• WritingRequirements

Here you will find explanations of the CSU Stanislaus writing requirements and links to further information.

“Writing is the most disciplined form of thinking; writing is the fundamental tool of the intellectual life.”

--Don Murray, The Craft of Revision

We hope our students will be active, involved participants who are interested in the world and in contemporary issues. Please come prepared to:

• ask questions;
• discuss readings;
• debate (respectfully) with your teacher and peers;
• learn your way around our library; and
• meet with your instructor during office hours at least once during the term.

Composition classes have many purposes in the University

General Educational Goals

• The University’s goals for all general education courses, including English 1001/1002 and English 2000, are at General Education Goals.pdf : First-Year Composition Competencies

• The competencies the English department undertakes to teach in English 1001/1002 are at competencies.pdf

I have argued that learning to write really means more than just learning specific content, organizational or grammatical rules, rhetorical concepts, or writing processes---it means coming to attach to the self a set of writers’ roles, negotiating an understanding of the self as someone who uses writing for personally and socially important purposes. --Robert E. Brooke, Writing and Sense of Self

Basic Requirements for Undergraduate Writing Courses:

• Attendance You should attend every class meeting, on time and fully prepared. You should remain in class for the duration of the class period. Attendance policies are determined by individual instructors and are stated in the course syllabus. Students are responsible for all material and assignments missed because of absence or lateness. *Note: many instructors have a “no late work accepted” policy. Contacting Your Instructor You may contact your instructor by e-mail, by leaving a message in your instructor’s mailbox, or by leaving a message in his or her voicemail. Check your e-mail regularly for messages from your instructor or from the English Department. Please do not call your instructor at home unless s/he has expressly given the class permission to do so. Grades Your instructor sets the requirements and grading criteria for specific assignments. You may choose the CREDIT/NO CREDIT grading option.
• Letter grades are not assigned in Intensive Learning Experience (ILE), ESL 1001, ESL 1005, or Writer’s Workshop (WW). A = Achievement that is exceptional and unique B = Achievement that is significantly above the level necessary to meet the requirements C = Assignment meets the basic requirements in every respect D = Assignment meets only some of the requirements and is worthy of credit F = Assignment does not substantially meet the basic requirements

• At the end of the term, if you want your instructor to notify you of your final grade or return your final paper or other assignments to you, you should give your instructor a self-addressed envelope stamped with sufficient postage. Students may access their term grades at <http://www.csustan.edu/Admin_Services/Student> or through the Student Telephone Access Network (STAN) at (209) 664-7826. Instructions for use of the STAN system are included in the Schedule of Classes. Progress Reports in Developmental Writing Courses All students enrolled in ILE, Writer’s Workshop, ESL 1001, and ESL 1005 will receive a progress report from the instructor in the 4th week of the semester commenting briefly on how well they are meeting the main goals of the course.

• One-Year Mandatory Remediation First-time entering freshman who are placed in remedial courses must advance to a First-Year Composition Class (English 1001/1002) by the end of their first academic year of enrollment. Students who do not meet this requirement may no longer be enrolled in the University. For further questions please contact the office of First-Year Programs.
• Portfolio Placement Readings: Advancement from ENGL 1000 ESL 1001, and ESL 1005 depends upon a student’s writing portfolio developed in the course and evaluated by two outside readers who are also writing instructors. Placement information will be sent directly to the students.

• Computers: Instructors may require that you use a word processor or computer for some or all of your assignments. If you do not have access to the necessary equipment, you can use the University’s public computer labs. For lab information and a current schedule please go to: http://www.csustan.edu/oit/aits/LabsMain.htm

• Incompletes Grades of I (Incomplete) are not given except in the most extraordinary circumstances (for example, a medical emergency) and only if little of the course remains to be finished. A student must document the emergency and the student and teacher must make a written agreement concerning the conditions of the incomplete and keep it on file.
• Academic Integrity The English Department requires academic integrity and does not tolerate dishonesty in any form, including copying another student’s work, writing a paper for another student, submitting material written by someone else, or submitting the same paper for different classes without getting permission from the instructors, or inventing data for a paper.
• The Writing Center Please use the Writing Center, located in the Library Building , Rm. 112. The center is staffed with professionals, trained graduate teaching assistants who teach composition courses, and undergraduate peer tutors who will help you get started on a paper process. The peer tutors provide commentary on drafts and answer your questions about grammar and documentation. Tutors will not rewrite any part of your paper, and they will not edit or proofread for you. The Writing Center is not an editing or proofreading service; it is a place to learn. It’s best to make an appointment, but you may also drop in to see if a tutor is available. For appointments, call 667-3465.