline to add or drop an A&S course must submit a petition to the A&S Admissions and Appeals Committee. Provide them with the following link: http://louisville.edu/a-s/students/aac/adddrop.html

What should I tell students who inquire about transfer credit?

You should instruct students to obtain a copy of a transcript (it may be unofficial) indicating that the student passed the course in question and a copy of the syllabus showing specifically how much and what types of papers the student was required to write and if the writing went through the appropriate process (i.e. drafting, revision, etc.). The student should then take these documents to an Assistant Director of Composition, who will determine whether the course in question is equivalent to UofL composition courses.

What do I tell students who inquire about the portfolio placement program or Advanced Placement (AP) scores?

Students may submit their portfolios through the Portfolio Placement Project during the summer prior to their first year at the University of Louisville. Portfolios are scored by UofL Composition instructors, and students are placed into first-year writing classes based on these scores. Contact an Assistant Director of Composition for details, or see the Composition Program website for more information.

Students who have advanced placement scores should consult the A&S Advising Office in Gardiner Hall, 852.6487.

Who should I contact if I think a student in my class should enroll in an English as a Second Language (ESL) section?

The University of Louisville offers sections of first year writing classes designed specifically to the needs of ESL students. An instructor may discover from an initial writing sample that perhaps a student should take advantage of an ESL section. In this case the student may want to request a change to the ESL section. These students should be directed to see the Composition Program Administrative Assistant in Room 321, Bingham Humanities, or to consult with the Director of Composition.

What happens when a student expresses a complaint about my class?

If a student approaches an Assistant Director of Composition (ADC) to express a complaint about your class, the ADC will first ask if the student has expressed this concern to the instructor. The student will be encouraged to do so, and the ADC will make the instructor aware of the situation. If the meeting between instructor and student does not reach a favorable conclusion, the student should again meet with the ADC. The student will be asked to put the complaint in writing, and the ADC will then contact the instructor to discuss the situation and to ask the instructor to provide a written account of his or her own recollection of the events. The ADC will then attempt to mediate a solution. If the student and/or instructor disagree with the solution, the case will then be referred to the Director of Composition.

What do I do if I have a disruptive student in my class?

It is not acceptable for one student to disrupt others’ learning. You should inform the student that the exhibited behavior is disruptive, and then if the situation doesn’t improve, see an Assistant Director of Composition or the Director of Composition. For more information on dealing with disruptive students, see the Classroom Disruption Policy in the Appendix.

What is the process for addressing plagiarism?

You should discuss plagiarism with your students, particularly as it relates to collaborative learning and writing and the principles of documentation. The Composition Program does not use plagiarism detection software and instead prefers to deal with the issue through effective writing process pedagogy, including good assignment design and individual responses to student writing.

Based on the type of plagiarism, you may select to do one of the following:

Provide the student with the opportunity and specific guidelines to redo the assignment for a reduced grade. If you choose this option, the guidelines should be written out and a copy given to the student and an ADC. This may take the form of an email.
Fail the student for the assignment. If you choose this option, make copies of the assignment and the plagiarized source for your records.
Fail the student for the course and notify the College A & S of the plagiarism. If you choose this option, make copies of the assignment and the plagiarized source for your records.

An ADC can help you to plan the course of action based on the details of the circumstance.

The following resources are available for further guidance on discussing plagiarism:

University Writing Center http://breeze.louisville.edu/plagiarism09

Information Literacy http://library.louisville.edu/infoliteracy/

Statement of Academic Discipline from the College of Arts & Sciences:

I. Introduction

II. Definitions

Cheating on examinations consists of any of the following: 1) borrowing someone’s answers; 2) providing answers to someone; 3) using unauthorized materials during the examinations.

Except when otherwise explicitly stated by the instructor, examination questions shall become public property after they have been given.

III. Guidelines for Instructors

Instructors have at least two roles to play in maintaining proper standards of academic conduct:

to assist their students in recognizing the way in which general standards apply in the context of a particular course or discipline;
to take practical steps to prevent cheating and detect it when it occurs. Specific guidelines, several of them obvious, should be followed:
That instructors take the time to inform students of the standards of conduct expected of them with regard to assignments and examinations.
That practical measures be taken to minimize opportunities for dishonesty; e.g., adequate proctoring, the use of alternate forms of an examination if seating is crowded.
The practice of giving identical examinations to different classes, whether separated in time by ten minutes or by a semester, invites cheating. When there are good reasons for such repetition, appropriate security precautions should be taken.
The repeated assignment of the same material for papers or homework invites plagiarism. When assignments are repeated, students should be informed that the unauthorized reliance on earlier papers is forbidden and that the instructor has effective means of detecting same.
That the instructor specify with regard to assignments the degree to which students may confer and cooperate in achieving answers.
The College does not operate on an honor system. If within a particular class an instructor wishes to institute such a system, the students should be clearly informed of their responsibilities.

IV. Guidelines for Students

The instructor’s request to keep test questions private shall be honored by the student.

Learning the proper methods of documentation and scholarship is also the student’s responsibility. Such knowledge will help avoid committing plagiarism unwittingly.

V. Procedures

The committee may adopt additional principles or procedures as seem appropriate. Such changes, however, should be presented to the faculty for approval.

You can also find additional information on how the university defines plagiarism in the Appendix.

What kinds of records should I keep?

You want to keep your gradebook and final grade sheet, should you need to show documentation of a student’s performance in your class. Additionally, you should also keep attendance records. You are further encouraged to keep a record of email correspondence with students.

What is my responsibility regarding sexual harassment?

According to UofL Human Resources, “it is the responsibility of each member of the University community to know the University's Policy on Sexual Harassment as well as the Complaint Resolution Procedures and to become familiar with their provisions. Failure to follow or utilize the procedures set forth in this policy may inhibit or prevent the University from taking appropriate remedial action, or properly investigating an incident of alleged sexual harassment.” See the Appendix for more information about sexual harassment.

APPENDIX A

University Contacts

For more information about most of the organizations listed below, consult the Student Affairs Website:

http://louisville.edu/student/

ACADEMIC SERVICES FOR ATHLETES, SAC E202

Marvin Mitchell, Assoc. Athletic Director for Academic Services, 852.7490 or 852.6006. Provides academic support for U of L athletes.

COUNSELING CENTER, 2207 S. Brook St., Louisville, KY 40292

Kathy Pendleton, Director, Counseling Services, Student Health/Counseling Building, 852.6585. This center provides group counseling, individual counseling, academic skills workshops such as time management, test anxiety management, and personal development workshops

DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER, 119 Stevenson Hall

Cathy Patus, Director, 852.6938. Provides and coordinates support services for students with disabilities. If you have a seeing or hearing-impaired student or a student with a learning disability, work through the Composition Administrative Assistant.

GRADUATE STUDENT COUNCIL

GSC President, 852.1571, gspres@louisville.edu GSC Office: Houchens Bldg. 105N, 852.2364.

GSC Travel Fund Administrator, gsctravl@louisville.edu

HEALTH SERVICES, Cardinal Station, 215 Central Ave., Suite 110

Dr. Phillip Bressoud, Director, Student Health, 852.6479. Offers outpatient clinical care to students and their spouses and children either on a fee basis or through the Health Service Plan. Faculty members and part-time teaching staff may also be eligible to subscribe to a Health Service Plan; call 852-6479 for details.

INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT/MEDIA DISTRIBUTION - CLASSROOM SUPPORT

E-mail ITMEDIA or search the UofL web page for miniform. Strickler Hall- 852-6465 (Mike Murphy, Henry Smith, Anthony Hundley, [Mary Donnelley- evenings and weekends]). Shelby Provices audiovisual equipment for classrooms.

LIBRARY—EKSTROM

Reference Desk, 852.6747. Rob Detmering (852-8738) is the liaison for library orientation and research projects for English 101, 102, and 105 classes. To reserve lab space or to request a librarian to teach your class send a miniform from the UofL Libraries web page http://louisville.edu/library/forms/classes l

PAYROLL

Contact the Unit Business Manager in Humanities Bldg., Room 315, Department of English, 852.0504, for questions involving payroll and/or FICA forms.

PUBLIC SAFETY

S. Floyd Street (parking garage complex), 852.6111. The Public Safety Department provides security to all campus buildings, assistance if you have car problems (i.e., dead battery, flat tire, key locked in car), and an escort service for those who are traveling to and from their cars after dark.

U of L students ride free with U of L ID.

REACH (RESOURCES FOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT)

REACH.LOUISVILLE.EDU or 852.6706. Located in the Belknap Academic Building Suite 202, REACH is the centralized academic support unit with free tutoring services and retention programs for undergraduate students at UofL.

REACH works with over 4,000 students a year from honors to "high risk" offering scheduled tutoring for 100, 200 and some 300 level courses, supplemental instruction for 25+ courses each semester, math support up to Calculus II, and student success seminars.

SPECIAL SERVICES FOR STUDENTS

Adult Commuter Center and Evening Student Services (ACCESS). 105 Davidson Hall, 852.7070.

STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION (SGA)

SGA President, W310S SAC, 852.6695, e-mail: general@uoflsga.orgThis is a university-wide graduate student organization;

English students should work through the English Graduate Organization (EGO). http://egoatuofl.wordpress.com./

STUDENT GRIEVANCE OFFICE

Professor Brenda Hart is the Student Grievance Officer. Please call the Student Life office at 852.6102 if there is a problem, grievance, or complaint. Composition instructors should use the program’s grievance procedures (see one of the assistant director’s of composition for information or the administrative assistant before referring a student to the Student Life office). E-mail: brenda@louisville.edu.

TESTING CENTER

Tammy Duddy, 310 Davidson Hall, 852.6606. This testing center serves as a national, regional, state and University testing agency.

UNIVERSITY VETERANS' BENEFITS

Joe Dablow, Associate Director, 852.4969

UNIVERSITY VETERANS' SERVICES

Houchens Building, Lower Level 008,
852.6442 or 852.8353.
(Ann Kirwan, VA Rep. 852.0998).
Veterans must consult this office each time they register, drop/add a class, change an address, or change a program of study.

APPENDIX B

Accessing Class Rosters

Instructions for accessing your class roster and filing your grades can be found at http://louisville.edu/student/services/registrar/roster.htmwhich offers the following information:

LOGIN ID and PASSWORD: You may access your class rosters from PeopleSoft by logging in at: http://ulink.louisville.edu. Your account and password are the same as what you use to access your pay stub. If you are unsure about your PeopleSoft account or password, please read the information provided under the "For first-time users" link on the ULink log on page.
ONCE YOU LOG ON: Click on Faculty/Staff Services tab (across the top), go to the menu item, "Academics", then click on "Class Rosters". Select the term by clicking the appropriate choice. You will then see a list of your class(es) for that term. Click on the roster you wish to view. You may also print the roster using your browser print icon.

APPENDIX C

How to Post Final Grades

LOGIN ID and PASSWORD: You may access your class rosters from PeopleSoft by logging in at: http://ulink.louisville.edu. Your account and password are the same as what you use to access your pay stub. If you are unsure about your PeopleSoft account or password, please read the information provided under the "For first-time users" link on the ULink log on page.
ONCE YOU LOG ON: For grades: Click on Faculty/Staff Services tab (across the top), go to the menu item, "Academics," then click on "Record Grades."

Select the term by clicking on the appropriate choice. You will then see a list of your classes for that term. Click on the roster you wish to grade or the class list you wish to view.

Entering Grades:

Enter grades by directly typing them in the Grade Input Box, or by using the lookup button next to the box to choose from a list of valid grades.
If you want to enter a partial list of grades, click on the save button at the end of the page. You may then return to the roster later to complete grade entry.
When you complete grading, click on the save button.
At this time you should make a final review of the grades. Enter your changes and click on the save button.
When you are satisfied that all grades are appropriately entered and Saved, change the approval status to Approved and click on the save button again at the bottom of the page.
To change a grade on an approved roster, move the status marker back to Not Reviewed, enter your changes, and click on the Saved button. Then change the roster status marker back to Approved and click on the Save button again.
Approved rosters are posted several times a day, after which the roster no longer shows an Approval Status box or grade input column. Any changes to grades after this point must go through your school's normal channels for grade changes. Students can access posted grades by web or phone.

APPENDIX D

Classroom Disruption Policy

An Advisory from the Office of Campus Life

During recent years, we have seen an increase in the number and severity of incidents of classroom disruption. The Office of Campus Life offers the following advisory to assist faculty members who may encounter a disruptive student.

1. Classroom disruption is seen as a disciplinary offense, as defined by the University’s Code of Student Conduct. The term “classroom disruption” means behavior a reasonable person would view as substantially or repeatedly interfering with the conduct of a class. Examples include repeatedly leaving and entering the classroom without authorization, making loud or distracting noises, persisting in speaking without being recognized, or resorting to physical threats or personal insults.

Such conduct may also reflect upon a person’s fitness to continue in an academic program (See Redbook 6.6.3). Faculty should keep their department chair informed of any situation involving student behavior so that the appropriate assessments may be made regarding the student’s academic status.

2. A faculty member is responsible for management of the classroom environment. Teachers can be compared to judges; both focus on relevant issues, set reasonable time limits, assets the quality of ideas and expression, and make sure participants are heard in an orderly manner. While their ultimate goals may be different, both judges and teachers need to exercise authority with a sense of fairness, and with appreciation for the reality of human fallibility.

3. A student has freedom of inquiry, of legitimate class room discussion, and of free expression of his or her opinion, subject to the teacher’s responsibilities to maintain order and to complete the course requirements (See Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities, Section 4).

4. Rudeness, incivility, and disruption are often indistinguishable, though they may intersect. Most often, it’s better to respond to rudeness by example and situation (e.g., advising a student in private that he or she appears to have a habit of interrupting others). Rudeness can become disruption when it is repetitive, especially after a warning has been given.

5. Strategies to prevent and respond to disruptive behavior include the following:

a. Clarify standards for the conduct of your class. For example, if you want students to raise their hands for permission to speak, say so, using reminders, as needed.

b. Serve as a role model for the conduct you expect from your students.

c. If you believe inappropriate behavior is occurring, consider a general word of caution, rather than warning a particular student (e.g., we have too many contemporaneous conversations at the moment; let’s all focus on the same topic).

d. If the behavior is irritating, but not disruptive, speak with the student after class. Most students are unaware of distracting habits or mannerisms, and have not intent to be offensive or disruptive. Make students aware of what behavior is expected.

e. There may be rare circumstances when it is necessary to speak to a student during class about his or her behavior. Try to do so firmly, indicating that further discussion can occur after class. Public arguments and harsh language must be avoided.

f. A student who persists in disrupting a class may be directed to leave the classroom for the remainder of the class period. Whenever possible, prior consultation should be undertaken with the Department Chair and the Executive Director of Campus Life (852.5787) to review applicable University procedures.

g. If disruption is serious, and other reasonable measures have failed, the class may be adjourned and the University Police summoned (852.6111). Faculty members must not use force or threats of force, except in immediate self-defense. Prepare a written account of the incident(s). Identify witnesses for the University Police, as needed.

6. The Office of Campus Life can help by reviewing University disciplinary procedures with you, and meeting with accused students formally, or informally. It is better to document and report disruptive incidents to us promptly, even if they seem minor. One of our preferred strategies is to outline behavioral expectations with students, so they have clear guidelines about what is expected of them in the classroom setting. In the most serious cases, a student can be suspended immediately, pending disciplinary proceedings.

APPENDIX E

College Attendance Policy

From the Undergraduate Catalog, 2006-2008
College of Arts & Sciences

The College assumes that all students will accept responsibility for attending all classes. Attendance is an obvious factor in knowing what material was covered and what assignments were made during the class period. It is the student’s responsibility to find out what work was missed. Absence from class in no way relieves the student of responsibility for any of the course work.

Instructors are not required or expected to investigate prolonged absences. Students who stop attending class without officially dropping before the advertised deadline will remain on the class roster, and instructors will assign these students the grade “F.”

Instructors who choose to do so may include attendance in determining a student’s grade. Instructors who use attendance as a factor must indicate on their syllabus what their policy is and how attendance will affect the student’s grade.

APPENDIX F

Excused Absences for University-Sanctioned Events

On the recommendation of the Faculty Senate, Provost Willihnganz has approved the following guidelines for student absences excused by reason of participation in university-sanctioned events. These guidelines replace the Faculty Senate statement of July 8, 1998.

Resolved by the Faculty Senate, September 6, 2006:

Although each college, school, or academic unit of the University of Louisville creates its own regulations concerning class attendance, all units hold students responsible for materials covered, lectures given, papers due, exams scheduled, or other evaluative measures administered. The academy requires student participation in the learning process, measurement of student progress, and the fulfillment of basic course requirements.

However, because the university recognizes that educational experiences extend beyond the classroom and campus, faculty are expected to be flexible with students who are acting as official representatives of the university, or participating in university-sanctioned events or activities that require absence from class. A university sanctioned event or activity shall be one in which a student represents the university to external constituencies in academic or extra-curricular activities. These include but are not limited to student government congresses, intercollegiate athletic and debate contests, music competitions, academic meetings, and conferences. The deans, the student government association, or faculty sponsors of recognized student organizations may petition the provost to designate other events or categories of events as university-sanctioned.

When students’ participation in university-sanctioned events or activities requires them to be absent from a class (or classes) during which an examination or other measurement of academic progress is scheduled, faculty are expected to provide students with opportunities to be evaluated at other times or by comparable alternative evaluation methods within a reasonable period of time prior to or after the absence.

Faculty members are expected to provide students in their classes with clear syllabi, including attendance requirements and dates for required measurements or field experiences. Attendance policies should allow excused absences for university-sanctioned events.

Students who seek excused absences to attend university-sanctioned events are expected to follow the instructions below, and are expected to complete assignments on time, actively participate in other class sessions, and to make up work missed as agreed upon with the faculty member. Students are expected to attend regularly at other times.

Official notice of a university-sanctioned event shall consist of an excused absence request letter from the sponsoring unit or program to the faculty whose class(es) will be missed, delivered by the student. The excused absence letter may request blanket approval for a series of events or approval of a single event. If the event or class of events has not already been designated as university-sanctioned, the letter must be signed by the provost or her/his designee1. The letter must be delivered to and received by the faculty member at the beginning of the semester for a series of events or a minimum of one week prior to the event or activity. The letter shall include the following data:

Name, date(s), and location(s) of the event(s).
Date of departure from campus and exact time when the student is expected to report for departure.
Date of return to campus and exact day and time that the student will be expected to return to class.
The faculty member will respond in writing. Approval indicates that the instructor will provide opportunities for students to be evaluated at other times or by comparable alternative evaluation methods, within a reasonable period of time prior to or after the absence, without academic penalty.

If the letter requests blanket approval at the beginning of the term for a series of absences and the faculty member determines that the absences will seriously compromise the student’s performance in the course, the faculty member may deny the excused absence request within the first week of classes, thereby allowing the student to drop the course and add another. If the letter requests absence from an exam or other evaluative measure later in the term (but at least one week in advance) and the faculty member determines that the requested absence will compromise the student’s performance in the course, the faculty member may deny the excused absence.

The student may appeal denial of an excused absence to the provost or the provost’s designee[1]. Students who believe themselves to be penalized by an instructor, either by a disproportionate task to make up missed work or a grade reduction, may also appeal. Reprisals for following the policy or for reporting a failure to follow the policy are prohibited.

On occasion, students will not anticipate an absence for a university-sanctioned event until late in the term and will be unable to provide a week’s notice. Such events include but are not limited to post-season tournaments or participation in a regional or national competition. In such instances, the student will provide the faculty member with a letter from the sponsor of the event as soon as the event is scheduled, and the faculty member is asked to be as flexible as possible.

1. The designee for these guidelines is Dr. Dale B. Billingsley, associate university provost for undergraduate affairs (852-520).

APPENDIX G

Statement of Academic Discipline

Undergraduate Catalog

In accordance with The Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities academic dishonesty is prohibited at the University of Louisville. Although cheating and plagiarism have never constituted a major problem, both faculty and students thought it important to express clearly, in advance, the standards to which the College adheres. The Statement of Academic Discipline printed below is the result of their effort and serves as the official statement for the College. Questions which do arise are reviewed by a joint student-faculty committee, which advises the student and faculty concerned. Rights of the student to review and appeal are scrupulously observed, and minutes of all meetings are confidential.

Introduction

Definitions

Cheating on examinations consists of any of the following: 1) borrowing someone’s answers; 2) providing answers to someone; 3) using unauthorized materials during the examinations. Except when otherwise explicitly stated by the instructor, examination questions shall become public property after

Guidelines for Instructors

Instructors have at least two roles to play in maintaining proper standards of academic conduct:

1. to assist their students in recognizing the way in which general standards apply in the context of a particular course or discipline; 2) to take practical steps to prevent cheating and detect it when it occurs. Specific guidelines, several of them obvious, should be followed:

That instructors take the time to inform students of the standards of conduct expected of them with regard to assignments and examinations.
That practical measures be taken to minimize opportunities for dishonesty; e.g., adequate proctoring, the use of alternate forms of an examination if seating is crowded.
The practice of giving identical examinations to different classes, whether separated in time by ten minutes or by a semester, invites cheating. When there are good reasons for such repetition, appropriate security precautions should be taken.
The repeated assignment of the same material for papers or homework invites plagiarism. When assignments are repeated, students should be informed that the unauthorized reliance on earlier papers is forbidden and that the instructor has effective means of detecting same.
That the instructor specify with regard to assignments the degree to which students may confer and cooperate in achieving answers.
The College does not operate on an honor system. If within a particular class an instructor wishes to institute such a system, the students should be clearly informed of their responsibilities.

Guidelines for Students

During examinations, the student must be careful to do nothing that can be construed as cheating.
The student shall follow carefully all dir ections given by the instructor with regard to taking tests and completing assignments.
The instructor’s request to keep test questions private shall be honored by the student.
If the student is aware of practices by the instructor which are conducive to cheating, or of acts of cheating by students, he/she may convey this information either to any member of the student-faculty review committee (see section “V. Procedures”) or directly to the instructor.
Learning the proper methods of documentation and scholarship is also the student’s responsibility. Such knowledge will help avoid committing plagiarism unwittingly.

Procedures

As evidence of the seriousness with which the College regards these matters, a student-faculty review committee, the Committee on Academic Discipline has been established to assist in dealing with violators. The Committee on Academic Discipline exists also to protect the student’s right to a fair and impartial hearing. To ensure its effectiveness, the faculty should view it as the primary channel through which such problems can be resolved.

The faculty member who believes a problem of cheating or plagiarism exists should first confront the student or students involved and attempt to resolve the matter. A report of the facts of the case and any decision which was made should be sent by the professor to the Dean or the committee. During this initial encounter the faculty member should inform the student of his/her right to appeal an unfavorable decision to the committee. This committee is comprised of three students, selected by a nominating committee of the Student Council; three faculty members, representing the three divisions of the College, elected by the faculty; and the Dean of the College, ex officio. The committee shall select its own chair. The committee can be convened by notifying either the Dean or the chair that there is a case. Written statements shall be made by both parties and made available to both parties and the committee prior to any oral testimony. Any refutations may be made in writing or orally at the hearing. Evidence not submitted in the original written statements will not normally be accepted at the oral hearing. All evidence in writing before the committee in a case shall be available to the principals. The committee shall hear such cases as come before it and allow the student to speak on his or her own behalf and to present evidence and witnesses. Further, the burden of proof rests with the person making the charge.

Any subsequent offense may result in a recommendation to the Dean to suspend or dismiss the individual from the College. All final actions taken by the Dean that result from committee recommendations shall be entered in the student’s record. The committee may adopt additional principles or procedures as seem appropriate. Such changes, however, should be presented to the faculty for approval.

APPENDIX H

Policy Against the Use of Plagiarism Detection Software

Composition Program courses do not use plagiarism detection software, including the SafeAssign software available on Blackboard. The Composition Committee’s decision not to use such software in writing courses is based on several factors:

We regard the teaching of writing with research, including citation practices, as a rhetorical act. Composition Program courses teach students how to interpret and analyze ideas from other sources and integrate those ideas into the students’ writing. We approach citation and bibliographic practices as rhetorical and critical thinking skills that are necessary to write effectively for a scholarly audience. The point of citing sources is to show for readers the “intellectual footprints” of your thinking. Plagiarism detection software, on the other hand, teaches students that the important issue is whether or not you get caught.

The use of such a service for student writers begins from a presumption of guilt. If we tell students that their papers must go through such a service before we read them, whether we threaten immediate punishment or not, we are telling them that we do not trust them to act honorably. We also tell students that when it comes to writing with other sources, the emphasis is on avoiding plagiarism, not drawing from and synthesizing the ideas of others. We tell students that their writing is not their own and that we will turn the judgment of their writing over to computer software.

The best deterrents to plagiarism are well-designed writing assignments that are distinctive to course material and involve effective writing pedagogy. Students asked to write something other than a canned assignment will find little worth downloading. Students asked to engage in pre-writing activities, such as notes, drafts, annotated bibliographies, and who are given instructor feedback on those activities before revising work for a final manuscript, are, among other pedagogical advantages, less likely to download work and easier to recognize when they do.

Research on plagiarism detection software such as SafeAssign and Turnitin indicates that such software can produce many inaccurate reports, finding plagiarism where it doesn’t exist and missing plagiarism that does. Such a high rate of false positives makes the software unreliable and may create more work for teachers and students, not less.

The results of plagiarism detection software make make no distinction between plagiarism as a form of intentional cheating and students who are making mistakes in working with unfamiliar conventions of academic writing. The former is a matter for academic sanction. The latter is a matter for improved writing instruction across the disciplines, not just in first-year composition. Research indicates that such errors of quotation and citation (as well as errors of grammar) often increase as students move into new genres of writing, not just from high school to college but from one discipline to the next. Students need more discipline-specific instruction in how to use and attribute sources, not more punitive surveillance

The use of plagiarism detection software creates a poisonous atmosphere between teacher and student. The message to students is that they are all potentially cheating and need to be watched. Research on plagiarism indicates that the majority of instances result from student error, not student dishonesty. The message of such software, however, is that the citing of sources should be done to avoid plagiarism, not for intellectual and rhetorical purposes. Such an approach makes adversaries of teachers and students, instead of collaborators. It creates a prison culture of guards and the guarded, a cat-and-mouse game of detection and mistrust where the fear of being caught can also breed a desire to get around the rules.

APPENDIX I

Sexual Harassment Definitions and Procedures

What constitutes sexual harassment?

Examples of conduct that may constitute or support a finding of sexual harassment in violation of the University's Policy on Sexual Harassment includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Physical

Unnecessary and unwanted physical contact

Unwanted hugging or touching

Brushing up against a person's body, pressing or rubbing

Touching of one's own body in a sexually suggestive way

Blocking someone's path or impeding their movement

Stalking, physical assault, or coerced sexual activity

Non-Verbal

Obscene or offensive gestures

Scoping, staring, leering, or looking at a person's body from head to toe (elevator eyes)

Altering a photograph or cartoon in such a way as to make the content look sexually suggestive

Graffiti with sexual content

Display of calendars or web sites with sexually suggestive material

Noises, such as animal sounds, lip-smacking, sucking, and wolf whistles

Verbal

Sexual comments or innuendoes

Offensive or derogatory comments or jokes of a sexual or gender specific nature

Repeated requests for dates or sex

Spreading rumors of one's physical attributes or sexual activity

Comments of one's physical attributes

Rating a person from 1 to 10

Sexually explicit or sexually suggestive mail, e-mail and voice mail

What do I do if I’m accused of sexual harassment?

If you are a person accused of sexual harassment (Respondent) you should take the complaint seriously and, where applicable, stop any offending behavior immediately. You should document your version of the incident(s) and any conversation(s) you have regarding the alleged behavior you are being accused of. You should include the date(s) and name(s) of any person(s) who may have been involved. You should include the name(s) of anyone who may have witnessed the incident(s) or who may have overheard the incident(s). You should immediately notify your supervisor, Chair, Dean, Department Head or the Affirmative Action/Employee Relations Office.

APPENDIX J

Policy on Artificial Intelligence and Student Writing

October 2023

Plagiarism, or “representing the words or ideas of someone else as one’s own,” is prohibited at UofL (“Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities”). In the Composition Program, plagiarism includes the use of AI-generated text without proper citation or credit. That is, students should not use AI tools to generate any body of text (sentences, paragraphs, etc.) and then pass that generated text off as their own work. Any inclusion of AI-generated text must be properly cited and acknowledged as AI-written. Students who wish to cite AI-generated text should consult the resources developed by APA, MLA, the Chicago Manual of Style, or their style manual of choice.

The Composition Program does recognize that AI tools may be useful aids to both teachers and students. Below are some ways in which they might incorporate the use of AI chatbots:

as a preliminary research tool: to aid students in selecting a research topic, narrowing down research questions, learning more in general about their chosen topic, etc.
as an outlining/organizational tool: to help students structure their projects or essays.
as a feedback tool: to provide students feedback on their writing (checking for grammar, adherence to a prompt, etc.).

Whatever the instructor’s personal approach to AI in their classroom, the Composition Program encourages transparency between instructors and students regarding the use of AI, such as reflecting on and writing about students’ research and composition strategies (including regarding AI) throughout the writing project.

Further Guidance for Instructors

As technologies continue to develop and the use of AI tools becomes more prevalent, take the opportunity to remind your students of the following:

AI-generated text does not account for a student’s particular voice. While a chatbot may generate factually “correct” writing, it does not articulate material in a personal way.
AI chatbots do not have full access to academic sources, nor can they properly cite such sources. Students cannot rely on chatbots to provide accurate, up-to-date knowledge of the scholarly conversation.
AI chatbots are not 100% reliable. Chatbots such as ChatGPT have been known to “hallucinate” sources, leading to factually inaccurate information.
AI chatbots may reflect questionable ethics. Many AI technologies may reproduce social biases and inadequately consider ethical issues such as diversity and equity.

In alignment with our Policy Against the Use of Plagiarism Detection Software, the Composition Program strongly discourages the use of AI detection software. These software programs are unreliable and may lead to inconsistent results.

Additional Resources:

Other resources consulted in the creation of this policy:

UofL Guidelines and Policies

Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities (section 5 addresses Academic Dishonesty)
Composition Program Policy Against the Use of Plagiarism Detection Software
Composition Program Guidelines for Addressing Plagiarism

How to Cite AI Chatbots

On AI Reliability and Ethics

Source "hallucination": "Artificial Hallucinations in ChatGPT: Implications in Scientific Writing" by Alkaissi H. and McFarlane SI. (Cureus)
Data and biases: "There’s More to AI Bias Than Biased Data, NIST Report Highlights" (National Institute of Standards and Technology)
Algorithms and discrimination: "Where fairness fails: data, algorithms, and the limits of antidiscrimination discourse" by Anna Lauren Hoffmann (Information, Communication, & Society)
AI and non-native writers: "AI-Detectors Biased Against Non-Native English Writers" by Andrew Myers (Stanford University Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence)

For Further Reading

Composition Studies Journal, Spring 2023 Issue
TextGenEd; Teaching with Text Generation Technologies (34 undergraduate-level assignments) and Continuing Experiments (16 undergraduate-level assignments)
"What Students Can Do with AI in the Writing Classroom" by Rachel Morgan (FEN Blog)
Student Guide to AI Literacy (2024 handout from MLA/CCCC)

Department of English

UNIVERSITY of LOUISVILLE

COMPOSITION PROGRAM HANDBOOK

Table of Contents

Welcome to the Composition Program at UofL!

PROGRAM CONTACTS

Where Do I Go For Help and Information?

CHAPTER 1

How Do We Approach Teaching Writing at UofL?

What is the philosophy for teaching writing at UofL?

Is there a single syllabus?

Do we teach formulas such as the five-paragraph theme or the “modes of discourse”?

What is the difference between English 101 and English 102?

What kinds of writing assignments do people typically use in English 101 and 102?

Do instructors in the program hold individual writing conferences with students?

Do instructors use student peer-review writing workshops in writing courses?

How is grading approached?

How do we approach teaching grammar and style?

Do we have classrooms with computers in them?

How do we help each other with teaching?

CHAPTER 2

Course Policies: What Should Be In My Syllabus?

Student Learning Outcomes

English 101 (Intro to College Writing)

Rhetorical Knowledge (responding appropriately to a variety of rhetorical situations)

Critical Reading and Thinking (analyzing rhetorical positioning of texts)

Processes

Conventions

English 102 (Intermed. College Writing)

Rhetorical Knowledge

Critical Thinking and Reading

Processes

Conventions

English 105 (Honors Composition)

Rhetorical Knowledge (responding appropriately to a variety of rhetorical situations)

Critical Reading and Thinking (analyzing rhetorical positioning of texts)

Processes

Conventions

English 303 (Scientific & Technical Writing)

Rhetorical Knowledge (responding appropriately to a variety of rhetorical situations)

Processes

Conventions

English 306 (Business Writing)

English 309 (Inquiries into Writing)

Prerequisites: ENGL 102 or 105

Rhetorical Knowledge (responding appropriately to a variety of rhetorical situations)

Critical Reading and Thinking (analyzing rhetorical positioning of texts)

Processes

Conventions

Course Syllabus Guidelines

Teacher Availability/Office Hours

Communication with Students and Administration

Canceling and Moving Classes

Revision policy

Student Conferences

Placement Verification

Attendance Policy

Recording Attendance is Required

Grading Criteria

CHAPTER 3

Nuts and Bolts

Professional Development Course Observations

Accessing Rosters and Filing Grades

Book Orders

Schedules

Office Space

Photocopying (HM 318F) & Printing

Teacher Resources: How can I be a more effective teacher?

The E-Files

Composition Office and ADC Files

Bonnie Endowment Library

Information Technology (IT) Resources

Ekstrom Library

Student Counseling Center

REACH (Resources for Academic Achievement)

The Writing Center

Digital Writing (DW) Resources

The Delphi Center for Teaching and Learning

Blackboard

Houchens Building, Lower Level 008,
852.6442 or 852.8353.
(Ann Kirwan, VA Rep. 852.0998).
Veterans must consult this office each time they register, drop/add a class, change an address, or change a program of study.