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The Writing Program

Writing Curriculum

The Writing Program provides theoretically based first-year writing courses as well as sophomore and junior-level writing about- and in-the-disciplines courses. The program and center support various writing interests and aims across the university and its fundamental pedagogical values center on concepts of care, consideration, confidence, and competence in the teaching and learning of writing.   

Students completing the UNF General Education Program will be able to produce writing that clearly addresses audiences and purposes; identify and use relevant and reliable source materials; and compose documents that adhere to generally accepted standards of English usage and stylistic standards of discipline-specific writing tasks. 

All course descriptions can be found in the UNF course catalog. 

  • First-Year Writing

    The UNF WP/WC values the concepts of care, consideration, confidence, and competence in the teaching and learning of writing. These concepts align to the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) in our First Year Writing Courses where students will: 

    • Encounter different types of texts in order to enter and participate in academic conversations and understand arguments that utilize multiple, opposing perspectives, views, and ideas; 
    • Develop textual habits that include summarizing, analyzing, and reflecting on course readings, as well as locating and evaluating objects of study; 
    • Compose texts that demonstrate an awareness of discourse community and of how discourse functions within a rhetorical context; 
    • Practice self- and peer-assessment approaches to provide robust, critical feedback and make a targeted revision plan. 
    • Recognize and practice the appropriate stylistic and grammatical conventions in specific contexts. 
    • Articulate, through reflection, the ways in which the habits and skills learned in these courses will be taken up in other courses and contexts. 
    First-year writing courses include:

    ENC1101: Writing for Audience and Purpose
    IDS1932: Interdisciplinary Writing Seminar*

    *The Interdisciplinary Writing Seminar blends topics, issues, and knowledge from two or more disciplines, including Writing Studies. This course is intended for students interested in topics ranging from history to art to science and technology to business and is designed exclusively for first-year students. Please note: This course will substitute for ENC 1143, so students cannot receive credit for both ENC 1143 and the first year interdisciplinary writing seminar.

    Previous IDS1932 topics include: Post-Apocalyptic Literature, Women’s Literature and Liberation, Writing in an Emergency, Difficult Conversations, Mindful Teaching / Learning, What is Health / Illness?, Conspiracy and Pop Culture, Environmental Sustainability, Pursuit of Happiness, Mind-Brain-Education, Poetry / Popular Culture, Finding Poetic Forms, Mythmaking, Science / Scientific Writing, and I Saw with My Own Eyes.

  • 2000-Level Writing Courses

    The UNF WP/WC values the concepts of care, consideration, confidence, and competence in the teaching and learning of writing. These concepts align to the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) in our 2000-level Writing Courses where students will: 

    • Research, inquire into, and synthesize professional and discipline-specific literature(s) and practice basic research methods [in a discipline]; 
    • Develop information literacies; 
    • Identify professional etiquette and behavior and adapt a public identity to professional communication patterns; 
    • Produce documents within specific professional contexts; 
    • Recognize and practice the appropriate stylistic and grammatical conventions in and for specific professional contexts; and 
    • Articulate, through reflection, the ways in which the habits and skills learned in these courses will be taken up in professional and discipline-specific contexts. 
    2000-level writing courses include: 

    CRW2000 - Introduction to Creative Writing
    CRW2100 - Introduction to Fiction Writing
    CRW2201 - Introduction to Creative Non-Fiction
    CRW2300 - Introduction to Poetry Writing
    CRW2600 - Introduction to Screenwriting


    ENC 2210 - Technical Writing
    ENC 2441 - Writing Topics: Fine Arts
    ENC 2442 - Writing Topics: Humanities
    ENC 2443 - Writing Topics: Literature
    ENC 2450 - Writing Topics: Natural Science
    ENC 2451 - Writing Topics: Health
    ENC 2460 - Writing Topics: Business
    ENC 2461 - Writing Topics: Social Science
    ENC 2462 - Writing Topics: Education
    ENC 2463 - Writing Topics: Engineering
    ENC 2930 - Special Topics in Composition

  • 3000-Level Professional Communication Courses

    A graduate of a Professional Communications course can marshal compelling evidence to give a practical recommendation or useful progress report to a supervisor in a document that’s stylistic clear and grammatically accurate. Students in ENC 32XX will: 

    • Locate, read, and reflect on publications in their field to develop an ear for professional tone; 
    • Participate actively within your professional community; 
    • Develop rubrics of professional writing, based on workplace documents and standards; 
    • Produce and present professional texts that marshal and design compelling evidence to give practical and useful information to professional audiences in the appropriate style and tone; 
    • Collaborate with peers to practice, develop, and refine workplace etiquette; and 
    • Self-assess using professional standards.
    Professional Communication courses include:

    ENC3250: Professional Communications
    ENC3202: Professional Communication for Business
    ENC3246: Professional Communication for Engineering
    ENC3250: Professional Communication for Advertising 

Common Policies for All General Education Writing Courses

To support the best learning and teaching conditions, the Writing Program has adopted a minimal number of policies that govern all of its General Education Writing courses. Individual faculty may revise these policies for tone, style, and degree of explanation, and some policies provide a range of supported options. Any revisions shall appear on the syllabus for a particular section of the class. However, all modifications shall be consistent with the policies below. Alternatively, a syllabus may simply inform students that "General Education writing course policies pertain to this class" and direct students to the Writing Program course policies webpage. [Rev. January 2021]

  • Accessibility

    Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Policy. Students with disabilities who seek reasonable accommodations in the classroom or other aspects of performing their coursework must first register with the UNF Student Accessibility Center (SAC) center located in Building 57, Room 1500. SAC staff members work with students to obtain required documentation of disability and to identify appropriate accommodations as required by applicable disability laws including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). After receiving all necessary documentation, the SAC staff determines whether a student qualifies for services with the SAC and, if so, the accommodations will be provided to the student.  SAC staff then prepares a letter for the student to provide faculty advising them of approved accommodations. For further information, contact the SAC by phone at 904-620-2769, by email at SAC@unf.edu, or visit the SAC website at https://www.unf.edu/sac/ .

    Our courses are inclusive environments, organized in the spirit of Universal Design. We are committed to helping all students engage with every aspect of our courses. Please talk with your instructor early in the semester so that they can resolve any access needs and design accommodations to help you succeed in your course.

  • Service Animals & Technology
    Disabled students, faculty, and staff often employ assistance in the form of wheelchairs, canes, technology, and service animals. Please recognize that these technologies are an extension of the disabled person, and do not interact with these technologies without the disabled person's permission. In particular, please refrain from petting or talking to service animals unless the handler has given you permission.
  • Attendance

    First-day Attendance

    UNF requires that all students attend the first class meeting for any course in which they are registered. If a student fails to attend this first class meeting, they may be dropped from the course. For online courses, all students must log into Canvas and evidence their participation by the end of add/drop deadline, or they may be dropped from the course for failure to satisfy the university's first-day attendance policy.

    General Education Writing Courses

    Because absences negatively affect student performance, the Writing Program requires that all students attend or tend to at least 80% of class-specific obligations. Any student who misses 20% or more of scheduled classes or deadlines will receive an F for the course.

    Expectations
    In-person Courses Online Courses
    Students are expected to
    • attend every class meeting
    • attend scheduled conferences
    • complete online activities
    Students are expected to
    • meet every assignment deadline
    • attend scheduled conferences
    • complete course activities

     

    For online courses, instructors will, at a minimum, offer weekly assignments that document active student involvement within that course. These assignments may include, but are not limited to, discussion board postings, emailing with the instructor, and submitting or completing work in Blackboard.

    This attendance policy will stand regardless of the quality of the student's work.

  • Civility and Tolerance

    The Writing Program affirms the UNF Student Conduct Code: "The Student Conduct Code is designed to promote responsible behavior for all students consistent with the welfare of the UNF community."

    1. Because writing courses rely on interaction, civility and tolerance are vital to foster productive classroom and learning environments. Instructors will act to reduce behaviors that may compromise such environments. These actions may range from informal conversations, to formal communications, to requested action by the Division of Student Affairs, or in the case of extreme classroom disruption, to contact with the University Police for assistance.
    2. By definition, education depends on encountering new ideas and information. Some of these new ideas may conflict with an individual's existing knowledge or perspective. The Writing Program expects students to engage such materials thoughtfully, in ways that reflect the values and mission of the University of North Florida.
    3. Students shall refrain from any activity that disrespects the classroom environment and learning conditions for others.
    4. Students should use professional email etiquette in communications with faculty and peers. [See Purdue OWL for more information.]
  • Late Assignments
    Assignments are due when they are due. Late work will be accepted only at the discretion of the instructor, and work based on in-class participation cannot be made up. The Writing Program supports the following range of options concerning late work: a lowered grade, delayed instructor evaluation or response, no credit.
  • Violation of Academic Integrity

    The University of North Florida's Academic Integrity Code "expects all members of the academic community to respect the principle of academic freedom and to behave with academic integrity." Each student is responsible for reading and understanding this policy.

    Violations of the Academic Integrity include, among others:

    • Cheating: Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials in any academic exercise.
    • Fabrication: Alteration or invention of any information, including citations, in an academic exercise.
    • Multiple submissions: submitting substantial portions of the same academic work (including oral reports) more than once without authorization.
    • Plagiarism: Presenting someone else's language, ideas, or other original (not common-knowledge) material without acknowledging its source. This definition applies to texts published in print or online, to manuscripts, and to the work of other student writers.

    [See Student Handbook for the complete listing of academic integrity violations.]

    Students who violate the academic integrity code will receive an F on the specific assignment and may receive an F for the course. The instructor will inform the Director of the Writing Program of violations of academic integrity.

  • Continuity of Instruction Plan
    In the event of disruption of normal classroom activities due to an emergency such as hurricane, pandemic or other unforeseen event or combination of events, the format of this course may be modified in order to enable completion of the course requirements. In that event, you will be provided an addendum to this syllabus that will supersede this version. It is your responsibility as a student participant to be proactive during any emergency to find instructions that your instructor will post via email or Canvas, which you should check daily.
  • Useful Student Resources

    Many students experience stress while adjusting to college. The services below are available free to students. Contacts for each office follows-their staffs include trained, caring professionals who have experience helping students deal with specific academic, security, psychological, and emotional issues.

    The Writing Center

    Building 4 / Room 2501

    First-year Advising/Undergraduate Studies

    Academic Advising and Tutoring

    Founder's Hall, 2/1200, (904) 620-1012

    The UNF Counseling Center

    Founder's Hall, 2/2300, (904) 620-2602

    UNF Campus Police

    Building 41, on UNF Drive across the street from the Information Booth

    Non-Emergency Number: (904) 620-2800

    Note: Police officers are available 24 hours a day to provide safety escorts to any member of the University Community. To request an escort, contact the UPD at 620-2800.

    Victim Advocacy Program

    Tom and Betty Petway Hall, 57/2707, (904) 620-2528, deanofstudents@unf.edu

    24-hour Crisis Helpline: (904) 620-1010

    Military and Veterans Resource Center

    Founder's Hall, 2/1100 (904) 620-5131, mvrc@unf.edu

     

  • FERPA Policies

    The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) guarantees students and their parents certain rights. In relation to those rights, our course policies include the following:

    1. Your instructor cannot discuss your grades with you via email.

    2. Your instructor cannot discuss your grades and/or progress with your parents or any third party unless you have signed a waiver of your FERPA rights with One Stop. Your instructor will require proof that the waiver has been signed before I discuss your grades or standing in the class with your parents.

    3. If you fail the course and you are on financial aid, your instructor is legally required to report your attendance record to the financial aid department.