GEOS 405 Environmental Geosciences
College: Geosciences
Department: Environmental Geosciences Program
Type: W
Status: Approved
REPORT ON RECERTIFICATION OF W COURSE: GEOS 405
CERTIFICATION PERIOD: 9/1/21 to 9/1/25
We recommend that GEOS 405 Environmental Geosciences be certified as a writing (W) course. We have reviewed a representative syllabus and have determined that the course meets or exceeds the following criteria: (1) 55% of the final grade is based on writing quality; (2) the total number of words is 4350; (3) the instructor to student ratio is 1:17; and (4) the assigned writing is appropriate to the major.
Students write a research proposal, an outline, and two drafts (outline and drafts not counted above in the word count above) as a prelude to writing a scientific paper reporting on the results of a research project. They get written instructor feedback at each step. For draft two of the paper, there is peer review. Instruction includes providing general guidelines for scientific writing via lectures and reading assignments from A Handbook of Analytical Writing: Keys to Strategic Thinking and from other sources. Three lectures are given on what information to cover in a scientific paper, active writing strategies, and scientific writing style. Examples are also provided.
CERTIFICATION PERIOD: 9/1/21 to 9/1/25
We recommend that GEOS 405 Environmental Geosciences be certified as a writing (W) course. We have reviewed a representative syllabus and have determined that the course meets or exceeds the following criteria: (1) 55% of the final grade is based on writing quality; (2) the total number of words is 4350; (3) the instructor to student ratio is 1:17; and (4) the assigned writing is appropriate to the major.
Students write a research proposal, an outline, and two drafts (outline and drafts not counted above in the word count above) as a prelude to writing a scientific paper reporting on the results of a research project. They get written instructor feedback at each step. For draft two of the paper, there is peer review. Instruction includes providing general guidelines for scientific writing via lectures and reading assignments from A Handbook of Analytical Writing: Keys to Strategic Thinking and from other sources. Three lectures are given on what information to cover in a scientific paper, active writing strategies, and scientific writing style. Examples are also provided.