WLAB 2999 Writing Skills Laboratory II
Fall 2006

Instructor:      Dr. Ted Walkup, Professor of English
Office:             G210-K, Arts & Sciences Building
Phone:             (678) 466-4743                       E-mail: tedwalkup@clayton.edu

Office Hours: 8:45 a.m.-11:45 and 3:00-4:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Other dates and times are available for appointments.

 

Course Description: WLAB 2999—Writing Skills Laboratory II (1-0-1)

A structured and graded laboratory administered by the Department of Language & Literature and designed to enhance writing skills in major disciplines.  Any student whose official major field writing assessment profile fails to meet the established standard must enroll in WLAB 2999 each subsequent term until the student has earned a grade of C or better in the course.  Students required to take WLAB 2999 who do not register for it are subject to having their registration for other courses cancelled.  This course is open only to students who are referred by the school/college of their major.  (Institutional credit only; does not count toward a degree.)

On-Campus Meetings:

WLAB 2999 is a modified on-line course requiring several on-campus activities.  Students set orientation and conference appointments at times mutually convenient for them and the instructor.  The orientation meeting takes about 30 minutes and must be conducted during the first full week of classes.  For the rest of the course, students meet with instructor one day a week to review papers submitted earlier in the same week.  Papers are evaluated using the Department of Language & Literature’s Writing Guidelines.

 

Required Texts (both are available in the CSU Bookstore):

·        Hacker’s A Writer’s Reference, 5th ed.

Computer Competencies and Specifications:

Success in this course demands a basic level of computer skill.  The course requires that you send and receive e-mail, have a basic understanding of word processing (including the ability to send Microsoft Word files via e-mail), access and use Internet resources, and have a basic understanding of file management.  If you lack these basic skills, please arrange to get help in Student Software Support Services in the lower level of the Library.

Laptops must meet the minimum levels established by the students' departments: http://itpchoice.clayton.edu.  These will operate in the Windows 2000 or Windows XP environment, and students will use the most recent edition of Microsoft Office to draft and revise their writings. 

E-mail:

Each student is required to have an Internet Service Provider through which to access Clayton State e-mail.  Each student is responsible to check e-mail regularly for course announcements and personal communications from the instructor.

 

Objectives:

 

      meets the standard for Health Sciences, Technology, Music, Business, Communicative

      Arts and Integrative Studies, or Teacher Education.

 

Topics:

 

·        the structure of academic and workplace writing in Western Culture

·        the importance of supporting detail in developing a thesis

·        the necessity of providing transitions for the reader

·        the standard mechanics of writing, such as capitalization, spelling, APA format requirements

·        the standard methods for combining sentence elements

·        the standard rules of American English punctuation

·        the standard purposes of various punctuation marks in American writing.

 

Assignments:

 

·        course orientation

·        diagnostic writing assignment

·        textbook reading assignments

·        focusing conference (sets individual direction for course work)

·        five assigned writings, with follow-up conferences and instructional assignments

·        additional writings, if necessary, and conferences and instructional assignments, if necessary

·        a writing composed under monitored conditions that meets departmental criteria on the first reading

·        an exit meeting to review progress in the course.

 

Grading System:

 

The final grade is based on the assessments of the essays required for the course.

All essays will be rated according to the Department of Language & Literature’s Writing Guidelines and applied across the curriculum. The Writing Guidelines Mini-Handbook explains in plain English what faculty expect in college-level writing.

Credit:

The student earns 1 credit for the course which is institutional, non-transferable, and not applicable to graduation. However, the credit is computed for GPA. This is not a pass/fail course. Grading is A, B, C, D, and F.

 

Late Work and Missing Work:

 

All assigned work is due at the specified time on the due date.  All work turned in after that time is considered late.  Late work can be excused if, before an assignment is due, you request (in person or by phone or by e-mail) additional time.  If I permit you to turn the assignment in late, then I must also approve a specific deadline for you to complete and turn in this work.  If an emergency comes up on the due date, please contact me that day and make arrangements to turn in your work.

 

Unexcused late work will be penalized at least one letter grade.  If you do not complete unexcused late work within one week of the original due date, you will receive a grade of zero.  You must complete all assigned work to pass this course.

 

Attendance:

 

Student-instructor conferences are essential in WLAB 2999.  Students are responsible for arranging times to meet with instructors and for arriving on time and ready to work.  Please inform your instructor as soon as possible if you must cancel any scheduled conferences, and please reschedule as soon as possible.

 

Student Policy Statement:

 

Students are responsible for observing the codes of conduct outlined in the Student Handbook and the expectations described in the Office of the Registrar’s Basic Undergraduate Student Responsibilities.  This information is available in the following links:

·        Student Handbook: Foreword

·        Student Responsibilities.

 

Academic Honesty:

 

Plagiarism is the copying, paraphrasing, or other use of original information from other writers or sources—including Internet sources—without proper acknowledgment or citation.  Students are responsible for their own work and for the results.  Any instance of plagiarism or other academic dishonesty is subject to referral to the Office of the Vice-President of Student and Enrollment Services.  While the typical penalty for plagiarism is an F on the assignment, other penalties—including failing the course—are possible, depending on the circumstances. 

 

Students in WLAB 2999 are to complete all assignments individually.  They are not to receive help from other students on any assignments in this course.

 

Information about academic honesty is available in the Student Handbook (see the link above) and the following link:  Student Life: Judicial Affairs.

 

Individuals with disabilities who need to request accommodations or obtain this document in an alternative format should contact the Disability Resource Center, Student Center, Rooms 255-264.  Please call (678) 466-5445, or send an e-mail to disabilityservices@.clayton.edu.