INTERMEDIATE COLLEGE WRITING COURSE REVIEW FORM
(FORMERLY APPROVED W RITING) 4 -15
Please attach/ submit additional documents as needed to fully complete each section of the form.
I. COURSE INFORMATION
Department: English
Course Title: The Environmental Imagination
Type of Request:
Rationale:
New
One-time Only
Course Number: LIT 202
Renew
Change
Remove
II. ENDORSEMENT / APPROVALS
* Instructor:
Dr. David W. Gilcrest
Signature _______________________ Date____________
david.gilcrest@mso.umt.edu
406.830.0181
Program Chair: Dr. Beverly Chin
Signature _______________________ Date____________
Dean: Dr. Chris Comer
Signature _______________________ Date____________
*Form must be completed by the instructor who will be teaching the course. If the instructor of the course
changes before the next review, the new instructor must be provided with a copy of the form prior to teaching the
course.
III. OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE PURPOSE / DESCRIPTION
Provide an introduction to the subject matter and course content:
LIT 202 is designed to introduce students to the many discourses of nature. This course approaches “natural
history” as a complex literary genre grounded in personal experience of the “more-than-human” world (in David
Abram’s now ubiquitous phrase). Beginning with canonical practitioners of the personal narrative nature essays
(e.g. Thoreau, Muir, Burroughs) the course broadens its focus to include Native American, Aboriginal Australian,
and Asian traditions of “nature writing.” Further, LIT 202 includes explicit consideration of the role that race,
class, and gender play in shaping the discourses of nature.
Course Goals
Students who successfully complete this course will:

demonstrate through class discussion and well-reasoned essays an understanding of the historical and
cultural range of natural history writing

demonstrate through class discussion and well-reasoned essays an understanding of the essential
connection between cultural epistemologies and environmental ethics

demonstrate through class discussion and well-reasoned essays the ability to apply productively an
essential critical vocabulary

demonstrate through class discussion and well-reasoned essays an understanding of the many
rhetorical strategies used by writers of natural history

demonstrate through class discussion and well-reasoned essays the essential connection between
effective thinking and effective writing about literature

demonstrate through well-reasoned essays a thorough understanding of the rhetorical conventions
associated with literary scholarship (especially the disciplinary conventions articulated by the MLA)
IV. LEARNING OUTCOMES
Provide examples of how the course will support students in achieving each learning outcome

Use writing to learn and synthesize new concepts.
Yes If yes, how will student learning be supported?
LIT 202 The Environmental Imagination requires students to learn a range of concepts associated with
the study of a range of environmental discourses (drawn from e.g. several scientific fields, memoir,
popular literature, history, myth, etc.) and apply this body of knowledge in analytical essays grounded
in close textual reading.
No

If no, course may not be eligible
Formulate and express written opinions and ideas that are developed, logical, and organized.
Yes If yes, how will student learning be supported?
Students receive explicit training in the strategies of effective reasoning at the collegiate level.
(Students also receive explicit training in the disciplinary conventions (citation, documentation, formal
presentation) associated with Studies in Literature.) Further, a revision process, which includes
conferencing with the instructor, is built in to the syllabus of LIT 202.
No

If no, course may not be eligible
Compose written documents that are appropriate for a given audience, purpose and context
Yes If yes, how will student learning be supported?
Students are instructed in the rhetorical strategies appropriate to Literary Studies and the burdens they
shoulder as literary scholars. Instruction makes clear that students in LIT 202 are writing to a particular
audience (that typically includes both the instructor and other members of the class; which is to say,
written reasoning is part of the ongoing conversation). Writing assignments clearly articulate the
purpose of writing (i.e. the question-at-issue) and what generates such a purpose (i.e. why, and for
whom, the question is “at issue”).
No

If no, course may not be eligible
Revise written work based on constructive comments from the instructor
Yes If yes, how will student learning be supported?
As noted above, because I believe revision is an essential part of serious scholarship, revision is built
into the syllabus. In revision, students respond to constructive comments from the instructor offered
on returned essays and in conference.
No

If no, course may not be eligible
Find, evaluate, and use information effectively and ethically
( description of information literacy outcomes appropriate for each class level)
Subject librarians are available to assist you embed information literacy into your course
Yes If yes, how will student learning be supported?
LIT 202 includes a required research component. Instructor works with students to articulate and refine
an appropriate research topic. Students also participate in a “Literary Studies Research Bootcamp”
during which they meet with Sue Samson at the Mansfield Library to address the resources and
technologies available to scholars in Literary Studies. This “Bootcamp” inevitably includes instruction
on making good judgments regarding the quality of research resources. Noted above is the work
involved in instructing students on the relevant disciplinary conventions associated with citation and
documentation.
No

If no, course may not be eligible
Begin to use discipline-specific writing conventions
Yes If yes, how will student learning be supported?
I believe this is covered above. All written reasoning in LIT 202 is framed within the context of the
disciplinary practices and conventions associated with Literary Studies: e.g. careful analysis grounded in
close reading, principles of effective argumentation (claiming and evidence), consideration of audience
in communication.
No
If no, course may not be eligible

Demonstrate appropriate English language usage
Yes If yes, how will student learning be supported?
Instructor provides extensive feedback on students’ written work including pragmatic consideration of
rules of grammar, issues of style, and aspects of effective communication.
No
If no, course may not be eligible
V. WRITING COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Enrollment is capped at 25 students.
Yes
No
If no, list maximum course enrollment.
Explain how outcomes will be adequately met for this number of students.
Justify the request for variance.

Which written assignments will include revision in response to instructor’s feedback?
Students will be invited to revise any of the four critical essays (but not the Final Research
Essay).
VI. WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
Please describe course assignments. Students should be required to individually compose at least 16 pages of
writing for assessment. At least 50% of the course grade should be based on students’ performance on writing
assignments. Clear expression, quality, and accuracy of content are an integral part of the grade on any writing
assignment.

Formal Graded Assignments
Essay #1:
15% (5pp.)
Topic: Analysis of the virtues (and embarrassments) of “subjectivity” and “objectivity” in the
firstperson natural history narrative.
Essay #2:
20% (5pp.)
Topic: Analysis of differences (and their implications) between “dominant” and
marginalized/indigenous/aboriginal cultures of narrative in shaping relationship to
more-than-human world.
Essay #3:
20% (5pp.)
Topic: Analysis of the role of metaphor in shaping human and more-than-human identity and
relationship.
Essay #4:
20% (5pp.)
Topic: Analysis of epistemological status, ethical implications, and rhetorical impact of
scientific
discourses of the more-than-human world.
Final Research Essay:
25% (10pp.)
Exact Topic TBD; Generally speaking, students will be researching various discourses of
environmental advocacy concerning specific places or species and analyzing the
rhetorical effectiveness and ethical implications of same.

Informal Ungraded Assignments
n/a

Attach a sample writing assignment. Include instructions / handouts provided to students.
Please find attached “LIT 202 Essay 1” assignment—as well as “MLA Bootcamp Docs.”
VII. ASSESSMENT
I will participate in the University-wide Program-level Writing Assessment by requiring students in this
course to upload a sample paper to the designated Moodle location. Please clearly communicate the
requirement to your students and include language on your syllabus (sample below).

This course requires an electronic submission of an assignment stripped of your personal information to
be used for educational research and assessment of the writing program. Your paper will be stored in a
database. A random selection of student papers will be assessed by a group of faculty using a rubric
developed from the following writing learning outcomes.







Compose written documents that are appropriate for a given audience or purpose
Formulate and express opinions and ideas in writing
Use writing to learn and synthesize new concepts
Revise written work based on constructive feedback
Find, evaluate, and use information effectively
Begin to use discipline-specific writing conventions (largely style conventions like APA or MLA)
Demonstrate appropriate English language usage
The rubric score points are: (4) advanced, (3) proficient, (2) nearing proficiency, and (1) novices. This assessment
in no way affects either your grade or your progression at the university.
VIII. SYLLABUS
Attach syllabus and send digital copy with form to faculty.senate@mso.umt.edu.
The syllabus must include the list of Writing Course learning outcomes above.
Submission
Please find syllabus attached.