Music 3134 Writing Requirements

MUSIC 3134: Choral Music Literature
Index #93795--Fall Semester 2001--Prof. John R. Howell
12:20-1:10 pm--Squires 162

Writing Intensive "Thinkwork" Requirements

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University Requirements	Hard-Copy Submission
The Assignments	E-mail Submission
Evaluation and Grading

University Requirements: The University requires that each department designate as "writing-intensive" at least one course which is required of all students in that department, and that the student's writing in this course be guided by the professor to represent the kind of writing that is accepted as suitable in the student's professional field. Traditional academic writing assignments do not prepare students for the actual expectations they will find in the "real world." The assignments in this course are designed to do so. They involve both individual and collaborative writing, revision in respponse to positive criticism, expressing the maximum information in the fewest words, and topics which a musician can realistically expect to encounter. Every student is required to complete one 3-hour writing-intensive class in the major, and a second which may be either in or outside the major.

Music 3134 has been designated by the Music Department as a "writing-intensive" course, along with the three other 31xx upper-level music literature courses. The minimum university requirement is a total of 15 pages of writing spread over several different assignments (not a single "term paper") all of which follow a process of drafting, evaluation, revision, and final polishing. Please note that a "draft" is a complete (if unpolished) version of an assignment, not a final version that is incomplete. Writing a "final draft" from scratch the night before it is due does not fulfill the requirement!

The Assignments: There are five "Thinkwork" writing assignments in this course. Each is to go through a process of first draft, criticism and revision, and final draft. Mistakes in spelling, punctuation, and grammar will not be graded in the first draft, but are expected to be correct in the final draft. You may collaborate with one other person in class in designated assignments, although this is not required. The actual assignments are posted on the "Assignments" page, and the due dates are included in the Course Calendar.

Evaluation & Grading: Each of the first four "Thinkwork" papers is worth a total of 50 points: an automatic 20 when a complete 1st draft is turned in on time, and up to 30 additional points for a final draft suitable for publication. The fifth assignment is worth a total of 100 points, making a total of 300 points for all five assignments. Papers turned in late will lose points; in the real world deadlines are firm and excuses don't count. Exceptionally good writing may be rewarded by up to 15 bonus points on the final draft; in the real world the quality of your writing is often a deciding factor when promotions and raises are being discussed.

Hard-Copy Submission:

Typed or computer-printed.
Double-spaced (not 1 1/2 spaced)
1-inch margin on the sides, top and bottom
Conventional type faces and sizes (12-point Times, for example)
Stapled in the upper-left corner (do not use binders)
4-line heading at the top of the first page
- Your name
- The last 4 digits of your student number
- MUSIC 3134
- The date you turn it in
Appropriate title
Simple header on the following pages with your last name and the page number (Howell/14)
Title page not appropriate
Acknowledgement of all borrowed material
- Quotation marks
- Parenthetical notes in MLA format (see Hacker)
- List of References at the end including all works consulted, whether quoted or not, and including Web sourses
- A more elaborate Bibliography is not required
  - See specific instructions for assignment 4.
  - See specific instructions for assignment 5.

E-mail Submission: For e-mail submission transmit your file as an attachment to an e-mail message. (E-mail itself will not transmit formatting or special characters, including accent marks and italics.) Include the same 4-line heading in the body of the paper, and all other items required for hard-copy submission. An e-mail submission is on time if it is sent by 11:59:59 pm on the date due. Assignment 5 should not be submitted by e-mail.

In a real emergency paste the assignment into an Email message to get credit for being on time, but follow up with a hard-copy version as soon as possible.