UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE
223 SECOND-YEAR WRITING SEMINAR COURSE PROPOSAL FORM
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College:
Department:
Course Discipline/Subject:
Course Number: 223
Please complete and send this form as a word document to csafko@cnu.edu
Prior to completing this form, consult the “FAQ about 223” document located on the UCC webpage
http://www.cnu.edu/acadcomm/curriculum/index.asp. The document contains information on the philosophy that guides the SecondYear Writing Seminar; it also provides examples of Second-Year Writing Seminars and specific answers to questions about writing
assignments and grading. For the questions below, answers may be printed on a separate page with each response clearly
corresponding to each numbered question.
1.
List the full title of this course: ULLC 223 - Second Year Writing Seminar
Triplet: 3 -3 - 0
2.
Course description should be included in the attached syllabus.
3.
Briefly (one paragraph), how will the curriculum benefit from this particular offering of 223?
4.
A concise explanation (one to two single-spaced pages) of how the proposed course will fulfill each of the following criteria
(“FAQ about 223” features sample course designs for 223):
[100 words or fewer]:
(1) Writing Assignment Design
Writing assignments should relate clearly to the course objectives and should serve as effective instruments for learning the
subject matter of the course. Instructors should communicate to students the requirements of formal, graded writing
assignments in writing, not just orally. In the Second-Year Writing Seminar, writing assignments are characteristically
designed to help students investigate the course subject matter, gain experience in interpreting data or the results of research,
shape writing to a particular audience, and lead toward the development of a 10-15 page research paper.
(2) Treatment of Writing as a Developmental Process
Students will be afforded opportunities to practice writing throughout the semester, with emphasis given to writing as a
process that develops through several iterations. Typically, Second-Year Writing Seminars require multiple writing
assignments, a sequence of preparatory writings (outlines, formulations of a thesis, multiple drafts) leading to (even
becoming a part of ) the required final research paper, and informal writing assignments (regular journal entries, field notes,
short in-class papers, revision of drafts) that aid students in developing other written documents. Experimentation with
assignments is encouraged.
(3) Written Feedback from the Instructor
Opportunities for the students to receive written feedback from the instructor and to apply the instructor's feedback to their
future writing will be built into the course. The instructor will clearly identify and explain the type of writing required in the
course and will provide guidance as needed. A Second-Year Writing Seminar may also include peer review of written work,
tutorial assistance, instructor conferences, group writing projects, the use of writing or learning centers, teaching assistant
feedback, and classroom discussion of assigned readings on writing. The use of diverse feedback mechanisms is encouraged,
but none of these should substitute for the instructor as the principal source of written feedback to the student.
(4) Evaluation of Writing
Writing will be evaluated by the instructor, and writing quality will be a factor in determining each student's final grade.
Before students begin writing, instructors will communicate to students the criteria by which their writing will be evaluated.
Sound criteria for assessing writing quality include, but are not limited to, the writer's ability to direct the material to an
intended audience, the employment of organizational strategies, the development of both content and reasoning, adherence to
conventions suitable for writing research papers, accuracy of the information presented, citation and integration of sources,
grammar, diction and syntax, and spelling. Include in the description the grade distribution for individual writing
assignments, oral presentations and/or participation (writing must account for 80% of the grade in the course). Also
approximate the number of pages of graded writing required in the course.
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223 Second Yr Course Proposal Rev. 6/2009
(5) Oral Presentation
Public speaking serves as an additional method by which students may brainstorm on topics of research, receive feedback on
drafts of papers, and gauge audience expectations about their research. Include a description of how oral communication –
formal, semiformal, or informal – serves as part of the course design.
5.
Please append a proposed syllabus centered on a particular topic (e.g. Gender in Media, Ethics in Accounting), which should
include a statement of course objectives, a sequence of class activities, references to writing assignments, and weight of
writing assignments in relation to the final course grade. If more than one topic will be offered in the department’s initial
offering of 223, please include the same materials on additional topics.
6.
Please append at least three writing assignments planned for use in this course.
7.
What is the anticipated enrollment per offering for the next three years?
During which term/year will this course first be offered?
8.
Which WI certified full-time faculty members will staff this course? (For certification requirements, please see “Writing
Intensive Certification” http://www.cnu.edu/acadcomm/curriculum/index.asp.
9.
Does the course involve a particular classroom, special equipment, or costs beyond those usually associated with a course at
CNU? (yes/no)
If so, please explain.
10.
In addition to counting toward the liberal learning core requirement, will this course (e.g. ULLC 223) be required for the
major? (yes/no)
If so, why?
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223 Second Yr Course Proposal Rev. 6/2009