Welcome to the English Department's Writing Program! You have been selected to teach and tutor in our program because we are convinced of your potential to be an excellent teacher. We trust you to make principled decisions in all you do. In turn, we will work to provide the best support system we can to help you in your efforts.

This handbook will provide you with an overview of who we are, how the program is organized, and what you can expect on your new job. The information, guidelines, and policies that follow are here for your reference. As you teach for us, questions will occur to you about what to do when, or what might be most appropriate or most effective in handling any number of instructional or professional issues. We hope you will find useful answers here—or at least a starting point for answers. If this handbook works as it should, it will help make your experience teaching for us a smooth and positive one. And it should make the classes and tutorials that undergraduates take from us the best we can offer.

To browse the handbook interactively, just click one of the headings. Alternatively, the entire guide is available in printer-friendly format (PDF).

Overview and Program Information

• What's the Writing Program Like?
• Key People to Know
• The PSU Students
• Writing Requirements at PSU
• Mission Statement
• What Our Courses Do
• Academic Writing Courses
• Regular Courses
• Specialized Courses
• WR 199 Omnibus Offerings
• Learning Outcomes

Teaching and Tutoring in the Writing Program

• What's an English GA-ship Like?
• Assignments
• First Year Assignments
• Second Year GA Assignments
• Writing Program's Support System
• Resources
• Written Resources
• Electronic Resources
• The Assistant Director of Writing
• Professional Development
• Terms of Employment
• Terms of Reappointment
• Summer Employment
• Adjunct Employment
• Your Commitment to Teach
• Problems with Teaching

Policies for Teaching

• Offices and Office Hours
• How Students Can Contact You
• Books and Book Orders
• Collecting and Returning Assignments
• Student Registration in Your Courses
• Course Evaluations
• Canceling Class for Professional or Personal Reasons
• Privacy Rights of Students
• Student Attendance
• Exceptions to the Attendance Policy
• Student Conduct
• Emotionally Distressed Students
• Student Complaints
• Sexual Harassment

Assessment Criteria for Portfolios

• Components of the Courses
• Grading Schemes
• Overall Assessment at the End of the Term
• PSU General Grading Scheme for Final Grades
• Your Criteria for a Specific Writing Assignment
• Criteria for Informal Writing/Process Work
• PSU's Six-Point Rubric for Portfolio Assessment
• Incompletes
• X's and F's
• Academic Honesty
• Tips on Teaching about Plagiarism and How to Avoid It
• What to Do if You Suspect a Student of Plagiarism
• Online Teaching Resources on Plagiarism

Helpful Writing Resources

• Writing Center
• Non-Native/English Second Language Speakers and Writers
• Writers with Learning Disabilities
• Research and Writing Resources
• Guides to Writing in the Disciplines

General Information

• Salary for Your Appointment
• Tuition Waivers
• Paychecks
• Mailboxes
• Photocopies
• Building Maintenance Issues
• English Department Staff