Mission

The English and Developmental English Departments at Quinsigamond Community College offer courses to fulfill program and transfer requirements and to prepare students for success in college. Developmental courses prepare students for success in writing and reading at the college level. Freshman composition courses foster communication and composition skills necessary for success in all academic and career endeavors. Upper level literature-based courses, seminars, Honors, and other advanced courses offer additional challenges in interpretive and critical skills. Learning goals are designed to:

  • Develop critical thinkers, readers, and writers;
  • Incorporate interdisciplinary research and current technology in writing;
  • Develop creativity in written expression;
  • Recognize diverse perspectives in communication;
  • Promote academic integrity and apply ethical standards in problem-solving.

Teaching Methodology

Our faculty make use of the following strategies in teaching composition:

  • The rhetorical modes including narration, description, exposition, and argumentation;
  • The three types of rhetorical claims
    • The appeal to logic or reason
    • Ethical appeal to character or the writer's credibility
    • Appeal to the audience's emotional needs;
  • The five steps of the writing process
    • Brainstorming
    • Outlining
    • Drafting
    • Revising and editing
    • Polishing
  • Close textual analysis
    • This asks a student to both carefully read and examine a text in a way that goes beyond opinion or judgment. The analysis that comes from close reading answers questions of “why” rather than questions of fact and depends on understanding the text as a whole as well as the section analyzed.
  • Critical thinking and metacognitive practice
    • Students are asked to apply, analyze, and synthesize information to reach a conclusion based on evidence and to reflect on their own thinking process.
  • Creative writing practice

College Policy

Our purpose in the classroom is to seek the truth; this work requires trust and honesty between teacher and student. If we are not honest about what we know and don't know, our learning will always be impaired. Because our teaching and learning depends on this honest communication, we expect all students to understand what plagiarism is and why it is unacceptable.

Plagiarism means taking someone else's ideas or words and presenting them as one's own. The offense can take many forms including cheating on a test, passing in a paper taken from the Internet or from another student, or failing to properly use and credit sources in an essay. Sometimes the issue is subtle, involving getting too much help on an assignment from someone else. In every instance, plagiarism means cheating both oneself and the owner of the source. Since the cheating sabotages a student's learning experience, consequences range from no credit for the assignment to failure for the course and possible expulsion from the college.

Any student considering plagiarism should recognize the consequences and consider alternatives. Students uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism may request help from faculty or from appropriate college services.

Understanding and avoiding plagiarism

  • Plagiarism.org - This is a comprehensive site prepared by Turnitin.com.
  • Avoiding Plagiarism (Purdue OWL) - This resource helps define the gray areas in using and citing sources for research papers and documented essays.
  • Asking questions - Bring your questions to your instructor or other college personnel. Crediting sources can be confusing and many resources are available for help, including tutoring.

Valuing Ownership

As our policy suggests, a major objective of college courses is to create an atmosphere of honest inquiry, to determine what we already understand and what we need to learn. We establish this trust when we use and value our own words and give credit to the words of others. The rationale for giving credit involves understanding the basic principles of U.S. copyright law as well as some conventions of academics called documentation.

Copyright

This is a right guaranteed by Title17 of the U.S. Code.
Authors and artists have the exclusive right to control the use of work they created in any tangible medium of expression including electronic formats. Any work created on or after March 1, 1989 is copyrighted--even if the owner does not include a copyright notice. A notice provides warning and is recommended but notice is not required. For details see:

Using and Citing Sources (Documentation)

Tutoring for Writing Assignments

  • Writing Center, Room 208 of The Learning Center provides tutors for college writing assignments.

Faculty

OfficeTelephoneMailboxE-mail 
Karl Anderson265A508.854.7431305kanderson@qcc.mass.edu
Amy Beaudry102ALF508.854.7493192abeaudry@qcc.mass.edu
Mark Bates337A508.854.7494143mbates@qcc.mass.edu
James Brennan257A508.854-2799198jbrennan@qcc.mass.edu
Kirsten Daigneault315A508.854.4353164kdaigneault@qcc.mass.edu
Kathy Frederickson330A508.854.740941kathyf@qcc.mass.edu
Michael Gormley343A508.854.4236131mgormley@qcc.mass.edu
Tim Lafountaine, Developmental English Coordinator332A508-854-4542304tlafountaine@qcc.mass.edu
Trent Masiki312A508.854.2779193tmasiki@qcc.mass.edu
Susan McPherson357A508.854.2759218smcpher@qcc.mass.edu
Jasmine Ortiz310A508-854-2870197jortiz@qcc.mass.edu
Lisa Oldaker Palmer317A508-854-4365276lpalmer@qcc.mass.edu
Arpi Payaslian333A508.854.2797230apayaslian@qcc.mass.edu
Nicole Payen315A508.853.2300137npayen@qcc.mass.edu
Steven Rayshick312A508.854.4397115srayshick@qcc.mass.edu
Anne Shull328A508.854.7452273ashull@qcc.mass.edu
John Stazinski, English Coordinator335A508.854.4448320jstazinski@qcc.mass.edu
Margaret Wong310A508.854.2767153mwong@qcc.mass.edu
Betsy Zuegg327A508.854.444342bzuegg@qcc.mass.edu

Writing in the Disciplines

The mission of the Writing in the Disciplines Initiative at Quinsigamond Community College is to promote and expand writing activities on campus by providing guidance and support to faculty, and by working closely with the resource centers that foster student success.

The English Department works to undergird writing in ALL disciplines, with the guiding premise that students will transfer general writing skills into specific fields. Students, of course, have the ultimate responsibility for their writing, but instructors in all areas are the models and authority figures, the “gate-keepers” of their respective fields, and as such, are the key links to specific conventions of their disciplines.

Disciplines have particular contexts, audiences, dialogues, conversations, research, purposes and goals. As students move through their curriculum, they are expected to engage in specific practices modeled in courses and supported by a menu of aids. To that end, the English Department offers WID resources.

Writing in the Disciplines is not simply teaching or reviewing basic grammar and linguistic fluency, it embraces the value of writing as a means of learning. Particular learning goals are, first and foremost, the focus of writing assignments in the various disciplines.

Purpose

Most transactions in business depend on successful communications. Memos, e-mails, power-point presentations, reports, letters, marketing plans, brochures and proposals are the primary conventions that characterize organizational communication.

The challenge for students is to think like business professionals and learn how to write effectively for various situations. Informing or persuading an audience depends on prose that is concise, clear and appropriate for the intent. Skillful business writing addresses the needs and expectations of specific audiences.

The Kinds of Questions Business Writers Ask

  • What does the client need? How will my product/ service/ plan design, etc. benefit the client?
  • What does the supervisor need to know to authorize me to proceed? What does the supervisor already know? How can I target my report to address the supervisor’s specific concerns?
  • What qualifications do I have for the job, task, project, etc., to accomplish the job effectively?

RESOURCES

(all resources adapted from Hacker, D. and Sommers, N. A Writer’s Reference 7th ed. (2011).
New York: Bedford/ St. Martin’s.

ABI/Inform

Ann Arbor: ProQuest, 1971–. Covers industries, management techniques, business trends, and profiles of corporations and corporate leaders. Includes full text of financial news sources, journals, working papers, country reports, and more.

Accounting and Tax Index

Ann Arbor: ProQuest, 1992–. A detailed index of over 2,000 publications covering taxation and accounting, standards, conference papers, reports, journals, and books.

Business and Company Resource Center

Detroit: Gale Group, 2001–. An online database of business magazine articles, trade publications, company histories, rankings, and industry information. Many of the materials are available in full text.

Business Source Premier

Ipswich: EBSCO, 1990–. A database of journals and magazines in business and economics, with some full-text coverage (including a few titles going as far back as the 1920s). Coverage includes management, finance, accounting, and international business.

EconLit

Nashville: American Economic Association, 1969–. Provides citations (most with abstracts) to articles in scholarly journals in the field, covering all aspects of economics worldwide.

LexisNexis: Business

New York: LexisNexis, 1998–. A collection of full-text databases of continuously updated business news sources, industry news, and company and financial data as well as other news and legal sources. Includes company dossiers, profiles, SEC filings, accounting news, and business information from global sources. This resource can also be found as a tab in the LexisNexis Academic database.

Bureau of Labor Statistics

http://www.bls.gov
A mine of current statistical data and reports covering consumer spending, employment, wages, productivity, occupations, international trade, and industries as well as “The U.S. Economy at a Glance.” The bureau is a unit of the U.S. Department of Labor.

Economic Census, 2007

Undertaken every five years, the economic census gathers data on retail, wholesale, manufacturing, and other business by state and local subdivision. Results from the 2007 census are being released in parts from 2009 to 2011 and will be integrated into the American FactFinder system. Data are also available online from the 2002 and 1997 economic censuses.

Economic Report of the President


Prepared annually by the chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, this publication explains the rationale for the president’s budget submitted to Congress. Of particular interest are the tables that cover income, production, and employment in time series.

globalEDGE

http://globaledge.msu.edu
Offers worldwide business information, including methods of comparing country data, country background information, an annual compilation of market potential indicators, breaking news of interest to the business community, and a glossary of international business terms. The site was created by the Center for Business Education and Research at Michigan State University.

SEC Filings and Forms (EDGAR)

http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml
Provides information about publicly held corporations, which are required by federal law to file reports on their activities with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Most reports from 1994 to the present are publicly available through the EDGAR (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval System) database at this site. Information in company reports includes financial status, chief officers, stock information, company history, pending litigation that might have an economic impact on the company, and more. The site provides a brief tutorial for searching EDGAR.

U.S. Congressional Budget Office

http://www.cbo.gov
Offers material compiled by a nonpartisan office for congressional decision making. The site includes federal budget analysis; the economic outlook; analysis of specific topics on housing, health, education, national security, and telecommunications; and more.

Blackwell Encyclopedia of Management: Business Ethics

Ed. Patricia Werhane and R. Edward Freeman. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Blackwell, 2005. Offers substantial entries written by experts in business ethics on such topics as equal opportunity, corporate crime, participatory management, environmental risk, business ethics in different cultures, and electronic surveillance. This work is part of the 12-volume The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Management.

Encyclopedia of Business and Finance

Ed. Burton S. Kaliski. 2nd ed. 2 vols. Detroit: Macmillan Reference, 2007. Offers over 300 articles on accounting, economics, finance, information systems, ethics, management, and marketing, with a U.S. focus.

Encyclopedia of Political Economy

Ed. Philip Anthony O’Hara. 2 vols. London: Routledge, 1999. Provides analyses of topics related to money and finance, labor, family and gender, political ideologies, development, theoretical schools, and methodology.

New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics

Ed. Steven N. Durlauf and Lawrence E. Blume. Rev. ed. 8 vols. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. A revision of the classic Palgrave’s Dictionary of Political Economy, offering scholarly analyses of economic theories and theorists.

International Encyclopedia of Public Policy and Administration

Ed. Jay M. Shafritz. 4 vols. Boulder: Westview, 1998. A scholarly compendium of over 850 articles on management, public institutions, theories, legal concepts, and definitions of terms, with an interdisciplinary and global perspective.

Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History

Ed. Joel Mokyr. 5 vols. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. Covers concepts and theories, economic development, background on countries and regions, and the history of specific products such as oil and coffee.

Sample Memorandum

To: Ray Crosson, Senior Vice President, Human Resources
From: Kelly Ratajczak, Intern, Purchasing Department
Subject: Proposal to Add a Wellness Program
Date: April 24, 2006

Health care costs are rising. In the long run, implementing a wellness program in our corporate culture will decrease the company's health care costs.

Research indicates that nearly 70% of health care costs are from common illnesses related to high blood pressure, overweight, lack of exercise, high cholesterol, stress, poor nutrition, and other preventable health issues (Hall, 2006). Health care costs are a major expense for most businesses, and they do not refl.ect costs due to the loss of productivity or absenteeism. A wellness program would address most, if not all, of these health care issues and related costs.

Benefits of Healthier Employees

A wellness program would substantially reduce costs associated with employee health care, and in addition, our company would prosper through many other benefits. Businesses that have wellness programs show a lower cost in production, fewer sick days, and healthier employees ("Workplace Health," 2006). Our healthier employees will help to cut not only our production and absenteeism costs but also potential costs such as higher turnover because of low employee morale.

Implementing the Program

Implementing a good wellness program means making small changes to the work environment, starting with a series of information sessions. Simple changes to our work environment should include healthier food selections in vending machines and in the employee cafeteria. A smoke-free environment, inside and outside the building, could be a new company policy. An important step is to educate our employees through information seminars and provide health care guides and pamphlets for work and home. In addition, the human resources department could expand the current employee assistance program by developing online materials that help employees and their families to assess their individual health goals.

Each health program is different in its own way, and there are a number of programs that can be designed to meet the needs of our individual employees. Some programs that are becoming increasingly popular in the workplace are the following ("Workplace Health," 2006):
•health promotion programs
•subsidized health club membership
•return-to-work programs
•health-risk appraisals and screenings

Obstacles: Individual and Financial

The Largest barrier in a wellness program is changing the habits and behaviors of our employees. Various incentives such as monetary bonuses, vacation days, merchandise rewards, recognition, and appreciation help to instill new habits and attitudes. Providing a healthy environment and including family in certain programs also helps to encourage healthier choices and behaviors (Hall, 2006).

In the long run, the costs of incorporating a wellness program will be far less than rising costs associated with health care. An employee's sense of recognition, appreciation, or accomplishment is an incentive that has relatively low or no costs. The owner of Natural Ovens Bakery, Paul Silt, has stated that his company gained financially after providing programs including free healthy lunches for employees (Springer, 2005). Silt said he believes that higher morale and keeping valuable employees have helped his business tremendously.

It is important that our company be healthy in every way possible. Research shows that 41% of businesses already have some type of wellness program in progress and that 32% will incorporate programs within the next year ("Workplace Health," 2006). Our company should always be ahead of our competitors. I want to thank you for your time, and I look forward to discussing this proposal with you further next week.

Types of Writing Assignments

 

Most assignments will mirror the actual writing needs of the business world.

Reports:

Reports present facts. If you work for, say, Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, the company may be considering whether or not it should develop a line of “smoothie” dairy drinks. You may be required to write a feasibility report that delineates the advantages and disadvantages of doing so. You would have to investigate what products already populate the market and which are better sellers and why. You would want to determine if Ben and Jerry’s could offer something different – what, why and how – and if the company is advised to proceed.

If the company proceeds, you may be required to determine how the new smoothies compare in sales; your report would be an investigative report. You would need to gather sales data for the major competitors.

If the company determines that three flavors do not sell as well as three others, and it pulls those unpopular flavors from the supermarket shelves, you may be required to write status or progress reports on subsequent market effects.

After several months, you may be required to write a formal report that delineates the overall success of the smoothie line; how, exactly, has the product line increased company profits and expanded product line? What, exactly, does the product line offer the consumer in terms of healthy food choices and how does that nutritional profile compare to competitors’ products? What can Ben and Jerry’s expect to see in immediate, short-term gains as well as in long-term gains?

Proposals:

Proposals attempt to persuade an audience to adopt a plan. Audiences within a company require an INTERNAL proposal; audiences outside a company, who are typically considered potential clients, require an EXTERNAL proposal. Either audience may ask for a proposal; in which case, it would be considered SOLICITED.

If Hannaford Supermarkets consider shelving the new Ben and Jerry’s smoothie line, they may require, solicit, a proposal that outlines how Ben and Jerry’s would incorporate their product line to ensure successful sales in the Hannaford chain; they would look for specific demographic and/or economic data that would predict appeal in particular store locations. Data may be supplied by way of charts or other visuals that clearly represent projected benefits. Pricing, advertising and other costs would be addressed in detail.

Executive Summaries:

Executive summaries are synopses of longer documents; the key points are highlighted with the intent that reader will want to read how those key points are supported. In other words, the longer document will bear out the supporting details and data that can be deduced in the key points. Key points might be represented in charts, graphs, or other visuals.

Memos and Correspondences:

Business communications typically take the form of e-mails, letters, memos; electronic correspondence, most of the time carries authority and weight equal to paper correspondences. In-house memos refer to conveyances to personnel within the same organization or agency. Memos have a multitude of purposes: to describe policy, assign jobs or tasks; summarize work or results of personnel; seek input from colleagues.

Presentations:

Oral presentations often are accompanied by graphics or visuals generated by software programs, Power-Point, the most common. Oral presentations serve a multitude of purposes: to describe, summarize, explain, instruct, or persuade.

Brochures, Newsletters, Web Sites:

Products and services are often described to potential consumers, clients, etc. in public venues such as these.

Writing Conventions in Business

Business writing is straightforward and direct, not excessively formal.
Buzzwords that do not add precision or clarity should be avoided: words like no-brainer, win-win, value-added, for example, are not helpful to the reader.
Personal pronouns are acceptable; if you are using the “you” pronoun in the plural, you want to be sure you are, in fact, addressing all readers. If you speak for your company, you will want to use the “we” pronoun rather than “I.”

Language must be sensitive to possible offensiveness in interpretation; unless your point is specific to a particular group, readers’ class, race, gender, ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation need not be referred to directly or indirectly.

Always be concise: instead of writing, “at this point in time,” simply write, “now.” Rather than use the passive voice, use the active: instead of writing, “This report was prepared to infirm our customers,” write, “We prepared this report to inform our customers.”

Business writers rely on the CMS, The Chicago Manual of Style, system of documentation OR the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, the APA. Either offers professional guidelines for formatting and citing work.

The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press) is located below (as well as elsewhere):
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/726/1/

The APA’s style guidelines are listed in a multitude of sites as well as below:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

Purpose

Criminal Justice refers to the application of policing practices and policies while criminology is theory-based and attempts to explain why the practices and policies of law enforcement, police administration, and corrections exist in the first place. Though QCC offers “Theories in Criminology” (CRJ 213), the program draws from a diverse range of disciplines, including psychology, sociology, anthropology, law and government, public administration, political science, cultural studies, and technology.  Whatever specialization a student elects – police officer, crime lab analyst, probation officer, correctional officer, homeland security, victim services specialist, etc. -- the focus on justice is paramount.

Students are expected to write papers and other assignments that explain policies and practices, legal decisions, administration of the delivery of justice, theories criminologists use to explain crime, and other topics incorporated into the class content.  Professors expect students to imagine various audiences and purposes for this writing since the workplace will present a diverse number of situations and people affected. Since the profession expects students to realize their jobs will be part of a bureaucracy, students must be equipped to write reports and other communications to numerous agencies and audiences.

Students may be asked to write a hypothetical memo to a police chief explaining a new local crime trend and demographics.  Students may write a hypothetical memo to a superintendent requesting a policy change for specific reasons.  Students may be asked to write a hypothetical news brief for local newspapers or community resources explaining what a policy means to them.  Students may be asked to write hypothetical case notes for public defender or public resource officer.  Always, readers’ needs must dictate the content, level of detail and overall tone and language used.

Most of the assignments will mirror the actual writing needs of the professionals in the field of criminal justice.

Research Papers:

A research paper in criminal justice requires the student to identify a topic or issue then to research what has been written about the topic or to explore the data that have been complied about the topic - that is, review the secondary sources.  Primary sources could include interviews or surveys.  In most cases, students will take a stand or angle on the topic and present an argument about it.  Theories may be used to support the claim.  For example, in policing courses, student might investigate whether officers from different racial and ethnic backgrounds make decisions differently.  To obtain information, interviews and published materials would be critical.  Or a student might investigate whether the focus of racial profiling shifted from African Americans to Muslims after September 11, 2001 or if black- white relations are inflamed by the shooting and killing of an African American youth by a white male neighborhood watch enthusiast. In corrections courses, students might study the suicide rate of inmates and how or if it is connected to time spent in solitary confinement.  In fact, a student might expand that topic to explore what the practice of solitary confinement says about US law and society.

Analytical Papers:

An assignment may ask students to “apply” a particular theory to a real or imagined case. The student is expected to describe details of the theory and how specific components correlate or parallel a situation or a person’s behaviors. For example, a student may choose to describe “community policing” as it is generally understood and discuss it in his or her neighborhood as an effective program to deter a string of break-ins. That paper would specify how the author and various neighbors were effected or involved; what their role was and what actions they took responsibility for.  Data to indicate the decrease in crime rates relative to break-ins would also be included. The usefulness of community policing would, likely, be endorsed.

Argument or Position Papers:

Argumentative papers depend on the author’s presentation of two sides of an issue AND his/ her position on that issue.  The author does not simply state a personal opinion; he “arrives” at his conclusions after careful weighing of the two sides. Both sides are presented in a balance manner, but the author “sides” with one as he explains his perceived deficits in the other.  Cases and theories may support her opinion AS she argues in favor of one side of the issue at hand.

For example, a student interested in women in prison, may research the consequences of incarceration on the women’s families, especially their children.  The student may discover data that reveals higher rates of depression, substance abuse, academic failure of these children and be led to a thesis that advocates for closer monitoring and support of the school-aged children of incarcerated women.

Purpose

Education is a broad field that draws on a multitude of knowledge bases and methods.  Depending on what one plans to teach, a student will typically concentrate on a cluster of courses: history or mathematics, for example; or a dedicated program to children with autism or special needs. Diverse topics such as the history of education, the psychology of learning, instructional methods and curriculum development are incorporated into the program.  Early childhood education prepares the student for the specific profession of early child care and education.

Writing requirements in the curriculum will prepare the student to become a successful teacher or director.

The Kinds of Questions Educators Ask

Practical, theoretical and reflective – these are the kinds of concerns educators focus on.  Practical concerns tend to examine classroom and curriculum issues such as student progress and implementation of new pedagogies or approaches.  Theoretical questions focus on how students should be educated; or how political, intellectual or socio-economic factors influence the context of learning. Reflective questions enable teachers to discuss their roles in the educational process with an eye to improving or enhancing the environment.

The questions below could generate full discussion in papers or assignments:

  • How does this school’s language arts curriculum prepare students to be information-literate?
  • What are the effects of the use of standardized tests in economically stressed districts in comparison with more affluent districts?
  • How does one’s own perception of her own education influence the way she approaches teaching?

The Kinds of Evidence Educators Use

Quantitative evidence includes statistics, survey results, test scores, grades while qualitative evidence includes case studies, observations, personal experience, and anecdotes. The following scenarios may offer evidence in different situations:

A research paper that compares the different approaches to social studies education may rely on quantitative evidence such as the results of standardized tests from different school districts. Higher results may be aligned with one particular approach, thus making it more desirable than other.

A paper focused on child development may combine personal observation and evidence from published case studies.

A journal of student teaching experiences may offer evidence from personal experience in the classroom and from changes in attitude and belief over time.

Creating a lesson plan will require attention to teaching objectives and explanation of how such a plan will achieve those objectives.

Writing Conventions in Education

  • Educators endorse the use of personal pronouns (“I” and “we”) commonly used in reflective writing.
  • Educators write research and case studies in the third person (“he, she, it, they”) and adapt a more formal, objective style and tone.
  • Educators share a specialized vocabulary that undergirds their research and conversations: pedagogy (teaching principles and practices); practice, praxis (the actual classroom teaching); curriculum (lessons and plans adopted by a school or class); assessment (evaluation of teacher and/ or student success in various areas); achievement tests (tests that measure student learning); NCLB (No Child Left Behind Act); MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System).

APA STYLE for Documentation

Educators rely on the American Psychological Association guidelines for formal papers: citing sources and listing sources need to be correctly formatted.

QCC’s Alden Library provides all necessary information on research needs.

Resources

 

Education Index

New York: Wilson, 1929–. An author-subject database of articles in education journals, books, and yearbooks, including both research-based studies and material on classroom practice. Online versions of this index may include abstracts and full text of selected journals.

ERIC: Education Resources Information Center

Washington: Institute of Education Sciences, 1966–. Provides descriptive abstracts of over a million journal articles and ERIC documents—research reports, conference papers, curriculum guides, and other materials—that are not formally published otherwise. This database service is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and is available free online 

Educator’s Reference Desk

http://www.eduref.org. A directory of resource guides and lesson plans, searchable by grade level, as well as a collection of questions and answers about a variety of education topics. The site is a project of the Information Institute of Syracuse.

National Center for Education Statistics

http://nces.ed.gov. Provides a wealth of statistical data on schools and libraries in the United States, including academic achievement; the condition of schools; comparative information on school districts, colleges, and libraries; dropout rates; enrollment trends; school safety; and more. The center is a unit of the U.S. Department of Education.

Encyclopedia of Early Childhood Education

Ed. Leslie R. Williams and Doris P. Fromberg. New York: Garland, 1992. Offers articles on historical, political, economic, sociocultural, intellectual, and educational influences on early childhood education.

Encyclopedia of Education

Ed. James W. Guthrie. 2nd ed. 8 vols. New York: Macmillan Reference, 2003. More than 850 articles cover education theory, history of education, education and social forces, and education reform efforts. Emphasis is on the U.S. experience but the work provides some international perspectives. Volume 8 includes primary sources and a thematic outline.

Encyclopedia of Educational Psychology

Ed. Neil J. Salkind. 2 vols. Los Angeles: Sage, 2008. Provides accessible overviews of research in the field, including cognitive development, gender, peers and peer influence, testing, and classroom management.

Philosophy of Education: An Encyclopedia

Ed. J. J. Chambliss. New York: Garland, 1996. Offers substantial analyses covering various philosophers and their contributions to the field of education; philosophical topics such as behaviorism, critical thinking, and epistemology; and concepts such as school and truth from a philosophical angle.

World Education Encyclopedia: A Survey of Educational Systems Worldwide

Ed. Rebecca Marlow-Ferguson. 2nd ed. 3 vols. Detroit: Gale Group, 2002. Provides overviews of education at all levels throughout the world and some discussion of administration and finance, research, and the state of the profession. The appendix includes comparative statistical tables and maps.

Types of Writing Assignments

 

Reflective essays, journals and field notes: 

These assignments typically require a student to think about and reflect on one’s beliefs, assumptions, experiences and various personal interactions associated with education. A student may be asked to write a “literacy narrative” or an autobiographical description of his/ her earliest memories of school and/ or what it felt like to learn to read or socialize with other children. A student may be asked to write a description of what he believes to be the “ideal” teacher, based on what he experienced as a young child, or to relate a specific anecdote that captures a crucial moment in the early years.

Journals are usually on-going during a course; students are asked to keep a dedicated notebook, file or blog that contains daily observations or notes about a particular topic or theme.

Field notes are notes written in the “field”: in other words, as an observer or student teacher, a student will be expected to keep notes that describe her observations about interactions with children and children’s interactions with each other; class dynamics, and diversity concerns as well as student progress may be noted during specific time duration. Long-term notes may form the basis for an extended essay or serve as a source for a longer assignment that calls for direct, experiential content.

Curriculum Designs and Lesson Plans:

Courses focused on teaching methods require the student to design individual lessons or units in particular content areas.  Perhaps an activity based on several children’s books to extract theme or language skills will be option.  Perhaps plant germination will be the focus of a science lesson. For special education, IEPs may be required for individual students. For any course, students may be expected to incorporate technology into the curriculum design.

Reviews of Instruction Materials:

In a review, the student is expected to assess the value of a set of instructional materials for the classroom. For example, the student may look at several textbooks and explain which would be most useful in a particular classroom setting, for a particular level.

Case Studies:

Many education courses require students to conduct and write case studies. These studies may involve observation and analysis of an individual student, a teacher, a method, or classroom interactions. The goal of a case study may be to determine how the process of teaching or learning takes place or how an event can illuminate something about learning or classroom dynamics.

Research papers:

Students may be expected to focus on broader educational issues or problems that require research and a synthesis of the readings. In other words, the student is expected to survey a body of materials then formulate his own ideas about the topic. In a course about the history of education, for example, a student may opt to research the development or evolution of literacy or the growth of literacy in a particular area of the country or among a particular ethnic group.  In a developmental psychology course, a student may study and report on how students in a given age group learn mathematics or music or science.

Self-evaluations:

As a future teacher, a student will be asked to evaluate her own teaching and learning.  The format of the self-evaluation will vary depending on whether or not the student is assessing her skills as teacher or as learner. Sample questions to consider include the following:

  • What were the strength and weaknesses of your lesson or unit?
  • How did your lesson further student learning?
  • What have you learned about yourself and your students from teaching this class?
  • How can you improve your teaching?

Portfolios:

As a prospective teacher, a student may be expected to assemble a teaching portfolio before graduation.  The purpose of the portfolio is to provide information about the student’s teaching experience and philosophy. The content may vary, but the common documents may include a statement of teaching philosophy, a statement of professional goals, a resume, evaluations from supervisory instructors and sample course materials. A portfolio will most likely be constructed as a print and an electronic document.

Purpose

Human Services is a profession that equips practitioners to serve clients in a variety of professional service settings and outreach organizations.  Human Services draws from a multitude of social arenas and enables practitioners to collaborate with doctors, medical staff, police, detectives, social workers and others professionals who help clients manage the complexities of their lives. Practictioners understand the diverse relationships and circumstances of clients’ lives and assist in their challenges, sometimes intervening for citizens experiencing substance abuse, crime or other victimizations.\

Like any other discipline, the field of Human Services requires students to think critically and write effectively.  Writing assignments allow students to demonstrate Standard Written English competencies and communication skills appropriate to various tasks.

Human Service practitioners aim to understand the larger contexts of individual and family circumstances to explore how the psychology of general human behavior as well as economics, race, class and gender may be involved.  They write for various audiences, perhaps advocating for clients in clinics, out-patient centers, hospitals, nursing homes. Practitioners publish articles for their peers’ review; they may write to politicians to support policy revision; they may gather research related data to present at conferences; and, as college professors, they prepare lectures and course plans.

Graduates of the human services program are prepared to assist clients in coping successfully with a variety of developmental concerns and in solving problems resulting from personal, social, and environmental stress. Graduates may be employed to work with a variety of populations including mental health, intellectual disabilities, substance abuse, aging or gerontology, domestic violence, youth service, correction or criminal justice, health care, recreation or fitness, and vocational rehabilitation. Graduates are qualified to work in a wide range of settings, including community services boards, social services, residential services, day support services, hospice programs, career and vocational counseling, and a variety of other non-profit settings.
Types of jobs for human services majors include Case Worker, Family Support Worker, Child Abuse Worker, Community Outreach Worker, Social Service Liaison, Mental Health Aide, Residential Counselor, Behavioral Mgt Aide, Intake Interviewer, Case Management Aide, Eligibility Counselor, Social Work Assistant, Psychological Aide, Adult Day Care Worker, Life Skills Instructor, Assistant Case Manager, Residential Manager, Social Service Aide, Group Activities Aide, Probation Officer, Case Monitor, Rehabilitation Case Worker, Child Advocate, Juvenile Court Liaison, Gerontology Aide, Community Organizer, Home Health Aide, Therapeutic Assistant, Youth Worker, Halfway House Counselor, Parole Officer, and Social Service Technician

The challenge for students is to think like Human Service practitioners and learn how to address writing tasks as advocates and supporters.

Research Papers and Writing Conventions in Human Services


Research in Human Services relies on the APA method of documentation:

Materials and Resources:                  

Types of Writing Assignments

 

Personal Reflections:

Students may be asked to write brief narratives that reflect their own experiences that may have led to developing interest in the Human Service field. Personal Reflections may be in narrative form, or the instructor may have a particular format in mind and will guide students through assignments.

Intake Narratives: 


Assessments: 

Treatment Plans/  Advocacy Plans/  Interventions: these are typically represented by  Case Notes or “Soap” Notes as follows:

How to Write Psychotherapy Case Notes in SOAP Format

By Samantha Volz, eHow Contributor

To effectively treat patients, doctors, counselors and therapists struggle to understand the needs and concerns of each person they see. This understanding can grow more difficult if a patient sees multiple counselors, because each counselor may have his own opinion of the patient's wants or needs. One solution to this problem is for the counselors to use the SOAP format for taking notes. SOAP stands for subjective, objective, assessment and plan, and according to the Journal of Counseling and Development, this format allows for precise documentation and for holistic expression of needs and concerns of each patient.
SOAP template:

  1. Start the notes with the date and time of the patient's interview or assessment, as well as the patient's personal information, including name, contact information, sex, age and emergency contact person.
  2. Complete the subjective section of the notes with information that the patient has related directly to you. This section includes opinion-based information from the patient: his feelings, concerns, goals for his therapy, etc. Include pertinent comments from friends, family, case workers or other people close to the patient.
  3. Write only fact-based information in the objective section of the notes. This information includes quantitative, verifiable evidence, such as what can be directly observed by the five senses and by scientific measurements. This can include the patient's appearance, any medical measurements taken and obvious behavior.
  4. Analyze the patient's behavior and problems in the assessment section of the notes. This section is often used to speculate a mental diagnosis or potential problems by combining the information from the first two sections and analyzing it with professional thinking.
  5. Create a plan for the patient's treatment and record it in the final section of your SOAP notes. This section often includes the date and time of the patient's next appointment, recommendations for interventions or notes of interventions attempted in the current session and a list of probable gains or goals based on the diagnosis and the client's attitude toward therapy.

Tips

When completing the subjective section of the SOAP, keep direct quotes to a minimum. You should paraphrase in order to best convey the patient's information in a brief assessment. Only include direct quotes if they pertain to potential harm for the patient or the people around him, or if they indicate a significant shift in mental state.

Many counselors use the phrase "as evidenced by" when documenting objective observations in order to back up their facts. The assessment section often includes "clinical impressions," which are a counselor's unofficial diagnosis or notes on what diagnoses to rule out during the patient's care. These must be carefully monitored, and always backed up with objective information, so that the counselor does not appear unprofessional.
Journal of Counseling and Development: SOAP Notes

Purpose

Like any other discipline, the field of history requires students to think critically and write effectively. Writing assignments allow students to “re-see” history as less a compendium of names, dates, and events, and more of a conversation among people interested in knowing the who, what, where, when, and why of particular events.

Historians typically want to place events within larger contexts to explore further how politics, economics, science, race, class and gender and/ or popular culture are involved. They write for various audiences, publishing articles for their peers’ review; writing books that offer fresh interpretations of past events; presenting conference papers and research from their studies; and, as college professors, preparing lectures and course plans.

The challenge for students is to think like historians and learn how to examine primary and secondary sources to formulate their own THESES and arguments about the past.

The Kinds of Questions Historians Ask

In addition to the who, what, where, when, and why, historians ask questions guided by their own areas of expertise or interest. They are typically concerned with new angles or new perspectives on topics and are interested in what the conversations they can evoke with new points of view. Often, historians form communities within communities, based on interests and views, as in the Organization of American Historians: http://www.oah.org/.

Writing Conventions in History

Historians proposed informed views of the past; in other words, historians are knowledgeable about counter arguments or opposing points of view and acknowledge the work of others as they present their own. As they draw conclusions, they will take into consideration what has already been proposed or suggested in relation to their subject.

Historians survey the field and conduct research; they look at what is available as evidence – primary documents such as speeches, diaries, journals, letters, maps, government documents, quantitative or numerical data – and secondary sources.
Historians credit the work and scholarship of others and do not emotionally discredit views contrary to their own.

Historians rely on the CMS system of documentation on their writing. The Chicago Manual of Style is the professional guideline for formatting and citing work.

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html

Types of Writing Assignments

 

Critical Essays:

These assignments typically ask the student to compose a short analytical essay that examines a primary document or a secondary document written by a scholar of history.

For example, a short paper that examines a primary source will describe and explain a document or narrative (or portion of the narrative). If a student selects Mary Rowlandson, The Narrative of the Captivity and the Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson (1682), the paper would likely focus on the event of the captivity as the described by the author AND would likely pose some questions about WHAT Rowlandson wanted to achieve in her “going public” with such a chronicle.

If a student selects a secondary source, The Chosen People of God: Mary Rowlandson’s Captivity Narrative by Caroline Gleason, the paper would likely focus on Gleason’s interpretation of Rowlandson’s narrative and describe Gleason’s THESIS that Rowlandson’s account reinforced commonly held perceptions of belief in the “divine.” The paper would also explain HOW Gleason supports her claim; in other words, the paper would offer adequate support to make Gleason’s thesis reasonable and credible.

Book Reviews:

These assignments typically ask the student to look at the logic and organization of a scholar’s text while also making some judgments, assessments, about the author’s conclusions and the accuracy of the evidence. Book reviews can be complex without a context to situate them in and instructors’ lectures often assist with providing larger pictures.

For example, a review of Chris Matthews’s Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero would likely describe and explain the narrative of JFK’s life as Matthews interprets Kennedy’s life in light of other biographies. Other reviews are often helpful in offering a model to frame such a paper. The Nurturing of JFK by Jacob Heilbrunn [New York Times; Nov 3, 2011] summarizes and explains Matthews’s perspective and what the book offers that others may not. In other words, Heilbrunn assessment, calling the book, “engaging” and “valuable” assumes a comparison to previously written biographies on JFK and allows the reader some insight to the book without necessarily having to read it in full.

Research Papers:

These assignments typically ask the student to select a manageable topic, form a THESIS and support it throughout. The student is expected to pose a question (a why and/ or a how) and survey evidence that helps answer the questions. Depending on the topic, either primary or secondary materials will be required, or a combination of both primary and secondary materials may be needed.

For example, if a student is interested in learning how immigration policies at the turn of the twentieth century may have been based on main stream assumptions about particular ethnic groups, he might look at specific materials that describe how immigrants were treated when they arrived. What questions, exactly, were posed to determine mental/ psychological status? What public health concerns were predominate? What, exactly, was the “inspection” process like? Archival web sites supported by government agencies (e.g. the Dept of Immigration and Naturalization), museums, universities [http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/immigration/links.html ], and documents from Ellis Island would all prove helpful. The paper would then address the why of the how: in other words, why were immigrants treated in the manner they were? Did that treatment reinforce or challenge some ways of thinking about them?

Historiographic Essays:

These essays are studies in the how of writing, actually composing the story of history. An historian writing a historiographic essay carefully examines the methods other historians used to make their claims about a why or how behind the scenes of a particular event -- how others have interpreted the past, how their assumptions or ways of thinking may have influenced their claims or their publications.

For example, a student writing a historigraphic essay about how laws evolved to enable United States women to legally hold property in their own names, would be likely to examine materials that prohibited women from holding property, and she would most likely ask why such prohibitions existed in the first place. She could examine primary sources that promoted biases and/ or assumptions about women’s intellectual abilities, and she could learn about the why of such prohibitions in secondary sources. Theoretically, she could then ask questions about the beliefs of the authors of those secondary sources.

Purpose

Like any other discipline, the field of psychology requires students to think critically and write effectively. Writing assignments allow close investigation of the mental processes and behaviors of humans and animals. Students are expected to think about how the people in our lives display or mirror the various concepts and topics of study. Also, students will need to analyze other specific materials, journal articles and textbook chapters, for example. Instructors will measure how well student synthesize information obtained from other sources by how well students articulate their findings in their own writing.

Psychologists write for various audiences, publishing articles for their peers’ review; presenting research at conferences; lending expertise on public forums to perhaps influence public opinion; recommending policy changes; and, as professors, preparing lectures and course plans.

The challenge for students is to learn how to write in similar fashion, presenting data and analysis as cogently, logically, and neutrally as possible.

The Kinds of Questions Psychologists Ask

At first glance, the kinds of questions that arise from human behavior, human interactions, human development, animal cognition, etc., may seem limitless. Yet, with a narrow focus, questions become manageable and lend themselves to restricted investigations.

Though they cross a huge range of topics, the more specific the question, the more likely a workable hypothesis will evolve.

For example, a student may ask: How are veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan emotionally affected by changes in their personal relationships? Are their relationships affected by their experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and if so, how is their sense of self impacted?

OR

How does blood flow in the brain affect the dopamine production of Alzheimer’s patients in their final stages of cognitive decline?

Writing Conventions in Psychology

Effective writing in psychology will ALWAYS demonstrate
•A clear and directly stated HYPOTHESIS
•Supportive, timely information
•Critical analysis and extended discussion of gathered material
•Suitable formatting (APA style) including correct citations within a paper and listed on a REFERENCE page.
•Appropriate language, including correct grammar, syntax, and locutions.

Resources

Association for Psychological Science

http://www.psychologicalscience.org
Washington: American Psychological Association, 1927–. Formerly called Psychological Abstracts. This database provides more than 2.5 million references to journal articles, books, book chapters, and dissertations in psychology and related fields published from 1840 to the present. Most sources include abstracts; some also provide a complete list of cited works and links to publications that cite the source.

American Psychological Association

http://www.apa.org/
The site for the discipline’s premier organization, providing news from the field; a roundup of selected research on topics such as anger, trauma, addictions, and depression; and information about the organization, such as the APA’s Code of Ethics. Some of the information on this site is available to members only, though some of it, such as the PsycINFO database and APA journals, are available through the Alden library.

National Institute of Mental Health

http://www.nimh.nih.gov
From the federal agency charged with research into mental health and illness, this site offers useful information about health topics and statistics, with links to current research findings and clinical trials.

Social Psychology Network

http://www.socialpsychology.org
A deep directory of resources on topics such as gender and psychology, social cognition, and interpersonal psychology as well as information on programs and organizations, research reports online, and social research groups. The site is maintained by Scott Plous at Wesleyan University.

Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology and Behavioral Science

Ed. W. Edward Craighead and Charles B. Nemeroff. 3rd ed. 4 vols. New York: Wiley, 2001. Defines and discusses terms, theories, methodology, and issues in psychological practice and offers brief biographies of important psychologists.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

(DSM-IV). 4th ed. rev. Washington: American Psychiatric Association, 2000. Classifies and describes mental disorders and includes diagrams to aid diagnosis as well as a glossary of technical terms. A fifth edition is in development, with publication projected for 2012.

Encyclopedia of Human Behavior

Ed. V. S. Ramachandran. 4 vols. San Diego: Academic Press, 1994. Offers articles on a wide range of topics, such as left- or right-handedness, blushing, interpersonal communications, and intelligence. Each article provides an overview of the current state of knowledge about a topic and provides references to research.

Encyclopedia of Mental Health

Ed. Howard S. Friedman et al. 3 vols. San Diego: Academic Press, 1998. Includes substantial articles on major disciplines in the field, research areas, and topics of public interest. Designed for both students and health professionals, this work provides current and thorough coverage of mental disorders, treatments, personality traits, and psychological aspects of such topics as television viewing, parenting, and homelessness.

Encyclopedia of Psychology

Ed. Alan E. Kazdin. 8 vols. Washington: American Psychological Association, 2000. The most thorough and scholarly treatment of psychology topics, including methodology, findings, advances in research, and applications.

Handbook of Psychology

Ed. Irving B. Weiner. 12 vols. New York: Wiley, 2003. A thematically arranged overview of research in the field, with volumes devoted to history; research methods; experimental psychology; and developmental, clinical, educational, organizational, and forensic psychology.

Mental Measurements Yearbook

Lincoln: Buros Institute of Mental Measurements, 1938–. An essential reference work for those interested in psychological tests available to researchers. This work surveys and reviews tests of aptitude, education, achievement, and personality and includes bibliographies of related research.

Types of Writing Assignments

Reflective Papers:

These assignments typically ask the student to think about and describe how one’s own experiences demonstrate psychological principles and/ or concepts. For example, a student might write about her own struggle with smoking cigarettes at a young age and reflect on how peer pressure perhaps contributed to her desire to fit in with a group.

Reaction Papers:

These assignments typically ask the student to think about and describe a response to a specific source – article, book, web site, movie – and how that source demonstrates something about psychological principles or concepts. For example, a student might write about the movie “The Help” and describe, perhaps, a mixed portrayal of race relations of the era.

Literature Reviews:

These assignments typically ask the student to report on and evaluate some aspect of psychology that addresses a specific topic. A literature review surveys the findings of others and often, if the review is meant to be critical, argues a case. Depending on the instructor, it may be presented as an annotated bibliography. For example, a student might present findings from the last five years that speculate about the causes of memory loss in an effort to show how new pharmaceuticals have little effect on delaying or improving loss.

Research Papers:

These assignments typically ask the student to select a manageable topic, form a HYPOTHESIS and support it throughout. The student is expected to survey the research, demonstrate understanding of it, as well as of some of the current debates within the circles or researchers. The paper should cite findings that both support and counter the hypothesis. For example, a student may research the topic of whether or not Facebook is a hindrance to traditional understandings of intimacy. If the student incorporates surveys, questionnaires, etc., into the discussion, that “field” research presents its findings in line with other published materials.

Peer-reviewed journals are the core bank of materials students are expected to examine in analysis. EVERY research paper is expected to analyze research on the topic at hand.

English Courses

The list below contains a list of English topics.

Note: All associate degree programs at Quinsigamond require ENG 101 and ENG 102 except specific technical programs for which ENG 105 is recommended.

*F -- Fall, S -- Spring, SU -- Summer

Communication

COM 100 - Introduction to Mass Communication

This course focuses on the relationship between mass communication and culture, asking how television, film, radio, Internet, and print media impact contemporary life; how news, politics, advertising, popular culture, entertainment and human behavior have been influenced by the history and technological development of the media. Topics also include government regulation of the media, as well as media professions and evolving practices.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F/S
Corequisites: ENG 101
COM 101 - Journalism I

This course focuses on theory and practice of journalism fundamentals for print and broadcast media including social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat) as a part of a brief history of media development and present trends. Students examine basic news reporting for newspaper with emphasis on lead writing, interviewing, researching and preparing new stories. Topics covered include discussions of libel laws and ethics as well as techniques of editing. This course also covers criticism and analysis of college and local area media.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F/S
Prerequisites: COM 100
COM 102 - Journalism II

This course focuses on advanced reporting in gathering news for multimedia. Students examine and practice specialized types of reporting including interviewing, covering speeches, meetings, local/college government. Also, students track news, simulate dynamics of newsroom environment, and write under pressure. Students learn to write headlines, edit, revise, and expand written material to make it suitable for publication in the school newspaper and professional publication.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F/S
Prerequisites: COM 101

English

ENG 090 - Basic Reading Skills

This course focuses on developing reading skills. Students locate main ideas, recognize supporting details, locate transitions, identify patterns of organization, analyze the use of inferences and vocabulary. They employ skimming and scanning techniques, analyze word meaning through contextual and word structure analyses, and develop dictionary skills. The minimum passing grade for developmental courses is a "C".

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F/S/SU
Prerequisites: Appropriate placement score
Please Note: This developmental course cannot be used to satisfy degree or certificate requirements
ENG 091 - Intermediate Reading Skills

This course helps students to read independently in college level courses. Students acquire strategies for improving vocabulary and reading comprehension as well as critical thinking skills while emphasizing both academic reading and reading for studying. The minimum passing grade for developmental courses is a "C".

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F/S/SU
Prerequisites: ENG 090 with a grade of "C" or higher or appropriate placement score
Please Note: This developmental course cannot be used to satisfy degree or certificate requirements
ENG 092 - College Reading Strategies

This course helps students to gain, practice, and perfect college level reading and comprehension skills using adaptive, self-paced reading technology. Students develop critical thinking abilities, improve vocabulary, language use, reading comprehension, and textbook command. The minimum passing grade for college readiness courses is a "C".

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F/S/SU
Prerequisites: Appropriate placement score
Please Note: This college readiness course cannot be used to satisfy degree or certificate requirements
ENG 093 - College Writing Strategies

This course helps students develop writing competence using adaptive, self-paced writing technology. Students will practice writing sentences, paragraphs, and essays, while learning how to recognize and use basic sentence patterns and write clear paragraphs containing a topic sentence, idea development, and a supportive conclusion. As students progress, they will write unified, supported, essays using grammatically sound sentences. Assignments are individually paced to prepare for college level writing courses. The minimum passing grade for college readiness courses is a "C".

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F/S/SU
Prerequisites: Appropriate placement score
Please Note: This college readiness course cannot be used to satisfy degree or certificate requirements
ENG 095 - Basic Writing Skills

This course helps students develop competence in written communication by practicing writing clear sentences and paragraphs. Students learn how to recognize and use basic sentence patterns and to write coherent paragraphs containing a topic sentence, idea development, and a strong conclusion. Students complete a variety of writing assignments and develop the skills needed for ENG 096 Intermediate Writing Skills. Taking the departmental final examination is a requirement of the course. The minimum passing grade for developmental courses is a "C".

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F/S/SU
Prerequisites: Appropriate placement score
Please Note: This developmental course cannot be used to satisfy degree or certificate requirements
ENG 096 - Intermediate Writing Skills

This course helps students develop writing competence by practicing writing paragraphs and essays. Students learn to write unified, supported, coherent essays using grammatically sound sentences. Assignments focus on writing a variety of paragraphs and essays in order to prepare for college level writing courses. Taking the departmental final examination is a requirement of the course. The minimum passing grade for developmental courses is a "C".

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F/S/SU
Prerequisites: ENG 095 with a grade of "C" or higher or appropriate placement score
Please Note: This developmental course cannot be used to satisfy degree or certificate requirements
ENG 097 - The Reading-Writing Connection

This course analyzes college level essay writing by emphasizing the reading-writing connection. Students examine writing through reading and analyzing essay models and also refine their critical reading and writing skills by focusing on the writing process and effective reading strategies. Students develop a familiarity with library resources. Taking the Departmental Exam for writing is a requirement of this course. A minimum passing grade of "C" is required.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F/S
Prerequisites: Appropriate placement score
Please Note: This developmental course cannot be used to satisfy degree or certificate requirements
ENG 099 - College Reading & Writing Strategies

This course is an integrated reading and writing course that builds college reading comprehension and composition competence. Students develop critical reading, writing, and thinking abilities, and improve vocabulary and language use, while focusing on the reading and writing connection and process. Technology tools are used in this course. The minimum passing grade for college readiness courses is a "C".

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F/S/SU
Prerequisites: Appropriate placement; any student testing into or self-placing into developmental English may enroll in this course
Please Note: This college readiness course cannot be used to satisfy degree or certificate requirements
ENG 101 - Composition I

The course focuses on theme-based argument. Students practice and develop critical reading, thinking, and writing skills necessary for college. Students read, analyze, and summarize college level analytic arguments from various genres (popular, academic, etc.) and compose research-based analytic arguments based on the course's theme. Students become aware of writing decisions made for different audiences, purposes, and genres, with a focus on academic writing conventions. Students also learn beginning research skills, including appropriate quotation, summary, paraphrase, and documentation skills. At the end of the semester, students compile a portfolio of 15-25 pages, to include their summary, synthesis, and analysis projects.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F/S/SU
Prerequisites: Placement into college level English
ENG 102 - Composition II
This theme-based course, the second in the composition sequence, develops and refines skills learned in ENG 101, with a specific focus on independent research. Students sharpen rhetorical, critical thinking, and academic writing skills and practice locating, evaluating, summarizing, synthesizing, and citing primary and secondary sources. Students will manage a sustained independent inquiry project(s) to include a research question or problem analysis, an annotated bibliography, and a research project. By the end of the semester, students will compile a portfolio of 15-25 pages that includes a self-reflection assignment and displays a writing and research process to include pre-writing, drafting, feedback, revision, and appropriate citation.
Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F/S/SU
Prerequisites: ENG 101
ENG 105 - Technical Writing

This course focuses on writing letters, memos, resumes, lab reports, instructions/processes and technical descriptions, and design visual aids. Instructional emphasis is placed on clarity, correctness, conciseness, audience, precision, accuracy, organization, and document design in writing technical documents.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F/S
Prerequisites: ENG 101
ENG 200 - Children's Literature

This course introduces students to the nature, variety, and artistry of children's stories. Students examine various modes of the genre and investigate why stories are necessary and popular teaching vehicles for the intellectual growth and development of children. Students discuss and explore numerous tales, fables, myths, and literary archetypes. Special emphasis is placed on selected visually orientated stories and their context in today's society. Students write individual reports and interact in panel discussions, commentary, and discussions of the merits of contemporary works.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F/S/SU
Prerequisites: ENG 102
ENG 202 - Creative Writing

This course centers on weekly student writing of poems, short stories, plays or personal essays. Specific Projects will be determined by individual and group interests. Group discussion of works-in-process will aid the student to achieve a significant creative writing project for the semester. Examples of creative excellence will be read and discussed, with some attention to critical and aesthetic theory.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F/S
Prerequisites: ENG 102
ENG 203 - Writing Poetry

This course focuses on writing fixed and free verse forms. Students learn the technical vocabulary of poetry and apply it to the work of classic and contemporary poets, as well as their own work and the work of their peers. Students present their poems in a group setting, and receive and provide both oral and written critiques.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F
Prerequisites: ENG 102
ENG 204 - Writing Fiction

This course focuses on writing short story and/or novel prose. Students learn the technical vocabulary of the craft and apply it to the work of classic and contemporary fiction writers, as well as their own work and the work of their peers. Students present their writing in a group setting, and receive and provide both oral and written critiques.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: S
Prerequisites: ENG 102
ENG 205 - Technical and Workplace Writing

This course covers the theory and practice of writing appropriate to the workplace. While the course is designed for students interested in technical applications, it is useful for anyone who intends to enter an occupation that requires writing assignments such as resumes, reports, or proposals, instructions, web pages, abstracts, technical descriptions, and letters and memos in either traditional or electronic format. Other technically-oriented assignments may be included as well. Students explore concepts such as critical thinking, empathy, style, tone, persuasion, precision, simplicity, readability, ethics, etiquette, graphics, electronic and hard copy elements of design, and collaborative writing. Students develop a portfolio to show prospective employers.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F/S/SU
Prerequisites: ENG 102, Computer Literacy
ENG 209 - Creative Nonfiction

This course covers topics based in reality using the tools of fiction - structure, characterization, plot, scene, dialogue, style, etc. - to animate storytelling and discover truth. Students examine readings from this genre both as scholars and writers, and cover core components of crafting memoir, personal essays, and literary journalism. Students also examine topics that include the role of memory, perception, subjectivity and ethical questions inherent in this genre as students produce original work of creative nonfiction.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F/S
Prerequisites: ENG 102
ENG 210 - Introduction to Literary Theory

This course covers seminal extracts from the work of major literary/cultural theorists especially those whose work initiated particular schools of literary/cultural criticism. Students examine the work of these theorists in the order in which they appeared on the historical scene. Students also explore how the work of each theorist built upon, extended, challenged, or problematized, that of predecessors. Students apply these taught theories to several major works of literature. The class runs as a seminar and culminates with a final essay.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F/S
Prerequisites: ENG 101
ENG 231 - World Literature I: Ancient World to 18th Century

This course examines the history and growth of great books and ideas and their relevance to modern times. Students read literary selections from the ancient world to the 18th century to help them understand the sense and perspectives of major world writers. Students learn to demonstrate an understanding of both Eastern and Western literary traditions through class discussions and written assignments.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F
Prerequisites: ENG 102
ENG 232 - World Literature II: 18th Century to Present

This course complements ENG 231 by examining the history, growth, and cross influences of ideas and their impact on views of the modern world. Students study major writings and writers of both Eastern and Western literature from the 18th century to the present. Students learn how to understand the universal themes of great literature and the relevance of those themes in the modern world.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: S
Prerequisites: ENG 102
ENG 241 - British Literature I: Beginning to 1750

This course explores British literature from its beginnings to 1750. Students examine major representative authors of the Anglo-Saxon, medieval, Renaissance, metaphysical, and Restoration periods. Students study the major developments in English literature and develop an understanding of the relevancy of key themes of early British literature to present works. The course also explores the evolution of the English language from its beginnings in Old English to its modern-day form.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F
Prerequisites: ENG 102
ENG 242 - British Literature II: 1750 to Present

This course explores British literature from 1750 to the present. Students explore key literary and cultural movements that occurred during the Romantic, Victorian, 20th century, and contemporary periods. Selected works cover several literary genres including poetry, drama, the essay, the short story, and the novel.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: S
Prerequisites: ENG 102
ENG 251 - American Literature I: 1600 to 1870

This course examines American literature from approximately 1600-1870, covering poetry, fiction, essays, and autobiography. Students explore literary movements and major authors of major American time periods including the Puritan, colonial, Revolutionary, Romantic, Transcendentalist, and abolitionist eras. Students examine how writers influenced both their own times and subsequent generations.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F
Prerequisites: ENG 102
ENG 252 - American Literature II: 1870 to Present

This course examines American literature from the mid-1800s to the present, including poetry, fiction, essays, and autobiography. Students explore literary movements, major authors, and trends of the various time periods. Topics include American regional writing; American Realism; literature during and between the two world wars; the literatures of American minorities; and the contemporary literature of disillusionment. Students explore texts both as literary works and as products of historical forces.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: S
Prerequisites: ENG 102
ENG 256 - The Short Story

This course focuses on reading and analyzing short stories by renowned writers from various cultures. Students participate in class discussions and write papers to demonstrate close reading skills, to express individual interpretation, and to understand the common themes and unique literary characteristics of the genre. Students also examine cultural and historical contexts that influenced the authors.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F/SU
Prerequisites: ENG 102
ENG 260 - Special Topics in English

Special Topics in English provides an opportunity for specialized literary study of various topics from year to year. Special Topics may feature a particular literary theme, an historical era, a genre, a single author or group of authors, specific regional or national literature, or other topics defined by the teaching professor. Research papers or projects may constitute a significant portion of the course requirements. This course will vary in any number of ways according to the discretion of the instructor and the instructor's choice of text(s).

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F/S
Prerequisites: ENG 102
ENG 261 - African American Literature I

This course examines African American literature and vernacular culture from 1746 to 1940. Students explore the major authors, genres, aesthetics, political movements, and intersectional tropes of the period. The course focuses on the slave narrative, the Abolitionist movement, minstrelsy, the Civil War, racial uplift politics, Reconstruction, plantation literature, Post-Reconstruction, the New Negro movement, the Great Migration, the New Deal, Popular Front radicalism, and social realism. Students also explore representations of the law and technology in the primary texts. The course emphasizes African American resistance, agency, transculturation, intertextuality, and cultural continuity.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F
Prerequisites: ENG 102
ENG 262 - African American Literature II

This course examines African American literature and vernacular culture from 1940 to 2017. Students explore the major authors, genres, aesthetics, political movements, and intersectional tropes of the period. The course focuses on the Great Migration, Popular Front radicalism, social realism, the Civil Rights/Black Power movements, the Black Arts movement, and the post-Civil Rights ethos. Students also explore representations of the law and technology in the primary texts. The course emphasizes African American resistance, agency, transculturation, intertextuality, and cultural continuity.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: S
Prerequisites: ENG 102

Speech

SPH 101 - Speech Communication Skills

This course covers organization and delivery skills, and the development of confidence necessary for effective oral communication. Students organize speeches for both specific and general audiences; and prepare and present extemporaneous and impromptu speeches on a variety on contemporary issues. Students implement principles and practices of public communication through evaluated classroom activities including the use of PowerPoint® presentations.

Credits: 3
Semester Offered: F/S/SU
Prerequisites: Placement into college level English

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