Principles of the OCEAN College Writing Course 2007-2008

 

1. The OCEAN College Writing course will develop the critical writing, reading, and thinking skills of high school students. Students will meet the Oberlin College Criteria for Writing Proficiency.

2. Instructors in the OCEAN College Writing course will provide an overview of the course for the students, to be distributed on the first day of class The overview will outline grading policies, paper requirements and course goals. Students will receive a detailed, day-to-day syllabus for at least one unit.

3. Summary, analysis, and argument are keys to college writing; the writing assignments in OCEAN College Writing course will engage students in these important tasks. They may also involve students in comparison, classification, description, narration or other academic rhetorical forms.

4. Students will learn how to integrate sources in their writing and document them using MLA style.

5. Students in the OCEAN College Writing course will complete at least 4 major papers of at least 3 pages.

6. The OCEAN College Writing course requires a supplementary college-level reader. Additionally, students will have access to a rhetoric and a handbook; these may be on-line resources. Schools are expected to provide some materials for the students.

7. Students will develop critical reading skills through engagement with college-level readings as well as through learning how to read and respond helpfully to the writing of their peers.

8. Teachers will provide individualized feedback on the student’s writing.

9. Students in the OCEAN College Writing course will visit the Oberlin College campus at least once during the school year. The Oberlin College – OCEAN faculty members will also visits each high school campus at least once.

10. Student will make up missed class time as the instructor’s discretion, in a manner that complements missed class time. This includes field trips, excused and unexcused absences, Out of school suspensions are subject to the usual school policies.

11. OCEAN Teachers will introduce students to the Oberlin College Honor Code and to their own school policies on cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, and multiple submissions. (For definitions of these terms see section B 1-4 on the Honor Code, see http://www.oberlin.edu/students/links-life/rulesregs_pdf/Rules+Regs06_HonorCode.pdf.)