Author in context course

Guidelines

The Author in Context course teach students how to examine an individual author's work in view of the literary, biographical, historical and cultural forces that shaped that work. The course also develops students' understanding of the critical and theoretical issues that have informed literary scholarship and criticism on an individual author's works. In addition, since all Author in Context courses fulfill one of the writing-intensive requirements for the major, each section must fulfill the criteria for such courses. Hence, Author in Context courses will meet the following guidelines:

1. The course focuses primarily upon a single author, the contexts that shaped his or her work, and the critical or theoretical contexts that continue to shape the reading and interpretation of the work.

2. Required readings include primary literary works by the author as well as historical or cultural contextual scholarship, literary criticism on the author, and theoretical readings when appropriate to suggest a range of ways the author's works may be read.

3. The course requires students to produce 15-20 pages of formal prose written with a specific thesis, audience and purpose in mind. This does not include in-class essay exams or informal writing about course content. Preferably students will produce at least two formal written pieces unless a single longer piece written in multiple drafts is more appropriate to course objectives. Instructors will provide explicit written directions for completion of the formal writing assignments as well as clear assessment criteria; they will build into the course syllabus instruction in how to complete formal writing assignments.

4. For at least two of the formal written pieces, the instructor will provide substantive suggestions for revision on an intermediate draft before students submit the final draft for a grade. [IS IT TOO MUCH TO EXPECT FEEDBACK ON TWO PIECES?] If a single longer piece written in multiple drafts is more appropriate to course objectives, the instructor will intervene at least twice in the student’s writing process to offer substantive suggestions for revision. The instructor may choose to make suggestions for revision either in written form or in conferences with students.

5. Students will use informal writing to explore materials studied in the course, engage the readings actively, and examine their own thinking about course content. Such informal writing can include any of the following and any number of other writing activities: reading journals or logs, focus questions or discussion topics, short in-class responses to lectures or readings, invention and pre-writing for formal papers.

6. The course description and syllabus distributed to students will indicate that it is a writing-intensive course, describe the role writing will play in it, and explain any special policies related to writing such as a policy on late papers, peer writing workshops, revision, or plagiarism.

Author in context procedure for approval

Author in context proposal form

AUTHOR IN CONTEXT SAMPLE COURSE PROPOSAL