Frequently Asked Questions

• First Day Rule:

All students enrolled in the Composition Program’s writing courses—WR 40, 40A, 45, 50, and 60—are required to attend the first meeting of your writing class. For writing courses offered online during the COVID-19 pandemic, your instructor will assign a brief first-day activity that you must complete in lieu of attendance.

**If you do not attend the first meeting of your class or complete the online assignment on the first day, you are required to drop the course so that a waitlisted student may enroll.**

To drop the course, your instructor will give you an authorization code that must be submitted to the Registrar by the end of the second week of classes.

• Not Passing & Repeating Courses:

For Writing 40, 40A, and 45, a final grade of C or above is considered a passing grade. For Writing 50 and 60, a final grade of C- or above is considered a passing grade. University policy says that you must finish with your Lower-Division Writing Requirement (GE1a) by your seventh quarter. If you earn a final grade of C- or lower in WR 40, 40A, or 45, or you earn a final grade of D+ or lower in WR 50 or 60, you must repeat and pass that course before you can take the next course in the sequence. If you retake a course and pass after not-passing it, the passing grade will replace the earlier failing grade in your transcript.

Please do not enroll for the next course in the sequence if you receive a C- or below in WR 40, 40A, or 45, or you receive a D+ or below in WR 50 or 60.

**If you do enroll without satisfying the course prerequisite, you must change your enrollment. You can get help finding a seat in the appropriate course from the Composition Office (HIB 420 / 949-824-9692 / writing@uci.edu).**

If you are repeating any of our classes, please let your current instructor know at the beginning of the quarter. Please know that you cannot resubmit the same papers from your previous class in your new one. Resubmitting papers from a previous class is a form of academic dishonesty and will likely subject you to disciplinary action through the Office of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct (OAISC).

• Add/Drop/Grade Change Option:

To add, drop, or change your grade option for this class, please navigate to the Composition Program Enrollment Site. The deadlines you will see below are hard deadlines, strictly enforced.

ADDING: During the first week of the quarter, you can get help finding an open seat from the Composition Office (HIB 420 / 949-824-6717 / writing@uci.edu).  In order to receive an add code, you must actively attend and participate in the class during Week 1.  Students are not permitted to add Composition courses after Week 1. The deadline to add a Composition course is Friday of Week 1 at 5:00 pm.

DROPPING: During the first two weeks of the quarter, you may ask your instructor for a drop code that you can use on WebReg to drop the class.  You will not be dropped automatically if you simply stop attending class. The deadline to drop is Friday of Week 2 at 5:00pm. If you would like to petition for a drop based on extenuating and documented circumstances, you must submit an enrollment exception at the School of Humanities website: School of Humanities, Add/Drop Policy https://www.humanities.uci.edu/undergrad/add-drop-policy.

CHANGING GRADE OPTION: During the first two weeks of the quarter, you may ask your instructor for a change code that you can use on WegReg to change your grade option (from Letter Grade to P/NP or the other way around). If you wish to take this class P/NP, you should first check with your academic counselor to make sure this choice is available to you. Change codes are valid until the end of Week 2. Between Weeks 3 and 6, the Composition Office can assist students wishing to change their grade option: (HIB 420 / 949-824-9692 / writing@uci.edu). After Week 6, students must contact the Humanities Office to receive an extension: School of Humanities, Changes in Grading Option. Note that after you switch grading options, you cannot switch back to the previous option.

• Intellectual Property: Plagiarism & Copyright:

Plagiarism: As you move through your writing classes here at UCI, your instructors will teach you how to use sources properly and fairly. If you’d like a primer on plagiarism, click on this link Understanding Plagiarism. Plagiarism is broad concept defined by actions like 1) a student submitting a paper that takes words, sentences, and paragraphs from another text the student did not write and does not cite as a source; 2) a student having another person do the research and/or writing of any portion of the assignment for them, which includes hiring a person or a company to write essays; 3) a student submitting the same work for more than one class without asking the instructors.

Students who commit ethical violations like these will find themselves subjected to disciplinary action, which may result in the failure of an assignment or the course itself. If a student is found to have plagiarized or acted unethically, the Composition Program must report all such activity to the Office of Student Integrity and Student Conduct (OAISC), which will conduct an investigation and help to determine appropriate action. Violations of academic integrity can affect a student's graduation, financial aid, and eligibility for honors.

Copyright: Please remember that all of the teaching material you receive from your teacher is the intellectual property of the person/people who wrote, created, and designed this material. For example, your instructor’s lectures and course materials, including videos, PowerPoint presentations, worksheets, quizzes, outlines, prompts, rubrics, and similar materials are protected by U.S. copyright law and by University policy. Your instructor is the exclusive owner of the copyright for those materials that they created. Likewise, all of your course readings belong to their respective authors or originators. Use of these materials is made possible for non-profit, educational purposes through fair use laws (see 17 USC, 107).

Please do not copy or distribute of any assigned readings or course materials without written consent from the copyright owner.

This means that you violate copyright law if you reproduce, distribute, or display (digitally post/upload) lecture notes or recordings or course materials in any other way without your instructor’s express written consent.  You also may not allow others to do so.  If you do so, you may be subject to student conduct proceedings under the Code of Student Conduct, Section 102.23.

• Composition Program Forms:

There are some important forms that you need to fill out for this class that are available online. Please make sure you complete these forms by the end of the first week of class.

Consent to Reproduce and Publish / Academic Honesty, Plagiarism, TurnitIn

• Composition's Guidelines & Tips for Success:

Here are the Composition Program’s Guidelines:

a. You will need to have access to a computer and the internet to complete your writing assignments. If you do not have access to a computer, check out the drop-in computer labs on campus.

b. Please expect to spend at least 2-3 hours reading and writing outside of class for every unit your class is worth; which means devoting 8-12 hours per week for a 4-unit class and 12-18 hours per week for a 6-unit class. You might be reading anywhere from 50-100 pages per week, and during weeks when there’s more writing than reading, you might write anywhere from 500-1000 words.

c. In order to pass your writing course, you must receive a final course grade of C or above to receive credit for the class. If you receive a C- or below in the course, you will have to repeat the course before you can move on to the next course in the sequence. Your final course grade is made up of all the grades received on assignments over the course of the quarter.

d. All assigned process writing and major assignment drafts should be turned in as scheduled in order to meet the benchmarks of the class and receive timely feedback. Drafts for major assignments must be completed by their due dates and (when required by your instructor) turned in to TurnItIn. Late submission or failure to submit a major assignment draft may be grounds for a grade penalty on the assignment. An excessive number of missing or late submissions may be grounds for failure in the course.

e. All of the final versions of major assignments must be completed and submitted to Turn It In to qualify for a final grade in the course. No assignment can be omitted.

f. Final essay drafts must be submitted to Turnitin by the assigned deadline in order to qualify for a grade on the assignment. Failure to upload a final draft to Turnitin, or uploading a draft that is different from the one turned in to the instructor, may be grounds for a disciplinary investigation

g. Excessive absence from class is grounds for a grade penalty and possible failure in the course. The Composition Program considers missing more than 10% of scheduled class meetings to be excessive. Your instructor may choose to lower your participation grade, an assignment grade, or your overall course grade by one-third of a letter grade for each unexcused absence beyond 10%.

Tip for Success in Our Writing Classes

Engage your interests & let yourself be curious about the readings, ideas, and activities your teacher and your classmates will put before you.

Try to avoid procrastinating. Careful reading and writing take time. Most students find that the class work becomes much more manageable if they start their reading, writing, and revision early, and devote a little time each day to the process.

Be courteous and professional to your teachers and your classmates. A productive learning environment depends on everyone treating others with dignity and respect. Please be ready to participate in class, whether it’s online or in a classroom. If your class is online and holding synchronous meetings, you should prepare yourself for online meetings as you would if you were meeting in a classroom, with your camera on and with your visual and audio presence ready to engage, if at all possible.

Get to know your teacher, and please be respectful of your teacher’s time. Your teacher will organize your class, lead it to the best of their ability, and offer you opportunities for small group and one-on-one meetings. Please be sure to email your teacher if you can’t make a scheduled meeting, and when you come to office hours, be ready with focused questions. When emailing, you should be professional and respectful, and also mindful of your teacher’s time.

Reach out and ask for help when you need it. Most students find it useful to attend their instructor’s office hours regularly for extended discussion of the course texts and individual feedback. Many successful students also visit the Writing Center (http://www.writingcenter.uci.edu/). The Writing Center offers a range of services including workshops and individual tutoring tailored to your course and to your needs.

Remote Writing Center and UCI Library Services.  To make a Zoom appointment at the Writing Center, visit Zoom Appointments for UCI Undergraduates – Center for Excellence in Writing and Communication.  To review available services at the library, visit UCI Library Services Available - COVID-19 Response | UC Irvine Libraries

• Disability Accommodations:

The Composition Program and the UCI are committed to providing a barrier free environment for persons with documented permanent or temporary disabilities. If you feel you need accommodations in this course, please contact the Disability Services Center, located in Building 313, call (949) 824-7494, or apply for services online at www.dsc.uci.edu. All discussions with DSC Staff will remain confidential. DSC approved accommodations will be provided for students who present a Faculty Notification Letter from the DSC.

• Harassment, Discrimination, and Assault Resources:

The Composition Program stands firmly against all forms of harassment and discrimination against people in terms of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, race, national origin, or citizenship status. In compliance with California State law, all UCI teachers and staff are mandatory reporters or “responsible employees.” This means that these people, including the teachers of your writing classes, are legally obligated to notify the university's Title IX Office about any potential offenses reported to them about sexual harassment, sexual assault, and incidents of discrimination. For more information on this office, see http://sexualviolence.uci.edu/reportinginfo.html. We are here to help you and to listen to you. Please do not hesitate to ask for help or assistance locating resources.

You can also access the following resources:

a. If you or anyone you know has experienced unwelcome verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature, please encourage them to report to an investigator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity (http://www.oeod.uci.edu/) or call the Discrimination/Sexual Harassment Hotline at (949) 824-7037.

b. Several other reporting options and resources are available, please see: http://soinfo.uci.edu/.

c. Students who seek confidential counseling may contact the UCI Student Health Center (949) 824-5304 or https://shc.uci.edu/psychiatry-mental-health-services/mission.

d. Campus Assault Resources & Education (CARE) provides important resources and information about developing and maintaining healthy relationships, and information about sexual assault, personal safety, and gender issues. All services provided by CARE are free of charge and available to all currently enrolled students, including consultation, advocacy and referrals to community agencies, individual and group counseling, trainings and workshops, and campus-wide prevention programming.

• Wellness Resources:

If you are in distress and would like to talk with someone about a private matter, you may use the following resources provided by UCI:

1. Campus Assault Resources & Education (CARE): 949.824.7273
2. Campus Social Worker: 949.824.1418
3. Counseling Center: 949.824.6457
4. Student Health Center: 949.824.5301
5. LGBTQ Resource Center: 949.824.3277