This course will use Contract Grading to evaluate your work and participation for the semester. This system lays out straightforward conditions for earning a course grade of A or a B. Your grade in the class depends primarily on the overall labor you put forth, and much less on my individual standards for quality, as would be the case in a conventional grading system. If you fulfill all the requirements listed (and in the manner instructed) for earning a B, you will get a B in the course. If you fulfill all the requirements in the manner instructed for an A, you will get an A in the course. Falling short of the B conditions can result in grades of C or lower; final course grades in such cases are determined at my discretion.
On this page, you will find my proposed contract, on which I invite your input!
In our class, all tasks and assignments are divided into Exercises and Projects. Here are brief descriptions of each category and how they work.
Exercises and Projects will not receive number or letter grades. All Exercises and Projects will be marked with credit (1 point) or no credit (0 points) on Canvas.
The goal here is to encourage you to practice writing, make mistakes, learn more, fix them, and try again, ideally gaining confidence in your writing skills and your approach to written work. It's okay to do it "wrong" and "badly"; I just need you to give it a shot!
These are everything you do for practice, such as in-class activities, freewriting, peer review, brainstorming, outlining, and reading annotations, among others.
Exercises are comparable to homework, but we'll often be doing them and finishing them in class. (If you're absent, these exercises can become homework to help you keep up with our class.)
You can complete your choice of these depending on the course grade you want to achieve (see "Course Grades" section below).
You have additional options for completing exercises to earn credits (like extra credit).
These would be considered the "major assignments" of the class. Treat them as demonstrations of what you're learning throughout each unit. They are where you apply your work from the Exercises, and so they are still designed for practice and making/fixing mistakes.
The Projects can be revised and resubmitted multiple times (no limits) until they receive credit.
"A" indicates excellence—going above and beyond!
Complete both Projects, adhering to due dates and guidelines as best you can (communicate with me when you need help or extensions)
Complete at least 30 Exercises
"B" indicates you successfully met the course requirements with good effort.
Complete both Projects, adhering to due dates and guidelines as best you can (communicate with me when you need help or extensions)
Complete at least 20 Exercises
Since Canvas does not fully accommodate grading contract systems, I manually update your course grades on Canvas with clear indications of work completed and how to boost your grade. It's very important to understand how to read your course grade, so be sure to follow closely whenever it's explained in class!
Academic dishonesty and plagiarism may result in course grades of C or lower, even if other A or B conditions are met. Be sure to talk to me if you have any concerns about potential plagiarism in your work!
Project 1: A compilation of experimental writing exercises to gauge your writing styles and interests, consisting of
3 Weekly Writing Exercises (Weeks 1 - 3); 300 words each
300-Word Process Reflection (Week 4)
Project 2: An extended, self-directed work with a topic and format of your choosing, consisting of
Outline (Week 7)
Full Project Draft (Week 12)
Revised Project Draft (Week 14)
300-Word Process Reflection (Week 16)
Project 2 can take the following “default” form:
Written essay at least 1500 words in length
Include at least 3 direct quotes from 2 other sources.
Format in MLA or APA. Use my templates on Canvas!
Include a Works Cited (MLA) or References (APA) page. Use MyBib and my Works Cited/References samples to create your entries!
Possible Project 2 Format Variations*:
Blog post or publication article
Podcast episode
YouTube video
Zine
Long-form social media post, series, or compilation
Written assignment for another current class (not a past class!)
Work/University Application Materials
*Note that Projects completed in these formats should match the intellectual labor of an organized essay, and they should still include a Works Cited or References page (Work/University Application Materials can be an exception to this)
Be sure to check the Course Calendar for tentative due dates!
Any additional Project drafts you wish to submit for me to review
Conferences with me
Tutoring/Power Study visits
Class presentations
Peer Review workshops
In-class quizzes
Class group activities
Basically, anything else you complete and turn in that isn't the 2 Projects above!
Work-based learning (WBL) allows students to apply classroom content in professional settings while gaining real-world experiences. These opportunities will provide you with a deeper, more engaging and relevant learning environment. This semester, I will be offering the following WBL activities as Project prompts in order to provide you with the opportunity to explore career options in your desired field of study.
Informational Interviews with a professional in your field of interest—see me for help with finding an interviewee!
Shadow a professional in your field of interest—see me for help with finding a professional to shadow!
Additional Career Exploration Opportunities for Extra Exercise Credits include:
Meeting with an Academic Counselor at SWC, completing a Student Education Plan (SEP), and writing a 300-word reflection about your experience (2 credits).
Completing an inventory of your personal values, using this to evaluate potential career options, and writing a 300-word reflection about your findings (2 credits).
Use one of the career exploration resources listed on the Career Exploration Canvas module and share with your classmates about your experience in a 5-minute presentation (2 credits).
The ENGL 45 component of 115+ is “Pass” or “No Pass.” To receive a passing grade in ENGL 45, you should consistently complete the exercises and projects for ENGL 115. Generally, if you are passing 115, you are passing 45.
By remaining in this course, you indicate to me that you accept the terms of this contract and agree to adhere to it throughout the semester. I also agree to abide by the contract and administer it fairly.