WRITING FORM INSTRUCTIONS
Required for courses submitted to fulfill a writing
course or upper-division writing expectation in the major.
**If course is new, a course form is also required!
I Writing Course Identification
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Course Number includes abbreviation and level. (i.e. U ENLT 352) For new courses, the assigned number must not
be in use or been used for the past 10 years. UG courses must have a 400
number. If your department has several
courses with the same change list them all.
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Course title Please list the complete title, no abbreviations. If your department has several courses with
the same change list all of the titles.
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Short title is limited to 26 characters/spaces or fewer to fit on students
transcripts.
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Is the course proposed to meet the
requirements of a general education writing course, an experimental writing
course or the upper-division writing expectation in the major?
II Endorsement/Approvals
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Signatures– The form must have the signature of the individual making the
request, the Chair or Director of the Department/Program, the Dean, and the
Chair or Director of the other programs that are affected by the proposal.
III General Learning Goals and Objectives
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Student Learning Outcomes- What is the goal of the course? Which writing
conventions are emphasized? What should students learn in relation to writing? Keep
in mind the learning outcomes required of all writing courses: voice that is
consistent & appropriate to the audience & purpose; correct diction
& sentence structure; sound judgments unified by a clear message; evidence
or reasons supporting all judgments; logical linkage of judgments and evidence;
transitions that connect a series of ideas and evidence; correct spelling and
punctuation
IV
Writing Course Criteria
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Is the course available to all majors? Not applicable to upper-division writing
expectations in the major.
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Does the course require a perquisite? Not applicable to the upper-division writing
expectation in the major.
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Are graders/writing assistants used?
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Is
the class size appropriate for a writing course? (35 without grader or 30 per
grader)
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At
least 30% of the grade must be on writing.
V Writing Assignments
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How do assignments encourage critical thinking,
organization, and proficient expository writing? Refer to
http://www.umt.edu/writingcenter/RevisingCourses.htm#revisingcour
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Do the writing assignments provide students with
adequate experience to learn the outcomes intended? Formal assignments must
include at least 3 papers graded for composition as well as content or one
significant writing experience.
Describe.
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Are students provided with feedback on
assignments to improve their writing and understanding of the content?
Describe.
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Is there an assignment that may be revised and
resubmitted to reflect learning and improvement from multiple drafts? Describe.
VI Syllabus/Assessment Information-
Required
for a new course or change to the content of a course (U to UG). If you have difficulty pasting the syllabus
in the form simply attach to the form and be sure to include the electronic
copy in the files submitted.
VII Copies and Electronic Submission – The approved
original, paper copy, and an electronic file (attached via email or disc/cd) must be submitted to the Faculty Senate Office (UH 221,
camie.foos@mso.umt.edu) by the
deadline. One copy will be used by the
Faculty Senate Secretary to post to the website, the other will be provided to
the subcommittee chair to note any changes and then pass on to the Associate
Registrar for preparation of the new catalog.
Resources for Faculty
The Writing Center offers handouts, online resources, writing assistants,
customized workshops and tutoring for students (contact 243-2470 or nancy.mattina@umontana.edu). http://www.umt.edu/writingcenter/resourcesforfaculty.htm The Writing Assistant Program pairs carefully
chosen student writing assistants with instructors whose courses have a
significant writing requirement. Writing Assistants (WAs)
provide feedback on drafts of student papers by writing questions and
suggestions in the margins of the students’ papers. That is, they respond
constructively to a student’s first draft so that the student can judge the
effect his paper has on an interested reader.
Upper-division Writing Proficiency Assessment
The exam assesses students’ ability to
read and to think critically about the ideas presented in an assigned text and
to craft a well-supported argument in the form of an essay. The exam results
help students determine their readiness for upper division writing courses and
assignments. Refer Students to the