Professional Documents
Culture Documents
FYC Instructor
Handbook
II. III. IV.
Table of Contents
Useful Contacts ........................................................................... 1 Administrative Details ............................................................... 2 The Composition Program: Description and Policies ............ 4 First-Year Composition ................................................................................. 4 Student Placement and Assessment ........................................................... 4 Course Descriptions ...................................................................................... 5 Syllabi ................................................................................................................. 7 Syllabus Policies Wording .......................................................................... 7 Textbooks ....................................................................................................... 10 Classrooms ..................................................................................................... 14 Classroom Management .............................................................................. 14 The Writing Center ..................................................................................... 15 Attendance and Absences (for faculty) .................................................... 16 Grading ............................................................................................................ 16 Writing Awards ............................................................................................. 17
V.
University Policies..................................................................... 18 Inclement Weather Policy ............................................................................ 18 UALR Policy for Academic Offenses ......................................................... 18 Steps Toward Redress for Academic Honesty ....................................... 19 Official UALR Policy on Classroom Disruptions .................................... 20
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I. Useful Contacts
Sherry Rankins-Robertson, Director of First-Year Composition 569-3477 UALR email address Josh Johnson, Graduate Assistant to Dr. Rankins-Robertson Preferred phone number jrjohnson2@ualr.edu Karen Flash Palmer, Administrative Assistant 569-3160 klpalmer@ualr.edu George Jensen, Department Chair 569-8063 (work); 501-960-4298 (cell) ghjensen@ualr.edu Karen Kuralt, Graduate Coordinator (Contact her to schedule your graduate courses) 569-8334 (work); 352-2380 (cell) kmkuralt@ualr.edu Allison Holland, Director of the Writing Center (Contact her to learn about the Writing Centers services and student tours) 569-8311 adholland@ualr.edu Chad Garrett, Director of Technology (Contact him to secure a classroom equipped with computers) 569-8955 cxgarrett@ualr.edu Carol Macheak, Head of Ottenheimer Library Reference Desk (Contact her to schedule a library tour for your students) 569-8809 cimacheak@ualr.edu Darryl McGee, Assistant Dean of Students (Contact him to resolve academic integrity and disciplinary conduct issues) 569-3328 dkmcgee@ualr.edu Campus Security 569-3400 Blackboard Support 683-7622
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Graduate Assistants May teach one or two courses a semester. Teaching one course is equal to a 10-hour graduate assistantship; you must be enrolled in at least two graduate courses to qualify for this assistantship. Teaching two courses is equal to a 20-hour assistantship; you must be enrolled in at least three graduate courses to qualify for this assistantship. Also, note that you cannot hold another on-campus position if doing so makes your work total more than 20 hours per week. Earn $1,612.50 per course, along with a tuition waiver if a full-time graduate student. Must complete RHET 7310, Composition Theory, prior to teaching. Must enroll in RHET 7360, Practicum, during the first semester teaching.
Pay days Are the 15th and the last day of the month, or the last weekday before those dates if they fall on the weekend. Will normally start the second payday after the first day of classes.
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sometimes changed up until the last minute. If you know your room has been changed, leave a note in the old room to catch any students who missed the change. Sign and return a FERPA form (to FYC Graduate Assistant). Make sure you are subscribed to the Composition Faculty Listserv by sending an email message to listserv@ualr.edu. from the email account where you wish to receive messages. Do not include a subject line. In the body of the email, type: Subscribe compositionfaculty Your Name. Print a copy of your syllabus and put it in the Syllabi mailbox in the Rhetoric and Writing office. If you are employed at another state agency or institution (e.g. UAMS, a public school district, etc.) please let Karen Palmer know as soon as possible; there is some additional paperwork that will need to be completed. Once the semester has begun, sign and return your Appointment Letter (a document confirming your pay rate for your classes.) These will be placed in your faculty mailbox in the Rhetoric and Writing office after the semester begins.) New Adjuncts: If you have never worked at UALR, complete a new employee packet at the Human Resources department, which is across from the tennis courts on the southeast side of campus. This information is available on their website at http://ualr.edu/humanresources Go to the Donaghey Student Center (DSC) to have an ID card made. You can use your card to check out library books, use the gym in the DSC, and enter certain gated parking lots. New TAs: If you have never worked at UALR, complete a new employee packet at Human Resources department. This information is available on their website at http://ualr.edu/humanresources Sign and return your letter from the graduate school confirming your assistantship.
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FIRST-YEAR COMPOSITION
ood writing skills are part of a students educational and professional toolbox. Accordingly, the first-year composition program helps undergraduate students at UALR develop the writing skills needed to pursue a college degree and beyond.
Students must complete Rhetoric 1311 with a grade of C or better before enrolling in Rhetoric 1312. In addition, Rhetoric 0321 (Academic Literacy) and Linked Rhetoric 0310 (Composition Fundamentals) are offered for students who are not prepared for Rhetoric 1311 based on their test scores. Such students have test scores as follows: ACT English less than 19 SAT verbal less than 450 Compass Composition less than 75
Rhetoric 0321, a combined reading and writing course, will begin Fall 2012. Also beginning Fall 2012, all Rhetoric 0310 (Composition Fundamentals) courses will be linked with Comp I courses for an accelerated 6-hour sequence. Students transferring 60 or more hours to UALR who have met the first-year composition requirement at the college previously attended may be exempted from UALRs freshman composition requirement. The decision to exempt a student is made by the students major department chairperson when the student files a degree plan.
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In the past, the state of Arkansas has required all institutions to administer Compass at the end of developmental writing courses. This requirement is probably ending as of fall 2012.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS FROM THE CATALOG
RHET 0321 Academic Literacy (starting Fall 2012)
Practice in academic writing and reading with an emphasis on developing strategies and skills for college success: reading and writing fluency, editing techniques, reading comprehension, and vocabulary development. This fulfills the requirement for developmental reading and writing, but does not fulfill a core curriculum requirement. Institutional credit only; final grades are A, B, C, or No Credit. This is a combined lecture/lab course. Three credit hours.
RHET 0310 Composition Fundamentals (all sections linked with RHET 1311 starting Fall 2012)
Practice in writing, with an emphasis on developing fluency and editing. This course does not fulfill the core curriculum requirement and is intended for students who are not ready for RHET 1311. Institutional credit only; final grades are A, B, C, or NC. Three credit hours.
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SYLLABI
[Add text]
ery course is required to have a syllabus. Turn in a copy to Karen Palmer [when?]. The university and the department require that the following essential information be included in your syllabus:
Outcomes Statement. (see statement on following pages) Include this statement verbatim on your syllabus. An attendance policy. Make sure that your policy is clear to the students at the beginning of the semester and that you apply it fairly and consistently. Requirements for the course. You must include all your major
assignments. To allow yourself some flexibility, you can include categories like quizzes or informal writing assignments.
A grading scale. Your syllabus must have a statement that describes how you will determine the students final grade for the course. Remember that the syllabus is a contract between you and your students, so develop a policy and be consistent. The UALR statement on plagiarism and academic honesty.
(see statement on following pages) You have no choice, include it verbatim. If you encounter a situation in which you are faced with plagiarism or cheating, the statement in your syllabus is essential.
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that you feel involves excessive accommodation or in which the student had not contacted Disability Support Services and you feel uncomfortable making such an accommodation, call me (Dr. Rankins-Robertson) and we will deal with the specific situation together. You do not have to handle these situations alone.
Outcome statement that MUST be included on all first-year composition course syllabi: Outcomes for First-Year Composition: The Department of Rhetoric and
Writing has adapted the following outcomes for first-year composition courses from the outcome statements of the Council for Writing Program Administrators.
generating ideas, revising, and editing their writing through successive drafts. Those strategies will include collaborating with others, including giving and receiving feedback in peer groups.
writing and will develop knowledge of academic writing conventions, including organization, development, style, incorporation of materials from sources, grammar, formats, and documentation.
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University regulations regarding academic dishonesty, as set forth in the UALR student handbook and other University documents and publications, will be strictly enforced in this class. Any student caught in the act of cheating will be assigned a grade of zero points (F) for the assignment in question. If written work does not appear to be your own, you will be questioned about it and appropriate action will be taken.
important to me, and it is the policy and practice of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to create inclusive learning environments consistent with federal and state law. If you have a documented disability (or need to have a disability documented), and need an accommodation, please contact me privately as soon as possible, so that we can discuss with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) how to meet your specific needs and the requirements of the course. The DRC offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process among you, your instructor(s) and the DRC. Thus, if you have a disability, please contact me and/or the DRC, at 501-569-3143 (V/TTY) or 501-683-7629 (VP). For more information, please visit the DRC website at www.ualr.edu/disability.
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TEXTBOOKS
Should You Use a Textbook?
A central decision to make in teaching a FYC course is whether to have students purchase a text. Obviously there are arguments on both sides of the issue. The primary reason people give for not using a textbook is the expense. Textbookseven small, paperbound ones such as are used in FYChave become very expensive, and most of our students are reluctant to spend the money unless they see the benefit. Another reason not to use a textbook is flexibility. No one will write the textbook you would have written, with the focus and material that you want to give to the course. Additionally, if you have not committed to a textbook, you may be able to more flexibly adapt to the needs of your students as the course evolves. Additionally, we live in a world surrounded by discourse, and between the Internet and technology, it is quite possible to provide readings and instructional material directly to the students without a textbook. On the other hand, a textbook can be extremely useful and I strongly urge teachers, especially novices to our program, to use a textbook when they teach. A primary reason is that the textbook can help provide coherence to your course. A textbook is a rhetorical document, informed by values about what FYC students should know and be able to do at the end of the course. The texts that have been selected for the UALR FYC program are selected because they reflect the commitments of our program. Such coherence is more difficult to achieve if you bring in resources from many different sources. (More difficult, not impossible; but you need to keep in mind when planning your course that without a textbook, you need to make sure you are helping your students see the connections among the different assignments and activities, and that they understand the direction the course is taking.) Another benefit of the textbook is that it provides a common, consistent resource that can be used to prepare students for class activities and assignments and then reinforce learning you wanted to occur in those activities and assignments. Students learn in multiple waysby doing, by reading, by listeningand a textbook is something they can read and review later, unlike the more ephemeral experiences of the classroom. The textbooks we have selected provide a range of material besides instruction, including sample student drafts, readings reflecting different purposes and genres, class activities, and exercisesall of which are useful in
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teaching FYC. You could put together these materials on your own, but doing so takes a lot of time (and sometimes frustration because of technology glitches) that might better be used working directly with your students and their writing.
Using a Textbook
Given the expense, you should make sure that if you ask students to purchase a textbook, you actually use it. You do not have to use the whole book, and in fact all composition books are designed so you can pick and choose among the different units and activities. But if you want students to purchase a handbook like Rules for Writers so you can teach them to document properly, then you must use class time to show them how to use the handbook. It is not enough to say, use your handbook to do this. Or if you want students to purchase a book like Writing in the Works, which is organized around different genres, then you need to structure your course around the different genres reflected in the chapters. Again, you dont need to use all of the chapters and in fact should not plan to use all of the chapters. But pick 4 5 of those chapters and structure your assignments around them. As noted earlier, students are reluctant to purchase textbooks because of the expense. Thus, if you want to use a textbook, you need to set up expectations early in the course that students bring their book to class where you will use them explicitly. Otherwise you will soon find that students have returned their books to the bookstore.
We select two types of textbooks, rhetorics and handbooks. The rhetorics are comprehensive texts designed for specific courses. They are designed to be read chapter by chapter. They include reading and writing assignments and sometimes have elements of a handbook as well in the back. The handbooks are designed to be resources you use when needed. All handbooks now have three basic componentsa section on grammar and style, a section on documentation of research, and a section on writing. Two handbooks are currently available, Writing: A Manual for the Digital Age, by Blakesley and Hoogeveen, and Rules for Writers, by Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers. The material on writing in the Blakesley book is extremely robust (and expensive!) It contains sufficient material that you might reasonably use it as the sole text for a course. Rules for Writers is an inexpensive handbook that provides the basics on writing and excellent material on grammar and style and research documentation. It could be used as the sole textbook, which you supplement with additional material; or it could be used as a second textbook, along with another book.
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The handbooks were selected with the idea that students should purchase a handbook that they can use for the rest of their college lives and beyond. It is extremely important, therefore, that you teach students how to use any handbook youve required.
Because textbook orders are required (by state law!) to be in the bookstore 3 6 months before a semester begins, and because most FYC sections are not assigned until a few weeks before the semester begins, the program selects and orders a variety of textbooks for each of the courses. These are called the default texts, and individual FYC instructors may choose to use any of the selections. These textbooks are available in the bookstore and should be listed as possibilities on the bookstore website. (The website system doesnt work very well in our situation, however, and it often gives confusing information to students.) There is a big sign by the Rhetoric and Writing shelves in the bookstore telling students to attend their FYC class before purchasing books so their individual teacher can tell them which (if any) books s/he has selected. (Most students read the sign, but there are always students who get confused. If theyve purchased the wrong book, they should return it to the bookstore for a refund.)
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Textbook List
You may use any of the books on the following list; they will be at the bookstore. Students should postpone purchasing textbooks until they go to class for the first time and learn your specific textbook requirements.
Class
All courses
Text
Writing: A Manual for the Digital Age, Brief with Exercises, 2nd Edition Rules for Writers, 7th Edition The Mercury Reader Read to Succeed, 1st Edition Fusion 2, 1st Edition Writing in the Works, 2nd Edition Joining the Conversation, 1st Edition Writing from Sources, 8th Edition Writing about Writing, 1st Edition They Say, I Say, 1st Edition Technical Communication, 9th Edition
Author
Blakesley & Hoogeveen
ISBN
111134454X
Publisher
Cengage
All courses
Hacker & Sommers Custom-made for UALR Rothman & Warsi Kemper, Meyer, Van Rys, Sebranek Blau & Burak Palmquist Spatt Wardle & Downs Graff, Burkenstein, Durst Markel
0-910-30506-4
All courses
N/A
RHET 0321 RHET 0321 RHET 1311 RHET 1311 RHET 1312 RHET 1312 RHET 1312 RHET 3316
Pearson Cengage Cengage Bedford/ St. Martins Bedford/ St. Martins Bedford/ St. Martins Norton Bedford/ St. Martins
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CLASSROOMS
Access to Computer Classrooms in Stabler and Dickinson Hall Classrooms with presentation equipment (projectors, smart boards, etc.) have keypad access. At the start of each semester, instructors teaching in these classrooms have to get a code from Chad Garrett (who is in charge of technology implementation for the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences). Chad will receive a list of whos teaching in which classrooms and will assign the codes. He should send out an email or flyer explaining where and how to get the codes. Teachers who have never used one of the computer classrooms are supposed to attend training before they can get their codes. Access to SUA 100 Office Space First-Year Composition instructors are welcome to use SUA 100 as their office space. They can get the keypad code from Karen Palmer (569-3160) in the main Rhetoric and Writing office. Changing Classrooms If you desire a better classroom, you can request a different room; simply contact Karen Palmer. If your classroom moves, either permanently or temporarily, be sure notify the main office of the change.
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Safety Concerns If you feel that a student or someone from outside your class is posing a threat, the best option is to dismiss class and then call campus security (569-3400). If you forget this number, you can call 911 and ask the emergency operator to contact campus security. If you teach at night, you should inform students that they can ask for an escort to their car through the same number. Policies on Student Misconduct, Sexual Harassment, and Grade Appeals The best source for these policies is the Student Handbook, which is available online. Go to the University web site (www.ualr.edu), click on CURRENT STUDENTS, then STUDENT HANDBOOK. You will find that you may ask disruptive students to leave your class and you may file an Incident Report on the student. Students who have had two incident reports may be administratively removed from your class. You will also find a description of the grade appeal process and definitions of sexual harassment. It is important that you understand these policies.
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he University Writing Center (UWC) is dedicated to serving student writers at all ability levels as they strive to improve their skills at all stages of the writing process. With emphasis on writing and the teaching of writing on and off the UALR campus, UWC provides a comfortable place to write, to receive training in working with writers, to use tools and resources in a community environment, and receive encouragement. The UWC serves everyone as a center of encouragement, development, and growth in the pursuit of excellence in rhetoric and composition through individual assistance. Graduate students and upper-level undergraduate students serve as writing assistants in the UWC. They talk with students about whatever stage of the writing process they are working on. However, they wont do a students work or writing. From brainstorming to editing, writing assistants have a goal to help students improve their writing for the long term. Their feedback is designed and intended to help students better understand how to improve their writing so they can apply what they have learned to future writing assignments. Location: The University Writing Center is located in the Student Union B (SUB) Room 116. For more information about the University Writing Center and the services they provide, please call their office at (501) 569-8343. Typical Hours: (check website at http://ualr.edu/writingcenter/ for current semester hours) Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. 5 p.m. (closed on Mondays from 11:45 1:30 for a weekly meeting) Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. 8 p.m. Friday: 9 a.m. noon
Additionally, the Writing Center maintains an online writing lab (OWL) with online resources and tutoring. Contact Allison Holland (adholland@ualr.edu) for assistance. The Writing Center is happy to provide tours for first-year composition classes. Contact Writing Center staff (569-8343) early in the semester to get on their schedule. Additionally, they can schedule group sessions with the computers and software.
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nstructors must enter mid-term and final grades via the Faculty Services Menu in BOSS. (The grading screens are about halfway down the list)
The process is fairly simple. There are three columns. Only the first column is required. But if you have a student who stopped attending, you can enter the information in the second and third columns if it's available. In the pull-down menu for grades, the options ending in 'X' as in NCX are for students who haven't been attending. Remember that comp courses are graded A, B, C, and NC (no credit). Please use those grades for the midterms as well. After inputting grades you must click "save" so they will be recorded. You may change these grades anytime before students are able to see them. Mid-Term Grades Between a certain set of dates mid-semester (see Semester Details handout), you are supposed to post mid-term grades for your courses. It is university policy that first-year students receive this feedback. It is not a binding grade, but it does let the students know where they stand. It is recommended that you also interact with the students about their grades perhaps in a conferences or an email. Pay special attention to students who are at risk of receiving NC grades. Let them know concretely what they will need to do to receive a passing grade in the course. Final Grades Final grades must be entered online no later than NOON on the day they are due (see Semester Details handout). Please enter them in BOSS in a timely fashion. Do not mail your grades to the department. Final Exams The final-exam schedule is available in BOSS and on the UALR website at http://ualr.edu/records/index.php/home/final-examination-schedule/
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The University requires that you administer your final exam on the date scheduled. However, you do not have to have a final exam. If the schedule presents a problem for you, please contact Dr. George Jensen to make arrangements for your final exam.
WRITING AWARDS
The Rhetoric and Writing Department has an annual writing contest in which undergraduate and graduate students can submit class writing samples from the past year. Students may enter one sample of their writing from each class they are taking/have taken within a year of the deadline. Entries are usually due in early to mid-March. Students need to bring three clean copies of their writing and one copy of the Awards Entry Cover Sheet to the Rhetoric and Writing main office. In the past, $50 has been awarded to the winner in each category. Please pass along the entry form to students when you request entries from them.
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Addressing Disruptions
The UALR Student Handbook, and the UALR Faculty Handbook, outline the academic procedure created by faculty and passed through the UALR Faculty Senate for dealing with classroom disruptions. The policy is summarized as follows: A student who persists in being disruptive should be ejected from the class from the remainder of the period. After the second ejection the student should be notified in writing that he or she is in violation of the classroom disruption policy and may face administrative withdrawal from the class. The faculty member should meet with the student to see if an agreement can be reached for the student to stay in the class. If no agreement is reached, the faculty member should notify the dean of students or a designee of the situation and tell the student to meet with the department chair if he or she chooses to appeal the decision. After the two meetings have been carried out with no resolution, the dean of students or a designee will meet with the student to discuss the withdrawal of the student from the class and any additional disciplinary sanctions. Not all classroom disruptions will warrant additional judicial consideration. No student is exempt from the classroom disruption policy. Students who disrupt the classroom should be handled according to the standards of the faculty member and the procedures of the university.
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Handling Disruptions
Faculty members are responsible for management of the classroom environment. Classroom disruptions should be seen as a disciplinary issue as defined by UALRs Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Behaviors. Both students and faculty members have some measure of academic freedom. Students should be allowed to ask questions but not in such a manner as to insult the faculty member or other students. Students may not see some behaviors as rude, uncivil or disruptive. It is up to the faculty member, however, to clarify expectations and to make students aware that disruptive behaviors are never acceptable. No student is exempt from the classroom disruption policy. If any student is disrupting the classroom, the situation should be handled according to the standards of the faculty members and the procedures of the university.
Clarify standards for student conduct. Serve as a role model for the conduct you expect. If you believe inappropriate behavior is occurring, consider a general word of caution rather than warning a particular student. If the behavior is irritating but not disruptive, try speaking with the student after class. There may be circumstances when it is necessary to speak to a student during class about his or her behavior. Do so in a firm yet non-threatening manner. A student who persists in disrupting a class may be directed by the faculty member to leave the classroom for the remainder of the class period. The student should be told the reason(s) for such action and given an opportunity to discuss the action as soon as possible. Prompt consultation should be undertaken with the department chair and dean of students or a designee. Suspension for more than one class period requires disciplinary action. If a disruption is serious and other reasonable measures have failed, the class may be adjourned. The campus police can be summoned if necessary.