[In 2014, UBC Senate voted to implement a syllabus template that stipulates the kinds of

information it expects all syllabi to include (objectives, outcomes, assignments, weightings,

expectations, requirements, penalties, etc.), so that syllabi can be referred to in cases of
appeal. See
https://senate.ubc.ca/sites/senate.ubc.ca/files/downloads/va_H_Syllabus_Template_Example.
pdf
Required courses have a particular responsibility to achieve course objectives established by
the participating departments and faculties and multi-sectioned courses have a particular
responsibility to achieve parity across sections. So the WRDS 150 syllabus template below
responds to Senate policy while also including particular ASRW policies. This template is not
prescriptive; instructors are free to design their syllabi as they see fit, provided their syllabi
include the components listed in the syllabus checklist. This template is meant to serve as a
helpful resource, particularly for brand-new faculty trying to pull a syllabus together
quickly. Instructions and places needing your input are indicated by square brackets]

WRDS 150 sec. [ ]

Research and Writing in the Humanities and Social Sciences
[Location and time of classes]

Instructor: [ ]
Email: [ ]
Office: Buchanan Tower [ ]
Phone: 604 822 [if desired ]
Office hours: [ ]
Website: [ ]

COURSE DESCRIPTION

WRDS 150 is an academic research and writing course for Arts students. Typically sections of
WRDS 150 are designed around a topic—a concept or issue that has attracted both public
interest and scholarly attention. The course introduces students a) to the research culture of
the university and b) to disciplinarity, through the guided reading of at least six peer-reviewed
journal articles about this topic, that are drawn from at least three Arts disciplines, ideally
representative of scholarship in Humanities, Social Sciences and Creative and Performing Arts
disciplines. By examining these articles, students learn: the distinctive characteristics of
scholarly prose and the styles of expression used by the different disciplines; how and why
scholars enter into conversation with each other in their research writing; and how students
can apply scholarly style in their own writing as they begin to participate in the academic
conversations of their future areas of specialization. Students will also be introduced to the
UBC library portal and to the ways in which primary and secondary sources can be accessed,
retrieved, and assessed.

This course fulfills the writing component of the Faculty of Arts Writing and Research
Requirement. No LPI (Language Proficiency Index) is required.
SPECIFIC COURSE DESCRIPTION

[Please provide a detailed description of your course in this section. Note: Nothing in the
syllabus can contravene any Academic Calendar regulation or University policy. In resolving
any discrepancy, Academic Calendar regulations and University policy take precedence.]

ANTICIPATED LEARNING OUTCOMES OF ALL SECTIONS OF WRDS 150:

By the end of the course, students will be able:

 To identify similarities and differences in the goals, methods, citation practices,
characteristic genres, discursive practices, and forms of evidence of several Social
Science, Humanities, and Creative and Performing Arts disciplines
 To recognize how these conventions both reflect and shape the different types of
knowledge associated with different research cultures within the university, particularly
Arts
 To read, summarize, compare and critically evaluate scholarly articles, retaining the key
arguments/findings and emphases of the originals
 To identify the functions of key features of academic discourse (e.g., abstraction,
citation, definition, summary, positioning, hedging, presupposition/assertion, emphasis,
summary) and to integrate these features into their own scholarly writing
 To distinguish between quantitative and qualitative research and their associated styles
 To locate and trace the scholarly conversation on a particular topic
 To develop research questions in response to gaps in the scholarly conversation and to
design and implement their own original research projects based on primary materials,
drawing on research methods appropriate to specific social science and humanities
disciplines
 To participate in that scholarly conversation by performing the scholarly actions of
researchers, research writers, and peer-reviewers, i.e. by using the genres, discursive
features, and rhetorical moves characteristic of specific Social Science, Humanities and
Creative and Performing Arts disciplines in their own research writing, thus developing
their own identities as apprentice members of academic research communities
 To present research activity and the results of this activity in a variety of modes (oral,
visual, textual)
 To conduct constructive peer-reviews of the scholarly writing of their peers and to
integrate peer-review feedback into their own writing
 To make effective use of UBC Library resources, and to access and use primary and
secondary sources in accordance with specific Social Science, Humanities and Creative
and Performing Arts conventions
 To use one of the leading citation systems in the Social Science, Humanities and
Performing Arts (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago) correctly and appropriately and to be able to
access help in using other systems, as needed
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE THESE OUTCOMES

[Please provide a description of each assignment, its value and due date.

25% of the overall course mark should be based on in-class assignments.

All sections of WRDS 150 should have at least 5 assignments:]

A. Four required assignments:

 summary assignment (or annotated bibliography or literature review); [suggested

value:] 10%
 proposal for research paper; [suggested value:] 15-20%
 research paper of between 1200 and 2100 words; [suggested value:] 30%
 final exam; [suggested value:] 20-25% (except for summer courses) 


Instructors might wish to use language that stipulates something to the effect that “Students
may not proceed with the research paper until they have achieved a passing grade on the Research
proposal, because the research paper relies on students' having an appropriate, ethical and manageable
plan for their research. If a student FAILS the proposal, they will need to revise and resubmit it, until it
is approved.”

B. Additional assignment(s) [please assign at least one of the following]:

 genre analysis [suggested value] 5%)

 peer review (providing feedback on a certain # of classmates’ assignments +
interacting with feedback received, as one does in the professional publication
process)
 blog entry; [suggested value:] 5%
 literature review (e.g., write in-class); [suggested value:] 10%
 presentation / poster / group presentation (on research project or readings);
[suggested value:] 10%
 abstract (e.g., write in-class); [suggested value:] 5-10%
 participation; [suggested value:] 10 –20% [make criteria for participation marks
explicit]


[Please also include some low-stakes writing that will not be graded. Several assignments
could be collaborative, e.g. literature review; proposal; presentation; in-class writing
assignments with a two-stage process.]
REQUIRED TEXTS

[Students are required to read at least 6 full-length peer-reviewed research articles on the
course topic, typically drawn from at least 3 disciplines in the Faculty of Arts, ideally in
Humanities, Social Sciences, and Creative and Performing Arts, as they are represented at UBC.
Please ensure that these articles are accessible via the UBC Library. Other texts should be
made available for purchase at the Bookstore.] The UBC bookstore also has a standing order of
Giltrow, Janet, et al. Academic Writing: An Introduction. 3rd edition, Peterborough: Broadview
Press as a “recommended” text.

COMMUNICATION

[optional: you might like to include a section in which you spell out: 1) how you will
communicate with students; and 2) how you expect students to communicate

ATTENDANCE

Completion rates for WRDS courses show that regular attendance is the most crucial factor
determining success in the course. WRDS course activities and assignments are designed in a
progressive way, so missing class activities and falling behind in your assignments will result in
lack of preparation for subsequent activities and assignments. Regular attendance, coupled
with informed and active participation during class, is a crucial factor in student success. It is
also an important way to uphold your responsibility to your academic community, as we learn
and produce knowledge together. Missing further classes puts you at risk of not passing the
course. Therefore, we urge you to come to each class.

If there are serious circumstances that prevent you from attending class (for instance, illness,
accident, family tragedy), please speak to me about it. I also encourage you to contact Arts
Advising about academic concession and other resources you can use to help you manage your
particular situation. Domestic Students should email arts.advisor@ubc.ca; international
Students arts.international@ubc.ca; and Aboriginal Students arts.aboriginal@ubc.ca

PARTICIPATION [if you assign a participation grade you need to explain the criteria on which
that grade will be based]

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
We – your instructors, ASRW, UBC and the scholarly community at large – share an
understanding of the ethical ways that we use to produce knowledge. A core practice of this
shared value of academic integrity is that we acknowledge the contributions of others to our
own work, but it also means we produce our own contributions that add to the scholarly
conversation: we don’t buy or copy papers or exams, or have someone else edit them. We also
don’t falsify data or sources, or hand in the same work in more than one course.

Because it is so important that research be done ethically, I expect WRDS 150 students to meet
these expectations. The University requires that any instance of cheating or taking credit for
someone else’s work, whether intentionally or unintentionally, will result in at minimum a zero
for the assignment, and these cases will be reported to the First-Year Programs Chair and the
Faculty of Arts Associate Dean, Academic. See the UBC Calendar entries on “Academic
Honesty,” “Academic Misconduct,” and “Disciplinary Measures,” and check out the Student
Declaration and Responsibility. See “Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism” from the Chapman
Learning Commons, and bookmark the OWL website for how to use MLA citation style.

A student will only receive academic credit for work that is the product of the student’s own
effort and insight. It is the student’s obligation to inform themselves of the applicable
standards for academic honesty. Standards at UBC may be different from those in secondary
schools or at other institutions. Penalties will be imposed in instances where it is clear that
students are submitting work as their own that has been done, in whole or in part, by others.
No such penalties would apply in clearly defined situations where collaborative work is
authorized. A student who is in any doubt regarding standards of academic honesty in a course
or assignment should consult his or her instructor before submitting any work.

An assignment that does not give complete and accurate credit for directly quoted material or
ideas and arguments the student has summarized from another source will receive a grade of
zero. An assignment edited or revised by a “tutoring service” will also receive a grade of zero.
For more information, see: http://help.library.ubc.ca/planning-your-research/academic-
integrity-plagiarism/
Criteria for Evaluating Internet Resources: http://www.library.ubc.ca/home/evaluating/
Policy re: Student Discipline: http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/?tree=3,54,0,0

THE USE OF TUTORING SERVICES

Some students hire tutors or use a tutoring service on an occasional basis to assist them with
specific assignments. Others work with a tutor on a regular basis. While we recognize that
tutors are sometimes helpful, we have also observed that some tutors misdirect WRDS 150
students and thus impede their learning, as well as their success in the course. Using tutors
may even inadvertently result in questionable academic conduct. We therefore encourage
students interested in tutoring to seek support from these agencies:
·UBC Centre for Writing and Scholarly Communication (CWSC), located in the Irving K. Barber
Learning Centre, http://learningcommons.ubc.ca/tutoring-studying/writing/ provides
dedicated support to WRDS 150 students in a variety of ways.

One-on-One Sessions with a Peer Consultant

Students can sign up for a one-on-one, 25-minute appointment to talk about their written
work with a peer writing consultant at the CWSC, 3rd floor, Irving K. Barber Learning Centre.
Writing consultants work with students to improve their writing, shape their writing process,
and meet their academic goals. For more information, visit www.library.ubc.ca/writing or
email cwsc.info@ubc.ca.

Write-Ins
This term, the CWSC will hold five “write-ins” to support WRDS 150 students. A “write-in”
is a two-hour event that allows students to connect with their peers, to manage writing
anxiety, and to stay focused while polishing drafts of their assignments. CWSC writing
consultants will answer last-minute questions and facilitate a productive space so that
students can finish WRDS 150 assignments with confidence. Each “write-in" will be
tailored to an assignment typically assigned in WRDS 150. [include up-to-date info about
these “write-ins”]

·UBC’s Extended Learning: Supports for students for whom English is not their first
language https://extendedlearning.ubc.ca/study-topic/english-additional-language

- UBC’s Access and Diversity Office

The Access & Diversity Office is located at Brock Hall, Room 1203; 604.822.5844.

ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATION FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

“The University's goal is to ensure fair and consistent treatment of all students, including
students with a disability, in accordance with their distinct needs and in a manner consistent
with academic principles.” If you are in need of accommodation to ensure a fair outcome in this
course, please contact Access and Diversity to set up an appointment:
http://students.ubc.ca/about/access
http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/Vancouver/index.cfm?tree=3,34,0,0

LATE PENALTY POLICY [Please mention your late penalty policy in this section.]

LAPTOP POLICY [Please mention your laptop policy in this section.]

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION PROVISIONS

Recognizing the religious diversity of the UBC community, UBC permits students who are
scheduled to attend classes or write examinations on holy days of their religions to notify their
instructors in advance of the holy day of their wish to observe it by absenting themselves from
class or examination. Instructors provide opportunity for such students to make up work or
examinations missed without penalty. To learn more about religious accommodation please
see: http://universitycounsel.ubc.ca/files/2010/08/policy65.pdf

RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

ASRW STUDENT CONFERENCE

Each year, the ASRW student conference showcases the best research by students in WRDS
150, ASTU 100B, and ASTU 400A, offering an opportunity for students to experience firsthand
what an academic conference is like. The program includes both scholarly posters and oral
presentations. Students present their final research projects from class, and get to see and
hear interesting work by other students. Family and friends are welcome. The ASRW
conference is held on a Saturday morning at the end of each winter session [this year, 7 April
2018]. Student participants are nominated by ASRW faculty members, so please speak with
your instructor if you would like to be considered!

SCHEDULE

[Please provide a detailed schedule including the readings and assignments due each week.
See http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/ to see which days classes will be cancelled,
including Imagine Day, Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day, Reading Week, and Easter, and for
the start- and end-dates for the term and the exam period.]