Syllabus

Writing 2 – Fall 2026

ACE Section
Scheduled M/W 11:00pm – 12:50pm
Class Location: ILP 3207
Enrl Code: 48926
Class Google Shared Drive
Group Information

Scheduled M/W 1:00pm – 2:50pm
Class Location: ILP 3207
Enrl Code: 49007
Class Google Shared Drive
Group Information

Dr. Elizabeth Saur

Zoom Office Hours: Thursdays 12:00 – 1:30pm or by appointment
Physical Office: Girvetz 1310
Zoom Office: You can also follow this link during those times to chat: https://ucsb.zoom.us/my/bethsoffice (Zoom Meeting ID: 220-954-0603)

Email: esaur@ucsb.edu

While I hope we can all work productively with the policies and descriptions I have included here, I fully recognize the reality that we will encounter various challenges along the way. If you are having difficulty with either an assignment or a technology, or if you have any other concerns, please let me know. We can work together to find creative and purposeful solutions for whatever challenge or issue you are experiencing.

Texts and Required Resources:

  • Access to our course website at writ2.bethscourses.com (for syllabus, assignment prompts, schedule, resources, updates, etc.)
  • Access to our Google Drive class folder and your individual Google Drive class folder (where you will be drafting and submitting assignments)
  • Access to the OWL at Purdue (owl.purdue.edu)

Syllabus Quick Navigation

Course Description:

Writing 2 is designed to help you not only improve your writing skills and methods of communication, but also to develop your analytical and critical thinking abilities. Throughout this course, we will practice techniques for academic reading and writing, learn approaches for working with and understanding genres, and develop new strategies for engaging in critical inquiry. You will be challenged to think critically about rhetorical choices made by scholars and authors across various genres and in various disciplines as you identify and consider the relationships between concepts of purpose, audience, context, and language. Ultimately, we will work together to learn how the mastery of language can foster personal growth and development in both the academic and professional communities, as well as the social environment in which we find ourselves every day.

As we are going through unpredictable circumstances together, I realize that many of us are experiencing additional challenges that will arise out of both personal situations and the current state of affairs–locally and globally. I recognize this and will do what I can to make this a worthwhile experience for everyone involved. I think that if we are generous with ourselves and with one another, if we have patience, and if we engage with both the material and each other as much as we can, we can make this class both productive for your development as writers and, dare I say… fun.

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Course Assignments

We will discuss the individual criteria for each assignment as the course progresses; however, all work for this course should meet the requirements established for each assignment, should demonstrate understanding of audience, context, and purpose, and should be considerate and respectful of others.  While I will be assessing your work based on the content of your essays, rather than on grammatical correctness, your final essays should also reflect a significant amount of time spent focused on revision for clarity, cohesion, and structure. In this course, we will be working on the following:

Major Assignments

  • Genre Analysis: For the first essay, we will focus on understanding standard text conventions. You will select a genre (either academic or non-academic), and you will compose a “How to” essay explaining how one would write in that specific genre. (1200-1500 words, double spaced).
  • Research Exploration Project: In the second major assignment, you will pick a place and research that place. In doing so, you will write an annotated bibliography (3-5 brief entries) and a synthesis/reflection essay (about 600-900 words). You can choose to research any place that you have a connection with or have interest about, and should focus your synthesis on a specific aspect of that place. Ideally, your research exploration project will help you develop the background knowledge you will need in order to compose the final paper.
  • Final Genre Project and Reflection: For the final major assignment in this course, you will write about a place for a specific purpose and audience (aka in a specific genre). This focus of this project should be the place that you researched for your research exploration project. Given that various genres differ in terms of length and format, the expectations for this final project may vary depending on your selection; however, for a rough guideline… figure the final product should be at least 1200 words. Additionally, you will compose and submit an accompanying 600-900 word reflective piece that explains and demonstrates how your written piece adheres to and participates in the genre that you have chosen.

Weekly Work

  • Participation Notebooks: Almost every week, in your individual folder in Google Drive, you will contribute to your participation notebook (on Wednesdays at some point after you meet with your group). In this notebook, you will briefly cover your group discussion/activity, whatever you found interesting or meaningful, and whatever questions you have. (There will be some weeks when this will be replaced by a different type of reflective activity. During these weeks, you will not be expected to complete a participation notebook entry. This is explained on the schedule itself.)
  • Writing Activities: Throughout the course, you will occasionally compose shorter papers and/or other varieties of assignments. The criteria for this writing will vary depending on the assignment, but they should demonstrate a high level of thought and purpose. These will all be done in our Shared Google Drive.
  • Peer-Response Workshops: While we will be “workshopping” in one way or another throughout this quarter, if you fail to participate in a peer-response workshop session, the credit will be difficult to make up (though not impossible). These sessions are an important aspect of drafting, development, and revising, and will factor into your overall assessment.

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Grading:

To calculate grades, I will use a contract grading method [1], which places emphasis on the level of your effort and engagement in the course, rather than simply on the quality of your writing. Years of research have proven that the most effective way to improve your writing is to write as much as you can while talking about, reflecting on, and revising that writing … and this grading method makes all of this possible within the framework of our course.

Additionally, contract grading is freeing for both teachers and students, allowing us “to think more about writing and less about grades” (Danielewicz and Elbow, 2009, p. 249). With less focus on the grade, we can all focus more on the feedback and the overall learning that happens when we write. I want you to be able to approach the class and its activities with a sense of curiosity, enthusiasm, and excitement and with less fear and worry. Ultimately, I hope this will encourage you to trust yourself and the process, let yourself make mistakes, take feedback into consideration, and engage in dialogue with me about your projects and writing (rather than your grade).

Getting a “B”

You earn the grade of at least “B” entirely on the basis of what you do—on your conscientious effort and participation. Beyond meeting the minimum requirements of the assignment, the grade of at least B does not derive from my judgment about the quality of your writing.

The grade of at least “B” is guaranteed based on the following expectations:

  1. Weekly Work:
    • You can “make-up” two weekly assignments (participation notebooks and writing activities) and still satisfy the “B” contract. (These can be completed at any point throughout the quarter.) Any more than that will fall short of the “B” contract.
    • You can miss two weekly assignments (participation notebooks and writing activities) and still satisfy the “B” contract. (These can be completed at any point throughout the quarter.) Any more than that will fall short of the “B” contract.
  2. Major Assignments:
    • You must complete all major projects including rough drafts, peer-response sessions, and final drafts.
    • You can “make-up” one major assignment while still satisfying the “B” contract.
  3. Level of Engagement:
    • You should give thoughtful peer feedback during each group peer response session.
    • You should demonstrate sustained effort and investment on each draft of all papers.
    • You should make substantive revisions between drafts—extending or changing the thinking or organization—not just editing or touching up.
    • You should be present and involved in class discussions and activities as much as circumstances will allow, attending at least 80% of the class sessions.
    • You should meet with me for at least 1 individual meeting.
  4. CLAS Tutorial Sessions:
    • You must attend at least two CLAS writing tutorial sessions throughout the quarter.

Grades higher than a B, however, do factor in the quality of your writing, notable levels of sustained engagement, and an additional reflective component.

+/- Grades will be assigned at my discretion. They will be used in cases when your assignments and participation suggest you labored above and beyond the expectations (+) or the quality and completeness of your major projects, smaller assignments, and participation is lacking in one way or another (-). You are always welcome to ask about this!

Getting Higher than a “B”

To earn grades higher than “B”, you must meet all of the expectations of the “B” contract AND submit a contract self-assessment.

  • A contract self-assessment is an 800-1000 word document in which you make an evidence-based argument that you have excelled beyond the standard “B” grade in the course. That is, demonstrate to me how you have not only satisfied the expectations of the “B” contract, but have done more. Ultimately, you should prove to me that you have dedicated exceptional attention to the development of your abilities as a writer. This can be demonstrated through:
    • The quality of work that you produce for the course,
    • Ways that you seek out and incorporate feedback from both me and your peers,
    • Revisions that you make to your work,
    • Notable attendance and engagement in both class and group discussions,
    • Additional CLAS appointments (beyond the 2 required for a “B”), and
    • Outstanding labor, time, and overall effort that you have dedicated to this course.
  • The formatting and approach for the contract self-assessment is up to you, but it should demonstrate attention to detail and careful consideration of your choices, That is, while it can be written informally, it should have a clear structure, purpose, and intentionality.
  • Note: While you must submit a contract self-assessment in order to earn a grade higher than a “B,” this self-assessment does not guarantee a higher grade. At the end of the quarter, I will read your argument and evaluate the final drafts of all of your major projects as well as your overall engagement to make this determination.

You must turn in all major projects to pass the class.

Your concerns are important to me. If you feel uncomfortable with this grading arrangement, please arrange an appointment with me within the first two weeks of the quarter. I’m happy to arrange an “opt out” for you and switch you over to a more traditional grading system. 

[1] This contract comes from Elbow, P. and J. Danielewicz. (2009). A unilateral grading contract to improve learning and teaching. CCC, 61(2), 244-68).

*Note: You are always free to ask for feedback and or help at any time during the quarter. (Really, I love to “talk” about writing.)

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Course Policies and Resources:

Google Drive / Zoom:

This course will make use of Google Drive and Zoom. On our course website, located at writ2.bethscourses.com, you will find the syllabus, schedule, assignment prompts and links to course readings. We will be using Google Drive for all writing, including the essay submissions, peer response, instructor feedback, in-class activities, etc. We will be using Zoom minimally – for individual meetings with me or as a last resort option for necessary absences. (If Zoom is inaccessible for whatever reason, we can work out alternatives… just let me know.)

For more information about each of these technologies, check out the Online Resources page on this website, where you can find detailed explanations about each platform as well as useful links to help you get started and become familiar with them.

Keep in mind, the course schedule is tentative and is subject to change based on the needs and interests of the class. You are responsible for regularly checking the schedule for updates. (If it is at all avoidable, do not email your final essay submissions. It complicates things and presents significant delay in the turn-around time for feedback.)

Campus Learning Assistance Services (CLAS):

Writing support is available to everyone on campus at CLAS  (https://clas.sa.ucsb.edu/subjects/writing-languages); 893-3269. Here, peer tutors provide individual assistance to students on writing assignments, ESL, and languages across the disciplines — any writing at any stage of the writing process. Tutorials are available on a drop-in or by-appointment basis. Additionally, CLAS offers many small-group workshops that are helpful to all students who would like to learn and try out new approaches to studying and writing.

ACE Section – As part of the ACE designation for this course, we’ll be working closely with CLAS throughout the quarter. We will have visits from our course-assigned tutor, Siena, with whom you will also be scheduling one-on-one tutorials at CLAS. You can find more about how we’ll be integrating CLAS into the course here, or feel free to visit the CLAS website or stop by the Student Resource Building 3231 for more information.

Revision:

Revision is an integral part of the writing process. In fact, I believe that no writing is ever really finished; it is simply put down. Along these lines, you will have ample opportunity to revise your work before it is due. Additionally, if you would like to revise your work after you have received feedback from me, I fully support it! Just let me know.

Late Work:

As part of the contract grading approach, you may find deadlines slightly more forgiving than in other classes. That said, all work should be completed by the established deadline. The schedule of this course combined with all the extenuating circumstances will make it difficult for you to catch up once you have fallen behind. If you know (or suspect) beforehand that you will need more time, please get in touch with me. While I have created deadlines (to help make it all manageable for you), I also want to be flexible. I know many of you are dealing with a lot: taking care of yourself, physically, mentally, and emotionally; dealing with technology access issues and challenges; processing events in the world at large, etc. What is important here is communication: please let me know as soon as you can and update me whenever you can. Do your best to let me know in advance if you anticipate needing extensions or other accommodations so we can work together to help you figure it out. I understand that life can sometimes unexpectedly get in the way, so if you are having a problem, let me know. Please. 🙂

Backing up Work:

Please make sure to have a plan for backing up all of your digital work in multiple places in case of computer failure (or any other unforeseen calamities). Please also save all of the writing you complete for class.

Respect / Community:

As you participate in the various aspects of this course, keep in mind that we are all going through it together. Be generous and patient with others and with yourself. As we will be sharing our writing with one another, please also know that personal insults or attacks on an individual person’s race, class, gender, sexuality, or disability will not be tolerated. In other words, be courteous, respectful, and kind to your fellow humans.

Academic Integrity / Plagiarism:

The assumption in Writing 2 is that the writing you submit is your own original writing — that is, produced originally for this class. The expectation is that you will appropriately identify that portion of your work which is collaborative with others, or which is borrowed from others, or which is your own work from other contexts. To copy someone else’s writing without acknowledging that use is an act of academic as well as professional dishonesty, whether you borrow an entire report or a single sentence. These forms of dishonesty constitute serious breaches of academic integrity. If you have doubts about whether or not you are using your own or others’ writing ethically, ask me.

That said, we are now entering into an unknown, exciting, and anxiety-producing space when it comes to human collaboration with generative artificial intelligences. Rather than ignore or attempt to reject this reality, I find it best to learn productive ways to work with it. So, with this in mind, you are welcome to use GAI models to help you with your writing process; however, I expect you to be completely transparent in how you do so. That is, any time you opt to collaborate with ChatGPT or any other language processing model, you need to include an AI Transparency Statement along with your final draft.

When you have used artificial intelligence–at any stage of the writing process–you should also include a statement that answers the following questions:

  • First, has any text been generated using AI?
  • Second, has any text been improved using AI? This might include an AI system like Grammarly offering suggestions to reorder sentences or words to increase a clarity score.
  • Third, has any text been suggested using AI? This might include asking ChatGPT for an outline, or having the next paragraph drafted based on previous text.
  • Fourth, has the text been corrected using AI and – if so – have suggestions for spelling and grammar been accepted or rejected based on human discretion?

Full Disclosure: This statement was taken from the Guardian article by Kester Brewin, Why I wrote an AI transparency statement for my book, and think other authors should too.

Academic Support and Access:

I am available to help you with your writing. Please feel free to drop into my office hours or contact me via email; I am happy to work with you in whatever way facilitates your work in this class. You can also access many additional resources below or visit the Online Resources & FAQs page on the website for more.

  • Disabled Students Program (DSP) provides a wide array of academic support services to eligible students with documented disabilities. These services include note takers, readers, sign language interpreters, facilitation of access, and adaptive computing equipment. If you have a disability and would like to discuss accommodations, please contact them (893-2668) directly and/or me as soon as possible.
  • Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) is committed to providing timely, culturally appropriate, and effective mental health services. All registered students are eligible for services at CAPS. You can find their site at http://caps.sa.ucsb.edu/. Please take care of your whole self while you’re in college (and afterwards). We all need help to do that sometimes.
  • The Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity works with students, staff, and faculty to ensure that LGBTQ identities, experiences and concerns are represented and addressed at UCSB. The center aims to create a vibrant and engaging environment through social and educational programming, volunteer and leadership opportunities, a comfortable and welcoming social and study space, and professional and student staff members for support and advocacy. For more info, please see http://rcsgd.sa.ucsb.edu/.
  • First Generation Students: Over 40% of UCSB students will be the first in their family to graduate from a four-year college! The university has some great resources for first generation students here: http://www.ondas.ucsb.edu/.
  • Associated Students Food Bank: The Food Bank is a free service that offers food, toiletries, and other basic need items. They also have a Seed Bank program where you are given everything needed to start a garden. Please check out their website at https://foodbank.as.ucsb.edu/ for the full range of services. Registration is easy and the staff is ready to help you access some amazing resources.

On a Final Note

Please know that I am available to help you with your writing throughout this quarter. Feel free to utilize my office hours or contact me via email; I am happy to work with you in whatever way facilitates your work in this class. But also please know I am also available if you just need someone to chat with. I recognize that none of us exists in vacuum, that we are all people beyond our identities of “student” and “teacher,” and that there is a lot to be gained from just having someone listen. So, don’t hesitate to reach out and we can chat on Zoom (or FaceTime or Skype or WebEx or Google Hangouts, etc). There’s no need to go through it alone.

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