Below is language for all SJSU English Department syllabi as well as specific language for all composition courses. To see specific language for a particular course, click below or download the Word document.
All faculty must submit two copies of their syllabi: one electronic and one paper copy to the Department Office. All greensheets for composition courses will be reviewed by the Composition Committee. For questions about composition courses, please contact the Composition Coordinator or other members of thecommittee.
Rev. December 2007
The Department of English reaffirms its commitment to the differential grading scale as defined in the official SJSU Catalog (“The Grading System”). Grades issued must represent a full range of student performance: A = excellent; B = above average; C = average; D = below average; F = failure. Courses graded according to the A, B, C, NoCredit system shall follow the same pattern, except that NC, for NoCredit, shall replace D or F. In A,B,C,NoCredit courses NC shall also substitute for W (for Withdrawl) because neither NC nor W affects students’ grade point averages.
In English Department courses, instructors will comment on and grade the quality of student writing as well as the quality of the ideas being conveyed. All student writing should be distinguished by correct grammar and punctuation, appropriate diction and syntax, and well-organized paragraphs.
SJSU Academic Integrity Policy: Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State University, and the University’s Academic Integrity Policy require you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty are required to report all infractions to the office of Judicial Affairs. The policy on academic integrity can be found at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/S04-12.htm. The SJSU rules against plagiarism are set forth in the SJSU Catalog, which defines plagiarism as the act of representing the work of another as one’s own (without giving appropriate credit) regardless of how that work was obtained, and submitting it to fulfill academic requirements. Plagiarism at SJSU includes, but is not limited to: (1) the act of incorporating the ideas, words, sentences, paragraphs, or parts thereof, or the specific substance of another’s work, without giving appropriate credit, and representing the product as one’s own work. It is the role and obligation of each student to know the rules that preserve academic integrity and abide by them at all times. This includes learning and following the particular rules associated with specific classes, exams, and/or course assignments. Ignorance of these rules is not a defense to the charge of violating the Academic Integrity Policy.
Campus Policy on Compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act: If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 requires that students with disabilities register with DRC to establish a record of their disability. The DRC website is http://www.drc.sjsu.edu.
As of Spring 2008, our composition greensheets must include the “required syllabi information,” using the exact language specified. Our composition greensheets must also connect assignments with course Learning Objectives (LO). And we must indicate specifically on our greensheets how the required 8,000 words are being spread throughout the semester. It is recommended that instructors include the Learning Objective number for each assignment for each class session on the class schedule. For example, include this information in an English 1A Course schedule as follows:
Tuesday February 15 Peer Editing ( LO 1)
Thursday February 17 Essay #3 due (LO 1, 2, 3, 4) 1000 words
At the Writing Requirements Committee (WRC) Meeting on December 7, 2007, Dean Toepfer was adamant that instructors of General Education Composition courses whose greensheets are not in compliance with university requirements will not be allowed to teach those courses. So please take this seriously.
The numbered Learning Objectives for English 1A, 1B, 100W and 100WB are at the conclusion of each required language section for these courses in this Word document.
Note: See also requirements for assigning Learning Objectives to each assignment.
Course Description:English 1A is the first course in SJSU’s two-semester lower-division composition sequence; it provides an introduction to baccalaureate-level composition, with attention to the “personal voice” and personal experience, on the one hand, and the more formal attitudes and demands of writing at the university (expository and argumentative essays), on the other. Students will develop college-level reading abilities, rhetorical sophistication, and writing styles that give form and coherence to complex ideas and feelings.
Prerequisites: Passage of the English Proficiency Test (EPT), or passage of an approved substitute course for the EPT.
Objectives: Students shall achieve the ability to write complete essays that demonstrate college-level proficiency in all of the following:
Course Content
Writing: Writing assignments shall give students repeated practice in all phases of the writing process: prewriting, organizing, writing, revising, and editing. At least eight essays, appropriately sequenced throughout the semester and totaling a minimum of 8000 words, are required. This minimum requirement excludes the final examination, journal writing, quizzes, and any brief or informal assignments. However, it can include assignments that require major revisions of drafts already submitted for a grade and commented on by peers and/or instructor. A major revision is defined as a significant rethinking and reworking of an assignment, and not a simple “correcting” of mechanical errors noted on the original. At least three (but no more than four) essays shall be written in class. How the 8000 word minimum will be met and distributed must be clearly indicated on greensheets.
Students shall receive frequent evaluation of their writing from the instructor. In evaluating student writing, instructors shall comment on specific features of individual papers. Comments shall encourage and acknowledge student success as well as note errors and suggest ways to correct them.
Reading: Reading for the course shall be extensive and intensive and include useful models of writing for academic, general, and specific audiences.
Research: English 1A may initiate students in the use of the library, but library research is not a required element of the course.
Diversity: Assignments (both reading and writing) shall address issues of race, class, and gender when appropriate, and the perspectives of women and diverse cultural groups shall be incorporated into course instruction and materials in an inclusive and comprehensive manner whenever possible.
Tutoring: Students whose writing displays serious deficiencies in their control of standard English syntax, grammar, or punctuation will be advised to seek help from the University Writing Center.
Course Materials: A dictionary, a rhetoric, and an anthology are appropriate materials to require of students. Students will also be required to purchase a handbook from a list of handbooks recommended by the English Department Composition Committee.
The University Essay Final Exam: A common essay final, graded holistically, shall count 20 percent toward the course grade. A single university-wide final will be developed around a college-level reading passage each semester by the English Department Composition Committee. All faculty members teaching individual sections will grade the examination holistically under controlled conditions. Students must take the final exam in order to pass the course.
Grading: A/B/C/No Credit. A passing grade in the course signifies that the student is a capable college-level writer and reader of English.
Note: See also requirements for assigning Learning Objectives to each assignment.
Course Description: English 1B is the second course in SJSU’s two-semester lower-division composition sequence. Beyond providing repeated practice in planning and executing essays, and broadening and deepening students’ understanding of the genres, audiences, and purposes of college writing, English 1B differs from English 1A in its emphasis on persuasive and critical writing (with less attention paid to the personal essay), its requirement for fewer but longer essays, and its introduction to writing informed by research. Students will develop sophistication in writing analytical, argumentative, and critical essays; a mature writing style appropriate to university discourse; reading abilities that will provide an adequate foundation for upper-division work; proficiency in basic library research skills and in writing papers informed by research; and mastery of the mechanics of writing.
Prerequisites: Passage of Written Communication 1A or approved equivalent course and passage of the English Proficiency Test (EPT), unless exempt.
Objectives: Building on the college-level proficiencies required in English 1A, students shall achieve the ability to write complete essays that demonstrate advanced proficiency in all of the following:
Course Content
Writing: Assignments shall emphasize those skills and activities in writing and thinking that produce 1) the persuasive argument, and 2) the critical essay, each of which demands analysis, interpretation, and evaluation. Writing assignments shall give students repeated practice in prewriting, organizing, writing, revising, and editing. Six to eight essays, appropriately sequenced throughout the semester and totaling a minimum of 8000 words, are required; at least one of these essays shall be informed by research. This minimum requirement excludes the final examination, journal writing, quizzes, and any brief or informal assignments. However, it can include the diagnostic essay and assignments that require major revisions to a previously graded or reviewed draft. A major revision is defined as a rethinking or reworking of an assignment and not a simple “correcting” of mechanical errors noted on the original. At least three (but no more than four) essays shall be written in class. How the 8000 word minimum will be met and distributed must be clearly indicated on greensheets.
Students shall receive frequent evaluations of their writing from the instructor. In evaluating student writing, instructors shall comment on specific features of individual papers. Comments shall encourage and acknowledge student success as well as note errors and suggest ways to correct them.
Reading: Reading shall include useful models of writing for academic, general, and specific audiences; readings shall be used consistently with the course goal of enhancing ability in written communication and reading. The majority of the reading shall be devoted to analytical, critical, and argumentative essays. Other types of texts, including poetry, drama, and fiction, may also be assigned, but shall not constitute more than the equivalent of four class sessions for classes that meet two days a week and two class sessions for classes that meet once a week. Instructors shall help students develop and refine strategies for reading challenging, college-level material.
Research: English 1B shall include an introduction to the library and to basic research strategies, including locating materials, using them effectively (e.g., quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing), and citing them properly. A traditional research paper or a series of short essays in which library research informs the student’s position or thesis is required. As part of this requirement, at least one class session of English 1B shall be led by a university librarian.
Diversity: Assignments (both reading and writing) shall address issues of race, class, and gender when appropriate, and the perspectives of women and diverse cultural groups shall be incorporated into course instruction and materials in an inclusive and comprehensive manner whenever possible.
Tutoring: Students whose writing displays serious deficiencies in their control of standard English syntax, grammar, or punctuation will be advised to seek help from the University Writing Center.
Course Materials: A dictionary, a rhetoric, and an anthology that contains analytical, critical, and argumentative essays are appropriate materials to require of students. Students will also be required to purchase a handbook from a list of handbooks recommended by the English Department Composition Committee.
The University Essay Final Exam: A common essay final, graded holistically, shall count 20 percent toward the course grade. A single university-wide final will be developed around two college-level reading passages each semester by the English Department Composition Committee. All faculty members teaching individual sections will grade the examination holistically under controlled conditions. Students must take the final exam in order to pass the course.
Grading: A/B/C/No Credit. A passing grade in the course signifies that the student has developed those writing, reading, and research abilities necessary for upper-division work.
Note: See also requirements for assigning Learning Objectives to each assignment.
Course Description: English 100W is an integrated writing and literature course in which students will develop advanced proficiency in college-level writing. Beyond providing repeated practice in planning and executing essays, and advancing students’ understanding of the genres, audiences, and purposes of college writing developed in Written Communication 1A and 1B, English 100W broadens and deepens those abilities to include mastery of the discourse specific to the field of English studies, with an emphasis on close and careful reading of literary texts. Students will develop the ability to read, analyze, and interpret literary texts intelligently, and to respond to them critically both orally and in writing; advanced proficiency in both traditional and contemporary research strategies and methodologies necessary for writing research-informed papers that communicate complex ideas effectively and appropriately to both general and specialized audiences; a rhetorically sophisticated writing style appropriate to upper-division university discourse; and mastery of the mechanics of writing.
Prerequisites: Passage of the Writing Skills Test (WST), upper-division standing (56 units), and completion of CORE GE.
Objectives: Students shall achieve the ability to write complete essays that demonstrate advanced proficiency in all of the following:
Course Content
Writing: Assignments shall emphasize those analytical and interpretive skills and activities in writing and thinking that produce types of writing useful in English studies, including explications of poetry and prose; analyses of plot, character, theme, and image; and comparison and contrast of two or more works. A minimum of 50% of the writing shall be about poetry. At least six essays, appropriately sequenced throughout the semester and totaling a minimum of 8000 words, are required; at least one of these essays shall be substantially informed by research. This minimum requirement excludes the final examination, journal writing, quizzes, and any brief or informal assignments. However, it can include the diagnostic essay and assignments that require major revisions to a previously graded or reviewed draft. A major revision is defined as a significant rethinking and reworking of the assignment and not an edit that simply “corrects” errors noted on the original. At least two (but not more than three) essays shall be written in class. How the 8000 word minimum will be met and distributed must be clearly indicated on greensheets.
Students shall receive frequent evaluations of their writing from the instructor. In evaluating student writing, instructors shall comment on specific features of individual papers. Comments shall encourage and acknowledge student success as well as note errors and suggest ways to correct them.
Reading: The primary reading in the course will be original works of literature, especially the main literary genres, with some attention to their forms and evolution. At least 50% of the course reading time will be devoted to poetry, and a variety of forms and examples shall be surveyed. At least one full-length work (a novel, a substantial play, a long poem or poetic sequence) will be read. Other types of texts, including critical and analytical essays that serve as useful models for writing about literature for general and specific audiences, may also be assigned, but such texts shall be used consistently with the course goal of enhancing the students’ ability to read, analyze, interpret, and respond to literary texts intelligently.
Research: English 100W shall provide advanced instruction in both traditional and contemporary research strategies and methodologies, including locating and evaluating materials, using them effectively (e.g., quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing), and citing them properly. At least one substantial writing assignment in which the student’s thesis is informed by research is required. As part of this requirement, at least one class session of English 100W shall include a presentation by a university librarian.
Diversity: Assignments (both reading and writing) shall address issues of race, class, and gender when appropriate, and the perspectives of women and diverse cultural groups shall be incorporated into course instruction and materials in an inclusive and comprehensive manner whenever possible.
Tutoring: Students whose writing displays serious deficiencies in their ability to write clearly organized paragraphs and essays, or to control standard English syntax, grammar, or punctuation will be advised to seek help from the University Writing Center.
Course Materials: Dictionaries; rhetorics; anthologies of poetry, fiction, and drama; individual editions of novels, plays, and long poems or poetic sequences; and style guides are appropriate materials to require of students. Students will also be required to purchase a handbook from a list of handbooks recommended by the English Department Composition Committee.
Grading: A/B/C/No Credit. A passing grade in the course signifies that the student has developed those writing, reading, and research abilities necessary for upper-division work in the English major.
Note: See also requirements for assigning Learning Objectives to each assignment.
Course Description:English 100WB is a participatory upper–division core course in which students will develop advanced proficiency in college-level writing. While reinforcing and advancing the students’ understanding of the genres, audiences, and purposes of college writing developed in Written Communication 1A and 1B, English 100WB broadens and deepens those abilities to include mastery of the discourse specific to business communications. With an emphasis on critical thinking through scenario-based assignments that utilize both practical and theoretical aspects of organizational communication, English 100WB provides students with opportunities to practice both the oral and the written skills necessary for successful business communications.
Prerequisites: Passage of the Writing Skills Test (WST), upper-division standing (56 units), and completion of CORE GE.
Course Objectives: Students will develop
Student Learning Goals: Students will be expected to demonstrate the ability to
Course Content
Diversity: Assignments (both reading and writing) shall address issues of race, class, age, and gender when appropriate, and the perspectives of women and diverse cultural groups shall be incorporated into course instruction and materials in an inclusive and comprehensive manner whenever appropriate. At least one graded assignment, oral or written, shall address cross- or inter-cultural, -generational, or -gender communications.
Writing: Assignments shall emphasize those analytical and interpretive skills and activities in writing and thinking that produce types of writing useful in business communications, which include but are not limited to the following: both formal and informal correspondence for various purposes and audiences (email, memos, letters); employment application materials (resumes, cover letters, follow-up letters); formal and informal reports; white papers; abstracts, summaries, annotated bibliographies; proposals. Graded writing assignments will a appropriately sequenced throughout the semester and will total a minimum of 8,000 words; at least one of those assignments will be significantly informed by research. This minimum requirement excludes the final examination, journal writing, quizzes, and impromptu short writing assignments. However, it can include the department diagnostic and assignments that require major revisions to a previously graded or reviewed draft; a major revision is defined as a significant rethinking and reworking of an assignment, and not simply one that “ corrects” mechanical errors noted on the original. At least two graded assignments shall be written in class. How the 8000 word minimum will be met and distributed must be clearly indicated on greensheets.
Students shall receive frequent evaluations of their writing from their instructor. In evaluating student writing, instructors shall comment on specific features of individual assignments. Comments shall encourage and acknowledge student success as well as note errors and suggest ways to correct them.
Reading: Assigned reading will address issues of business communications. Instructors may choose from several department-approved Business Communication textbooks that contain models of effective business communication and from several department-approved comprehensive writing handbooks; instructors may also create a short course reader that contains journalistic and/or scholarly writing in the field of business. Other appropriate reading may include texts that address the global marketplace, online communication, visual communication, and collections of business scenarios.
Research: English 100WB shall provide advanced instruction in both traditional and contemporary research strategies and methodologies, including locating and evaluating materials, using them effectively (e.g., quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing), and citing them properly. At least one substantial writing assignment shall be informed by research. As part of this requirement, at least one class session of English 100WB shall include a presentation by a university librarian.
Active Learning: Class sessions shall provide ample opportunities for active student learning in the following ways: formal and/or informal large- and small-group discussion and collaborative writing and thinking activities designed to develop and provide repeated student practice in exercising those rhetorical, analytical, and interpretive skills that produce stylistically appropriate, intelligent, and critical written and oral responses to business-communication scenarios; both formal and informal oral presentations; organizational role-playing and interviewing simulations.
Grading: A/B/C/No Credit. A passing grade in the course signifies that the student has developed those writing, reading, and research abilities necessary for upper-division work in those majors that comprise the College of Business.
English Department Office
Phone: (408) 924-4425
Fax: (408) 924-4580
english@sjsu.edu
Faculty Offices 102
One Washington Square
San José, California, USA, 95192-0090
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