Massasoit - English Department

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English Department Curriculum

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The typical Massasoit graduate completes at least six credits in English, as described in the Core Curriculum . Assessment in reading and writing are part of the orientation process for new students, and the department faculty place students into the courses that are appropriate to their skills. Some are placed into Preparing for College Reading I , Preparing for College Reading II , and/or Introductory Writing, courses that do not fulfill degree requirements, but do prepare students for the course work required by their programs. English Composition I and English Composition II are the typical sequence of required courses for most students, but a few test out of English Composition I and take English Composition II and another designated English, journalism, speech, or modern language course.

Student Qualifying Essay Outcomes (PDF)

The department offers a range of electives beyond the first year writing sequence to give students the opportunity to expand their knowledge and appreciation of many writers and literary traditions of the world. Several are offered as web-based courses. All of the courses provide opportunities for students to continue to develop as writers.

The Qualifying Essay

The departmental standard for establishing a student's eligibility for exiting English Composition I is an essay written in class and meeting the Qualifying Essay Outcomes (25k PDF). Achieving the QE standard does not guarantee a student a passing grade in Composition I. It merely indicates that a student is qualified to be considered for a passing grade if, in the instructor's judgment, the quantity and quality of all the student's work warrants a passing grade. Students are apt to consider the QE an examination, but it is not one. Rather, it is a standard for evaluating in-class writing, one which the department has determined a student should have multiple opportunities to meet. Any in-class writing, including examination essays and the writing sample taken at the second class session, provide such an opportunity.

In addition to establishing student eligibility to exit Composition I, the QE serves several other functions. It provides a common denominator for our curriculum while still allowing faculty the freedom to shape the course of study according to their pedagogical preferences and the needs of their students. It provides students with a clear statement of minimum expectations in Composition I. It provides faculty with guidelines for grading, thus encouraging objectivity and fairness. It supports faculty in those difficult end-of-the-semester situations when a student's progress has not been sufficient for advancement to Composition II. It gives students guided practice in in-class, time-limited writing, a skill useful for essay exams and other writing sample performances (such as the Massachusetts teacher's examination).

Last Update: July 10, 2008

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