Q: What is the purpose of this course?

A: English 285 is an introduction to creative writing. Accordingly, it combines further development of the close reading skills across genres cultivated in ENGL 220 with development of creative writing skills through weekly reading and writing assignments in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Students will also learn how to engage in verbal workshop critiques of classmates’ work that draw on critical reading skills developed through discussion of literary selections. In addition to critiquing the work of peers, students will explore approaches to revision by a process of revisiting their own drafts. Finally, students will complete a final project consisting of one piece in each genre and a written reflection on the writing process.

Q: What are the differences between English 285 and other creative writing courses in the major?

A: English 285 serves a crucial role as a gateway. All creative writing concentrators must earn a "B" or better in the course in order to continue in the concentration. They must also gain enough experience with the three genres featured in the concentration to succeed in future workshops with more intensive focus and heavier workload in a single genre.

Q: What does a good syllabus look like in this course?

A: You'll learn a lot, if messily and inductively, from looking at the syllabi on the 285 instructors’ group page on the CUNY Academic Commons. Here are some useful first principles:

• include all policies, for example, your policy on absences, lateness, and lateness of work, and academic dishonesty and/or plagiarism. This protects and empowers both you and your students.
• All syllabi must include the “Learning Outcomes” you deem appropriate for 285. Again, look at peer's work for good examples.
• be sure to balance the time allotted to all three genres, both on the reading and the workshop side. You may be a poet, but your students need exposure to all three genres to be prepared to move forward in the concentration.
• include basic information, like office hours, course dates/times/location, required texts with ISBNs and links to the College online bookstore, etc.
• all syllabi must include sections with standard language on the College policies on Academic Integrity, and Policy on Sexual Misconduct. For the specific language, plus best practices for all syllabi at Hunter, check out the Hunter College Faculty Senate's excellent guide.

Q: How do you balance the close reading of "model" texts by published authors and the workshops with student work?

A: Most instructors cluster the "reading" sessions at the beginning and the "workshop" sessions at the end, with a rough 50/50 split. Most also move through the genres serially in each half of the course (e.g., poetry, then fiction, then creative nonfiction, both for the readings and for the workshops). It is essential to cover all three genres and to give each equal weight. Whatever your preferences or comfort level, it ill serves students to stint their exposure to one or more of the major genres they may encounter in higher-level courses.

Q: What's the best way to assess learning in this course?

A: Approaches vary greatly, so peruse the many sample syllabi in the Commons Group under FILES. But a few overarching principles are common to successful syllabi:

• use a portfolio system, requiring students to compile, present, and reflect on what they view at their best work for the term.
• require frequent, low-stakes writing throughout the term. This need not always be graded and given feedback, beyond a check to ensure the work is complete. But constant, informal writing and reflection is essential to building skills in this course.
• whatever your criteria, include them clearly in the syllabus, and make sure your numbers add up and reflect your priorities in the course.
• be sure that your syllabus gives students a clear sense of the specific assignments that they will be writing, the percentage that each assignment is worth towards the final grade and when each assignment is due.
• avoid assessing students based on “professionalism” or “demeanor,” and be careful with attendance policies. This was done in the past and while you should include a statement about attendance (e.g., students are allowed three absences and on the fourth will receive a failing grade for the course or will receive one letter grade off their final participation grade), students should not be rewarded with grades for doing what they should do as students: showing up and participating in class. You might consider informing students that non-attendence results in a zero grade for participation on that day, logically enough, so that you're assessing their (active) participation rather than their (passive) attendance.

Q: What resources do I have access to as an instructor?

A: Please visit the 285 instructors’ group page on the CUNY Academic Commons, where you will find sample syllabi, course units, and so on. I encourage you to post your own helpful documents to this page, and contact me if you have problems joining or using the group. ACERT, Hunter’s center for teaching and learning, is a lively hub linking instructors, librarians, ed tech specialists, etc.: their site has a wealth of teaching resources, and they host scores of events on pedagogy each year.

Q: What are my options in terms of “learning management systems” (LMS)? Do I have to use BlackBoard or Brightspace?!

A: You are free to use whatever you’re comfortable with. By default, all courses get Bb shells (or Brightspace from AY 2024-5), which you are free to customize/use. But there are many alternatives, including free/open options based on the WordPress blogging platform. Instructors can now host course materials on CUNY Academic Commons sites like this one: there are hundreds of sites to browse there for inspiration. Get started here if you're interested.

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