Syllabus Approach Renewal Policy

The syllabus approaches in the Introductory Composition program should evolve and transform with our teaching practices. They are not meant to be static. Consequently, existing syllabus approaches should be renewed every three years. New syllabus approaches should be added regularly, and dormant syllabus approaches should be archived. The following policies describe how to create, renew, and archive syllabus approaches:

 

Creation of a Syllabus Approach

Instructors in our program should be encouraged to create new syllabus approaches. A new syllabus approach should be distinguishably different from existing approaches. However, it doesn’t need to be completely different.

To propose a new syllabus approach—

1. Schedule a meeting with Director of Composition to discuss the concept.
2. Submit a proposal to pilot the new syllabus approach to the IWC by April 1. The proposal should include a 2-page theoretical rationale for the new approach, example policies, and a model syllabus with weekly topics, readings, and assignments.
3. Teach the course in the Fall of the following year, collecting documents from the course and examples of student work.
4. Submit a full proposal to the Introductory Writing Committee by December 1. The proposal should include a 4-5 page rationale that includes a solid basis in theory, example policies, model syllabus, assignments, and examples of student work.
5. The IWC will discuss and approve/reject the proposal by the end of the Spring Semester. To be accepted, the syllabus approach must have at least 3 people signed up to teach in it in the Fall. The syllabus approach will be “official” when the companion website is working. It must be working before the Fall Semester begins.

 

Renewal of Syllabus Approaches

Composition is not a static subject, so syllabus approaches will naturally evolve. Every Spring, each syllabus approach will hold an afternoon caucus, usually the Friday before classes start. At the caucus, instructors following the syllabus approach should review the materials and make adjustments to the syllabus approach as shown on the website.

Every 3 years, each syllabus approach needs to be renewed. To renew a syllabus approach—

• Submit a 2-page update of the syllabus approach, showing any changes that have been made over the last three years.
• Revise the website to reflect current teaching practices.

The update should be submitted to the IWC in the Spring of the renewal year. If a syllabus approach is not reviewed by the Spring of its renewal year, it will be put into the archives, even if people would like to continue using that approach.

 

Archiving of a Syllabus Approach

Eventually, some or all of the syllabus approaches will go dormant. At that point, we will archive the syllabus approach (approaches will never die). A syllabus approach is put into the archive when

• Fewer than three people are teaching in it
• It is not renewed in a renewal year.

Approaches can be resurrected with via the renewal process described above and the naming of at least three instructors who will be teaching in the approach.

 

—Approved by the Introductory Writing Committee, April 2006