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Required Syllabi Information

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.

All faculty must submit two copies of their syllabi: one electronic and one paper copy to the Department Office. Be sure to save your syllabus in an ADA-accessible format. 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 the committee.

For all SJSU English Department Syllabi

Adding and Dropping Classes: The last day to drop a class without a W grade is Tuesday, September 4. The last day for adding classes without a late fee, for registering late, or for requesting grade options is Tuesday, September 11. Information regarding the university policy on late drops can be found on the Academic Advising website at http://www.sjsu.edu/aars/policies/latedrops/.

Estimation of Per-Unit Student Workload: Success in this course is based on the expectation that students will spend, for each unit of credit, a minimum of forty-five hours over the length of the course (normally 3 hours per unit per week with 1 of the hours used for lecture) for instruction or preparation/studying or course related activities including but not limited to internships, labs, clinical practica. Other course structures will have equivalent workload expectations as described in the syllabus.

SJSU Writing Center: The SJSU Writing Center is located in Room 126 in Clark Hall. It is staffed by professional instructors and upper-division or graduate-level writing specialists from each of the seven SJSU colleges. Our writing specialists have met a rigorous GPA requirement, and they are well trained to assist all students at all levels within all disciplines to become better writers. The Writing Center website is located at http://www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter/.

Learning Assistance Resource Center (LARC): The Learning Assistance Resource Center (LARC) is located in Room 600 in the Student Services Center. It is designed to assist students in the development of their full academic potential and to motivate them to become self-directed learners. The center provides support services, such as skills assessment, individual or group tutorials, subject advising, learning assistance, summer academic preparation and basic skills development. The LARC website is located at http:/www.sjsu.edu/larc/.

Peer Mentor Center: The Peer Mentor Center is located on the 1st floor of Clark Hall in the Academic Success Center. The Peer Mentor Center is staffed with Peer Mentors who excel in helping students manage university life, tackling problems that range from academic challenges to interpersonal struggles. On the road to graduation, Peer Mentors are navigators, offering “roadside assistance” to peers who feel a bit lost or simply need help mapping out the locations of campus resources. Peer Mentor services are free and available on a drop-in basis, no reservation required. The Peer Mentor Center website is located at http://www.sjsu.edu/asc/services/#peer.

Student Technology Resources: Computer labs for student use are available in the Academic Success Center located on the 1st floor of Clark Hall and on the 2nd floor of the Student Union. Additional computer labs may be available in your department/college. Computers are also available in the Martin Luther King Library.

A wide variety of audio-visual equipment is available for student checkout from Media Services located in IRC 112. These items include digital and VHS camcorders, VHS and Beta video players, 16 mm, slide, overhead, DVD, CD, and audiotape players, sound systems, wireless microphones, projection screens and monitors.

English Department Grading Policies: In English Department courses, instructors will comment on and grade the quality of student writing as well as the quality of ideas being conveyed. All student writing should be distinguished by correct grammar and punctuation, appropriate diction and syntax, and well-organized paragraphs. Grades issued will represent a full range of student performance and will adhere to the following SJSU academic standards of assessment:

The "A" essay will be well organized and well developed, demonstrating a clear understanding and fulfillment of the assignment. It will show the student's ability to use language effectively and construct sentences distinguished by syntactic complexity and variety. Such essays will be essentially free of grammatical, mechanical, and usage errors.

The "B" essay will demonstrate competence in the same categories as the "A" essay. The chief difference is that the "B" essay will show some describably slight weaknesses in one of those categories. It may slight one of the assigned tasks, show less facility of expression, or contain some minor grammatical, mechanical, or usage flaws.

The "C" essay will complete all tasks set by the assignment, but show weakness in fundamentals (usually development), with barely enough specific information to illustrate the experience or support generalizations. The sentence construction may be less mature, and the use of language less effective and correct than the "B" essay.

The "D" essay will neglect one of the assigned tasks and be noticeably superficial in its treatment of the assignment--that is, too simplistic or short. The essay may reveal some problems in development, with insufficient specific information to illustrate the experience or support generalizations. It will contain grammatical, mechanical, and usage errors that render some sentences incomprehensible.

The "F" essay will demonstrate a striking underdevelopment of ideas and insufficient or unfocused organization. It will contain serious grammatical, mechanical, and usage errors that render some sentences incomprehensible.

The Department of English reaffirms its commitment to the differential grading scale as defined in the 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, No Credit system shall follow the same pattern, except that NC shall replace D or F. In such cases, NC shall also substitute for W (or Withdrawal) because neither grade (NC or W) affects students' GPA.

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.

 

For English 100W

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:

  • Clear and effective communication of meaning.
  • An identifiable thesis that asserts significance beyond the subjective response.
  • Effective and rhetorically appropriate sentence structure and diction.
  • Effective organization and development of ideas at paragraph and essay levels.
  • Mastery of conventional mechanics (e.g., punctuation, spelling, reference, agreement) and manuscript format.
  • An appropriate voice that demonstrates an awareness of audience and purpose.
  • Careful attention to review and revision.
  • Effective and correct use of both primary and secondary supporting materials (e.g., quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing, citing, and documenting sources).
  • Effective analysis, interpretation, evaluation, and synthesis of ideas encountered in multiple readings.

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.

For English 100WB

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

  • the ability to analyze and interpret communication scenarios and to respond to them clearly, correctly, concisely, concretely, coherently, completely, and courteously;
  • advanced proficiency in both traditional and contemporary research strategies and methodologies necessary for research-informed writing and oral presentations that communicate complex ideas effectively and appropriately to both general and specialized audiences;
  • a rhetorically sophisticated writing style appropriate to upper-division university discourse;
  • mastery of the mechanics of standard English.

Student Learning Goals: Students will be expected to demonstrate the ability to

  • write documents and make oral presentations that are clear, correct, concise, concrete, coherent, complete, courteous, and culturally appropriate;
  • format, compose, and revise written documents for a variety of organizational situations;
  • identify and articulate the audience “take-away” message in every communication;
  • utilize a variety of communication tools, techniques, and modes;
  • communicate numerical and statistical data appropriately and effectively in both written and oral formats;
  • employ advanced research strategies and methodologies and incorporate research appropriately and effectively into both written and oral communications for a variety of organizational and rhetorical situations;
  • appreciate the importance of timely communication in organizational settings;
  • recognize a variety of organizational communication needs and constraints and employ appropriate communication strategies to meet those needs and/or constraints in a variety of business situations;
  • analyze various audiences and compile appropriate options and strategies to communicate effectively with those audiences;
  • evaluate and critique communication strategies and techniques for their effectiveness, including the strategies and techniques of their classmates;
  • make common-sense communication decisions and use logic to defend those decisions;
  • recognize when imagination and “vision” are appropriate to business communications;
  • communicate appropriately and effectively in cross-cultural situations;
  • create documents and make oral presentations that are ethically and legally defensible.

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.