Upper-division Writing Requirement Review Form (2/14)
I. General Education Review – Upper-division Writing Requirement
Dept/Program
Resource
Course # (i.e. ANTY
Subject
Conservation
455) or sequence
Course(s) Title
see attached
Description of the requirement if it is not a single course.
Block of courses
(distributed requirement)
Students in the Resource Conservation major currently meet their writing requirements in the
following ways: Students are required to complete sophomore level writing class NRSM 200
Natural Resources Professional Writing, and take at least three of the following upper division
courses: BIOE 428, FORS 330, FORS 341, FORS 347 or FORS 349, FORS 440, FORS 499,
NASX 403, NRSM 379, NRSM 426, NRSM 344, NRSM 449, NRSM 462, NRSM 475, NRSM
489E, NRSM 499, PTRM 300, WILD 410 or 1 of the following PTRM 451 or PTRM 482.
Each of the courses on this list are proposed to be ONE of the THREE upper-division writing
courses that together meet the distributed upper-division writing requirement for students in the
Resource Conservation major.
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office.
Please type / print name Signature
Instructor
Phone / Email
Program Chair
Laurie Yung
Dean
Mike Patterson
Date
III. Type of request
New
Renew X
Reason for new course, change
or deletion
One-time Only
Change
Remove
We removed one course from the list and added three, based on a
detailed evaluation of all courses on the distributed writing list.
IV Overview of the Course Purpose/ Description
In the sciences, writing skills require learning a very structured, concise, technical format
which requires students to think and communicate clearly about the integration of theoretical,
quantitative, and conceptual issues in their field of study. These skills are best learned through a
series of content-focused courses in which students can hone these skills. We propose to renew
our distributed writing model to continue to meet these pedagogical goals since we believe this
allows disciplinary content to be integrated with technical writing in the most effective way.
Resource Conservation students are required to:
1) Successfully complete three or more distributed writing courses as listed in table 1 below.
These courses collectively require sufficient length and feedback on individual student writing
assignments to meet ASCRC upper division writing student outcomes and goals. Each of these
distributed writing courses has at least 20% of the course grade based on writing assignments
(and oftentimes much more) and provide substantive feedback to students on their writing,
normally requiring students to provide at least 2 drafts of major writing assignments. All
courses are small enough or have sufficient TA support to provide substantive feedback to
students on writing.
2) Achieve satisfactory scores in a sophomore-level writing course, NRSM 200 Natural
Resources Professional Writing. NRSM 200 needs to be completed prior to enrolling in all
courses that meet the distributed writing requirement above. Course catalogs will specifically
list these requirements for all distributed writing classes.
All upper division writing courses in the College of Forestry and Conservation were reevaluated by the Undergraduate Committee in September 2014 in consultation with each
instructor. As a result, some courses were removed from the list and some courses were added
to ensure that only the most writing-intensive courses are part of this requirement. For all
courses on the list, writing comprises at least 20% of the grade, but for most courses, writing
comprises much more than 20% (see table for details on all courses).
V Learning Outcomes: Provide examples of how the course will support students in
achieving each learning outcome.
Identify and pursue
sophisticated questions for
academic inquiry
 Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
All of our UD writing courses require students to write
research proposals, research papers, persuasive essays, or
analytic reports. In these assignments, students must utilize
scientific literature to identity gaps in methods and knowledge
and key research questions.
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
Find, evaluate, analyze, and
synthesize information
effectively and ethically from
diverse sources (see:
http://www.lib.umt.edu/libraryinformation-literacytables#Table2) Subject liaison
 Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
All our UD writing courses require students to demonstrate
comprehension of a broad range of scientific articles and other
sources of information, and to synthesize and analyze these
sources, and properly cite and integrate them into their papers.
librarians are available to
assist you embed information
literacy into your course:
http://www.lib.umt.edu/node/115
#instructors
Manage multiple perspectives
as appropriate
Recognize the purposes and
needs of discipline-specific
audiences and adopt the
academic voice necessary for
the chosen discipline
Use multiple drafts, revision,
and editing in conducting
inquiry and preparing written
work
Follow the conventions of
citation, documentation, and
formal presentation
appropriate to that discipline
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
 Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
Since students will take at least 3 UD writing courses they will
be able to develop writing skills from a variety of applications
and perspectives. Their work in ecology, management, and
social sciences all require integration of multiple viewpoints (or
academic traditions).
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
 Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
Writing assignments include theoretical or conceptual as well
as applied topics, and thus require students to write for a
variety of audiences and purposes.
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
 Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
All UD writing courses require revisions OR extensive student
feedback to improve subsequent writing.
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
 Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
Training students to utilize scientific evidence and to properly
cite information sources, according to the traditions for a given
discipline are essential components of all of our UD writing
courses.
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
VI. Writing Course Requirements
Enrollment is capped at 25
students.
If not, list maximum course
enrollment. Explain how
outcomes will be adequately
Since we distribute the writing requirement across 3 or more courses
we are able to maintain small enough class sizes to allow faculty to
effectively evaluate student’s written assignments. Where larger
classes (35+), such as FORS 330 are included, TA support provides
sufficient resources to maintain high levels of student feedback on all
met for this number of
students. Justify the request
for variance.
Briefly explain how students
are provided with tools and
strategies for effective writing
and editing in the major.
writing assignments.
Which written assignment(s)
includes revision in response
to instructor’s feedback?
Yes. We require revisions in most of our major writing
assignments.
Our students are provided intensive training in writing in their
sophomore level writing classes. Since they take three or more UD
writing classes they have many opportunities to hone their writing
skills in combination with developing greater understanding of the
process of scientific inquiry and its applications to natural resources.
VII. Writing Assignments:
Please describe course assignments. Students should be required
to individually compose at least 20 pages of writing for assessment. At least 50% of the course grade
should be based on students’ performance on writing assignments. Quality of content and writing are
integral parts of the grade on any writing assignment.
Formal Graded Assignments
Most of our UD writing courses require 20 pages or more
writing assignments per course.
Informal Ungraded
Assignments
Paste or attach a sample writing assignment, including instructions for students.
VIII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form.
The syllabus must include the list of Writing Course learning outcomes above.
Table 1: Upper division writing courses for distributed writing requirement in the College of Forestry and Conservation
Graded
Writing
Number of
Total
Revision
Writing with
Course
Title
% of
Types of Writing
Assignments
Pages
Required
Written
Grade
Comments
Freshwater
papers, term
BIOE 428
30
8
14-20
yes
yes
Ecology
paper
FORS 330
FOR341
FOR347
Forest Ecology
Timber
Harvesting and
Forest Roads
Multiple
Resource
Silviculture
40
6+
20-30
research paper,
lab reports
depends on
quality of first
draft
yes
25
4+
10-20
lab reports
depends on
quality of first
draft
yes
20
5+
20-25
lab reports,
proposal
yes, on at
least one
yes
lab reports,
proposal
depends on
quality of first
draft
yes
yes, on at
least two
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
FORS 349
Practice of
Silviculture
48
8
20-25
FOR440
Timber
Management I
25
4+
10-20
100
1
50
3
FORS 499
NASX 403
Senior Thesis
Contemportary
Tribal Resource
Issues
18-30
memo, progress
report, essay,
position
senior thesis
essays, research
paper
NRSM 379
NRSM 426
NRSM 344
NRSM 449
NRSM 462
NRSM 475
NRSM
489E
NRSM 495
NRSM 499
PTRM 300
PTRM
451W
Collaboration in
Natural
Resources
Decisions
Climate and
Society
Ecological
Restoration
Capstone
Climate Change
Ethics & Policy
Range Ecology
Environment and
Development
Ethics, Forestry,
and
Conservation
Ecological
Restoration
Practicum
Senior Thesis
Recreation
Behavior
Tourism and
Sustainability
PTRM
482W
Wilderness and
Protected Area
Management
WILD 410
Wildlife Policy
and Biopolitics
40
7
30
persuasion
papers, research
paper
yes, for
research
paper
yes
40
1
8-10
Research paper
yes
yes
80
4
28-32
papers, research
proposal
yes
yes
30
3
10-15
Essay
yes
yes
25
1
35
1
8-10
case study
yes
yes
35
2
12
two essays
yes, first
essay
yes
20
2
19-21
project report
yes
yes
100
1
senior thesis
yes
yes
45
3
8-12
research paper
yes
yes
100
6
15-18
papers, final
paper
yes
yes
70
4
10-15
essays, research
paper
yes
yes
10-20
evidenced based
persuasive
arguments or
analysis/critique
Allow rewrite
of 1st paper
yes
70
3+
term paper
yes