Meetings 2012-2013

Wednesday, September 12, 12:00PM, A&S 363

  1. Grading Rubrics
  2. Observations, Assignment in Common
    1. Graded Papers: Jacqueline, Jude
    2. Double Sign Up: TJ and Tori
    3. Email Alex when peer observations and common assignments completed.
  3. Student Opinion Surveys: Quantitative and Discursive
  4. Aim & Scope Revision: Seating Cap failed but Page Count passed
  5. Graduate School and Job Application Information Session: Wednesday, September 19, 12:00PM, A&S 363
  6. Next Meeting: Best Assignment for Assignment Bank

Wednesday, October 3, 12:00PM, A&S 363

  1. Regrets: Joseph Brogdon, Carrie Hardman
  2. Observations, Assignment in Common
    1. Graded Papers: Emily Hansen, Jacqueline Stephens, Sara Stephens
    2. Email Alex when peer observations and common assignments completed. No one has emailed yet, so email soon.
  3. Spring Textbooks
    1. If you've taught 1102 before, you can select your own literature anthology and rhetoric of the writing about literature process or reader/rhetoric combination.
    2. If you've not taught 1102 before, you must use the books chosen by the Textbook Adoption Committee, which will meet by October 15. How does Wednesday, October 10 at 12:00PM work for Emily C. and Daniel?
    3. All may supplement their anthology with a novel, single author short story collection, single author poetry collection, play, or creative nonfiction book, subject to Coordinator approval.
    4. Orders are due October 15. All must order their own textbooks, regardless of whether or not you're using the common reader.
  4. SACS Assessment
    1. Although this is a "pilot" program, "supposedly" all sections of all core courses must be accessed, but only 30% of students per section, by December 12.
    2. Once I verify who has to assess their courses and what the assessment entails, I will inform you. Just in case you need to assess your course, save copies of all papers from your next formal assignment.
  5. Plagiarism
    1. Because I have heard of two plagiarism cases in the last week, I'd like to give you my perspective on plagiarism: it's not your fault, hold students to high academic standards, and I'm here to help you deal not only with the bureaucratic procedures but also the professional ethics of plagiarism cases.
    2. Instructors should neither blame themselves for student dishonesty nor make excuses for dishonest students. No assignment is plagiarism-proof and we do a disservice to students when we do not hold them accountable for their actions.
    3. Submitting the same paper in two classes (recycling or double dipping) is dishonest because it entails lying to the second instructor about when, where, and why the student wrote the paper. The Honor Code defines lying as "any attempt to deceive, falsify, or misrepresent the truth in any matter involving university business."
  6. Best Assignment for Assignment Bank

Wednesday, October 24, 12:00PM, A&S 363

  1. Regrets: Emily Hansen
  2. Observations, Assignment in Common, GIFT or SALG
    1. Graded Papers: Emily Hansen, Jacqueline Stephens
    2. Email Alex when peer observations, common assignments, and GIFT/SALG are completed. Only a handful of you have been responsible this semester.
  3. Spring enrollment caps
    • Message from the Chair: The caps are low (21) because the Registrar may have hidden seats for transfar students; you can check the real cap in PAWS. If enrollment can't be managed, the caps might temporarily go high. She's working on part-time backup. You can call her at 478.445.5574 over the break if something looks wrong or unjust about your rolls.
  4. Core Curriculum Area A1 Assessment
    1. Whose courses will be assessed?
      • English 1101 and 1102 courses taught by full-time faculty and graduate instructors, but not part-time lecturers, are being assessed.
    2. How many students will be assessed?
      • Each instructor will assess each section of her course. If you are teaching two sections of 1101, you must complete two assessment forms, one for each section, which means that you will need two sets of papers, one from each section.
    3. Why assess in this time frame?
      • Because the Subcommittee on Core Curriculum (SoCC) did not have a SACS core curriculum assessment strategy until this semester, it now needs lots of data by December 12.
    4. Why ask graduate students to assess courses?
      • Even though graduate instructors are student teachers with little to no experience grading,
        • there are more graduate instructors than part-time instructors (if any group was to be relieved of assessment duty, it could not be graduate instructors because they provide the highest data rate),
        • graduate instructors earn more than part-time instructors, and
        • graduate students will learn from assessment.
    5. Why use this kind of assessment?
      • While norming sessions among instructors and blind review of assignments by instructors different from the ones who originally graded the assignment are the most rigorous and ethical forms of assessment so assessment data does not look uncannily like grade data, SoCC is probably requiring individual self-assessment of one's own previously graded assignments because this is the easiest way to obtain lots of data in a short amount of time and simply asking for instructor grades would be too unethical. In SoCC's defense, SACS probably cares more about data-driven assessment than qualitative assessment and most universities compose the easiest method of assessment as possible in an attempt to not overburden faculty with work that ultimately does not matter as much as peer and self-evaluation of grading standards.
    6. What is the difference between grading and assessing?
      • Grading an assignment evaluates both general writing skills, such as controlling idea and organization, and the specific rhetorical context of the assignment prompt, such as as the ability to summarize and evaluate an essay while assessing an assignment evaluates just general writing skills.
    7. Where are the assessment form and rubric?
    8. When and where are the assessment due?
      • Email Alex by November 19
  5. WTF?
  6. Next Meeting: Discussion of 1102 policies and experienced Teaching Fellows will share 1102 suggestions and assignments.

Wednesday, November 14, 12:00PM, A&S 363

  1. Observations, Assignment in Common, GIFT or SALG, Assessment
    1. Graded Papers: Jacqueline Stephens
    2. Email Alex when peer observations, common assignments, and GIFT/SALG are completed.
    3. Email Alex your assessment, one form for each 1101 section taught, by Monday, November 19.
  2. Plagiarism Count: 1101 instructors report 12 cases of willful plagiarism.
  3. Writing Center update
  4. End of Semester
  5. 1102
    • From the Syllabus Checklist: English 1102 is a three genre, composition through literature course. In other words, students should develop their college composition skills commenced in English 1101 by learning to analyze and then write about the three fundamental genres of literature: poetry, fiction, and drama. You should spend at least four content weeks on each of the three genres. However, you may add a fourth literary genre such as film or creative nonfiction. If you do add a fourth literary genre, you must 1) spend at least three content weeks on each of the four genres and 2) teach the literary elements of the fourth genre. For instance, if you teach film, you should supplement your textbook with an essay (for instance, Janet Gardner's chapter on film in Writing about Literature) or handout (here's one I created) that teaches students how to analyze and write about film.
    • From the Syllabus Checklist: For 1102, Fellows must assign three formal papers, at least two of which should be drafted and revised (note which ones on the syllabus) and one of which incorporates library research. Students are required to write a minimum of 15 pages of formal papers and a minimum of 10 pages of informal writing.—Aim & Scope and Coordinator, November 2012
    • Sample assignments and suggestions from experienced Teaching Fellows

Wednesday, January 30, 1:00PM, A&S 315

  1. Alternate Meeting Room: A&S 366
  2. Regrets: Tori Averett
  3. My Fake College Syllabus
  4. Observations, etc.
    • Coordinator Observation: Tori needs to sign up; need to have discussion with TJ
    • Peer Observation
    • GIFT or SALG
    • Assignment in Common
  5. Grade Distribution

Wednesday, February 27, 1:00PM, A&S 366

  1. Regrets: Tori Averett, Daniel Wilkinson
  2. AWP Forms: Marty Lammon
  3. Ethics Refresher due Thursday
  4. Textbook Adoption Committee meeting March 20
  5. Observations, etc.
    • Coordinator Observation
    • Peer Observation
    • GIFT or SALG due by March 15
    • Assignment in Common
  6. Assessment due April 15
  7. What issues do you want to discuss?

Wednesday, April 3, 1:00PM, A&S 366

  1. Regrets: Emily C.
  2. Absences: Jad, Tori
  3. Observations, etc.
    • Coordinator Observation: Need to meet with TJ (debriefing, papers)
    • Peer Observation: Jad, Jacqueline
    • GIFT or SALG due by March 15: Jad, Tori, Elizabeth, Emily C., Janet, Emily H., Melissa, Sarah, TJ, Jacqueline, Sara, Daniel
      • SALG: Discussion of participation rates, general usefulness, and revision. Volunteers needed to revise questions for 1102 survey.
    • Assignment in Common: Jacqueline
  4. Textbook Adoption Committee
    • On 20 March 2013, the Textbook Adoption Committee selected the following reader/rhetoric combination and handbook for Fall 2013:
    • Kirsner, Laurie G. and Stephen R. Mandell. Patterns for College Writing: A Rhetorical Reader and Guide. 12th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. Print. ISBN-13: 978-0-312-67684-1. (We liked the range of readings, including the argumentative readings, and we thought the rhetorical models and writing process would be useful to first time composition instructors.)
    • Hacker, Diana and Nancy Sommers. A Pocket Style Manual. 6th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. Print. ISBN-13: 978-0-312-54254-2. (it's small.)
  5. Book Orders
    • Alex orders desk copies of the handbook and reader/rhetoric combo and distributes them to new Teaching Fellows
    • Alex place book orders for the new Teaching Fellows
    • Returning Teaching Fellows obtain Alex's approval of their reader and rhetoric (or reader/rhetoric combo) before April 15 and then order books themselves by April 15.
  6. Assessment
    • Teaching Fellows are required to assess their own courses for the foreseeable future. The process is the same as last semester: complete the electronic form (select a formal paper assignment and assess every third student paper using the rubric) and email it to Alex by April 15.

 

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