First-Year Writing: Key Points on Syllabus, Office Hours, Extensions, Grading

Course policies and syllabus

You are responsible for understanding and following syllabus policies, including AI policies; policies can vary by department/professor.
Review the syllabus and course schedule to know due dates and policies; use them as the first reference for answering questions about deadlines.
Late policy: rely on the course schedule for due dates and decisions; tests cannot be submitted late—must be taken when assigned. Extensions may be possible in emergencies if communicated in advance; proof is not required, but abuse will be questioned.
Syllabus and course schedule are primary sources for official policies and due dates.

Class location: Humanities Building (blue cupola); cap for this section is
25 students.
Office hours: Mondays 12:30–03:30; by appointment other times; instructor may not be physically available outside these times.
Use office hours for substantive questions; avoid trivial questions that are clearly answered by the syllabus.
Communication: email is the expected channel; all instructors must have office hours and will respond during those times.
Use Canvas or Outlook for messages; include a good subject line and a professional greeting.

When requesting an extension, do so in advance if possible; use emergency circumstances as the rationale and keep it to a single request per situation.
Do not require proof for emergencies; a brief explanation is enough (e.g., family emergency, illness).
If requesting an extension, make the email concise:
- Subject: e.g., "Project 1 extension" or similar.
- Greeting: e.g., "Dear Instructor Waters,".
- Content: brief reason and requested new due date (e.g., "Could I turn it in by Wednesday?").
- Closing: a polite sign-off and your name.
Do not send vague messages like simply "help"; be specific about the request.
If working in groups, include all group members’ names in the closing to reflect group effort.

Mention emergencies concisely; no proof required; advance notice is best.
If extensions are requested for every project, expect questions; use sparingly and legitimately.

No quizzes or tests in this course; five major projects exist.
Projects and grading scheme:
- Project 1: Language autoethnography; pass/fail (threshold-based).
- Process work: 25\% of the final grade, allocated as **5\% per project.
- Process work includes in-class writings, drafts, peer editing, conferencing, and related daily work (e.g., the email you send as part of class practice).
- Project 5: Final project; holistic assessment (not a test) with a single due date; evaluated on argument, evidence, sentence structure, and style; grammar matters only insofar as it impedes understanding.
Weighting example: strong emphasis on process work; even excellent end products may only yield a middle grade if process work is lacking.
All projects are due roughly every 3\text{ to }4\text{ weeks}, and due dates are highlighted in blue in the schedule.
Sunday nights are typically the grading window; weekends are used for grading only when necessary.

First unit schedule is finalized and outlines:
- In-class topics, readings, and the process grades for each class meeting.
- Tuesday/Thursday session structure and assigned readings.
Week-by-week progression (informal conferences to drafts to peer editing) builds toward the final draft:
- Week 1: Introduce assignment and requirements; look at samples.
- Week 2: Informal conferences in class to get questions answered.
- Week 3: Bring a draft; peer editing on Thursday to leave with an edited draft.
- Week 4+: Continue with readings; more drafts and feedback as scheduled.

The instructor has not relied on AI but acknowledges available tools (e.g., Grammarly, Google Docs, Microsoft Word) for editing and style suggestions.
AI tools can help with idea generation and phrasing; appropriate, ethical use includes maintaining your voice and integrity of work.
For projects (e.g., Project 2), AI can be used to brainstorm ideas and improve phrasing; treat AI politely and use it to supplement your own writing.
Ethical use includes leveraging AI to enhance ideas, clarity, or phrasing rather than outsourcing the writing entirely.

Some majors have GPA requirements to stay in the program; for graduate or professional school (grad school, law, med), GPA can be important.
Your focus should align with your trajectory; for this course, prioritize timely completion and strong process work to support your final grade.