Policies and Procedures

Exempting Professional Writing by Taking Comparable Course Elsewhere

Comparable courses are those offered on the upperclassmen (junior or senior) level and have course descriptions and syllabi which correlate well with the descriptions and syllabi of PWP courses. If the equivalences have already been determined, they are so listed in the University's course equivalency matrix: Transfer Credit Center. If not, students should bring a course description and syllabus (and if possible copies of assignments, exercises, and graded papers). If an advisor is unable to determine the probability of equivalence, the student should be sent to the PWP offices with a course description and syllabus, and we will determine its equivalence. Transfer students may exempt the professional writing requirement by earning a grade of C or better in an upper-level course judged equivalent to one of the PWP courses.

Exemption by Way of a Portfolio of Professional Writing

This exemption is applicable to returning students and is only rarely granted.  Student work, whether completed as part of an undergraduate curriculum or in the context of extracurricular activities, is not eligible for consideration.

X Sections in 393

X sections are limited to students for whom English is a second language who have extreme difficulty with written English. Students must provide a writing sample to Grace Crussiah (gjc@umd.edu). The same material is covered in X and non-X sections; the difference is the smaller class size.

(UPDATED JUNE 2011)

Professional Writing Program Grade Complaints and Grievance Procedures

(POSTED FALL 2012)

Students may file a grievance if they contend that their final grade in a PWP course is arbitrary and capricious. Students may file a grievance appealing their final grade in a PWP course, but they cannot file a grievance disputing an assignment grade.

The PWP encourages students to address concerns with their instructors as soon as they arise during the semester. Complaints can be lodged with the PWP Program Coordinator, Grace Crussiah, at any point in the semester.

The attached document explains the grade complaint process, laying out the steps that a student must follow to initiate it: PWP Grade Complaint Process. It also defines the qualities that mark a grade as arbitrary and capricious. For more information about this process, students should e-mail Grace Crussiah at gjc@umd.edu.

Policy on Class Size and OverSubscriptions

(POSTED November 2018)

PWP class sizes are set at 19 students per section. No oversubscriptions are permitted except those arranged for by the PWP Coordinator, Grace Crussiah. (Note: PWP instructors are not authorized to oversubscribe their sections.) The ideal writing class size is usually 15-18 students.

We will try to help graduating seniors who failed to register promptly, but there is no guarantee of getting the course. Only students graduating in at the end of the current semester will be considered for a possible oversubscription.

If you are not graduating at the end of this semester, we recommend that you check with your department advisor for help in finding another course that fits your schedule this semester. The PWP staff will not consider over-subscribing you if your name is not on the class roster after add/drop, you will not be allowed to sit in the class.

Once you have studied the policy and believe that you qualify to request an oversubscription, you may contact Grace Crussiah.

Please note: students must have 60 credits to take a PWP course.

Nondiscrimination Policy

(POSTED FALL 2003)

The University of Maryland is a community of people with respect for diversity that emphasizes the dignity and equality common to all individual faculty, staff, and students. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, or veteran status in employment or in any of its programs or activities. UMCP is an equal opportunity institution and maintains a grievance procedure incorporating due process available to any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against. Concerns about discrimination can be brought directly to your instructor's attention, and/or the attention of the Director of the Professional Writing Program.

Disability Accommodation

(POSTED FALL 2003)

The Professional Writing Program strongly supports the University's disability accommodation policy and will make reasonable accommodations for any student with a physical or documented learning disability to facilitate the student's learning and performance. Students requiring an accommodation should be registered with Disability Support Services and should contact the instructor as early in the semester as possible and no later than the end of the schedule adjustment period.

Policy on PWP Class Attendance

(POSTED FALL 2003)

Because writing is a "Skills Course," and comparable to academic work done in required laboratories and studios, attendance is taken into consideration in determining the "class participation" portion of a student's final grade. Most instructors have attendance policies that penalize unexcused absences for more than one week of classes, generally by lowering the final grade for each additional week of absences. Each instructor's policy should be clearly stated on the Statement of Course Policies and Procedures distributed with the Syllabus at the beginning of the semester. Check with your instructor if the attendance policy in your class is not clear to you. It is always best to notify your instructor in advance if you expect to be absent from class.

Policy on Fulfilling Commitments to Collaborative Teams

(POSTED FALL 2003)

Because collaboration is an important part of much writing done in professional settings, you will have some opportunity to participate on a collaborative team during the course of your professional writing class. Active and engaged participation on your team is expected of each member. If you are aware that someone on your team is not fulfilling the role assigned, and talking with the person doesn't resolve the problem, it is your obligation to notify your instructor so that the individual's inactivity will not result in problems for the whole team. Participating on collaborative teams is an integral part of your work in professional writing and it will constitute a significant portion of your class participation grade.

Graduate Student Interested in a PWP Course

(POSTED FALL 2003)

Graduate students interested in taking a PWP course must contact Grace Crussiah at gjc@umd.edu to obtain special permission. Class participation is mandatory and graduate students are expected to take the course on a regular grading system and fulfill the same requirements as undergraduate students enrolled in the class.
 

There are a variety of courses that can satisfy the university's professional writing requirement--ENGL 390, 390H, 391, 391H, 392, 393, 393H, 393X, 394, 395, or 398. We maintain the class size at 19 students (15 students for Engl 393X) so that we can provide quality education. If your name is not on the class roster after the end of the drop/add deadline, you will not be allowed to sit in the class.

Please READ this entire page before contacting the department or Grace Crussiah with questions.

• You must be on the waitlist by the first week of classes.
• For online classes, only one student, graduating at the end of the current semester and #1-5 on the waitlist will be oversubscribed into each section.
• For face-to-face and blended classes, only one student, graduating at the end of the current semester, will be oversubscribed into each section.
• If you are oversubscribed into a course, we will notify you before the end of the drop-add period. You will need to add the course to your schedule by the drop-add deadline.

Frequently Asked Questions

I was dropped off the waitlist.

• It is your responsibility to check the waitlist every day. If you are dropped off the waitlist due to a computer error, the registrations office might be able to put you back on the waitlist, to the position you were initially in. The registrations office is located in the Mitchell Building. Go there in person if you can. Their phone number is 301-314-8240.

I could not register on time because of a special situation (I am going abroad, student teaching, or interning next semester). I need the class this semester.

• We oversubscribe students according to our policy above. There are no exceptions. We treat all students fairly and equitably. In order to be fair, we cannot decide which student situation is more important and therefore merits the oversubscription. We go strictly by the waitlist numbers.

How can I make sure that I get a class through the waitlist?

• You can waitlist up to six sections for any particular class.
• Be sure to attend one of the waitlisted sections, preferably the one you are most likely to get into rather than the one that best fits your schedule.
• Waitlist for a section meeting at 8 or 9 in the morning. Waitlists are shorter and students are more likely to drop a class meeting at 8 or 9.
• Engl 391 sections usually have a smaller waitlist.

I’m graduating at the end of this semester. Are there any alternative solutions to satisfying the professional writing requirement.

• You can take a course equivalent to the professional writing course at another institution. The last 30 credits must be taken at the University of Maryland. The last 15 credits must be taken at the College Park campus.
• Professional writing courses are offered every summer and winter. You will need to register early.

What should I do if I’m not graduating at the end of this semester?

• Overscriptions are done according to our policy above. Contact your academic advisor to adjust your schedule and take the professional writing class at another time.

What are my chances of getting into the course?

• We cannot predict your chances of getting into the course. Your chances of getting into the course depend on the number of students who decide to drop the course.

There is room in my class. Why can’t I be oversubscribed?

• The maximum number of students registered in a professional writing class is 19 (15 for Engl 393X). The University will not allow us to drop students who do not show up for class.

University policy

(POSTED FALL 2003)

The University is one of a small number of universities with a student-administered Honor Code and an Honor Pledge, available on the web at http://www.jpo.umd.edu/aca/honorpledge.html. The Code prohibits students from cheating on exams, plagiarizing papers, submitting the same paper for credit in two courses without authorization, buying papers, submitting fraudulent documents, and forging signatures.

The University Senate encourages instructors to ask students to write the following signed statement on each examination (or assignment):

"I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this examination (or assignment)."

If a student declines to write the pledge, the instructor should have a discussion with the student about his or her reasons for this decision.

Compliance with the Code is administered by a Student Honor Council, which strives to promote a "community of trust " on the College Park campus. Allegations of academic dishonesty can be reported directly to the Honor Council (x49154) by any member of the campus community. Your instructor will help you understand what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. See your instructor's Statement of Course Policies and Procedures distributed with the Syllabus early in the semester for a fuller statement of what is at issue if you choose to engage in plagiarism. Doing so is, obviously, never "worth it."
 

Students must have 60+ credits to register for a Professional Writing Course. NO EXCEPTIONS.

There are seven courses (as well as several special sections) that can satisfy the University's professional writing requirement: ENGL 390 (Science Writing), ENGL 391 (Advanced Composition/Argumentation), ENGL 392 (Legal Writing--for legal and public policy professions), ENGL 393 (Technical Writing), ENGL 394 (Business Writing), ENGL 395 (Writing for the Health Professions), and ENGL 398 Special Topics in Professional Writing.

A student who has an SAT verbal score below 400, a TEFL score below 575, or a CELT score below 250 may register for ENGL 391X or ENGL 393X. These courses are intended only for students with English as their second language.

Professional writing courses fill up quickly, so students should register early during their appointed registration time, especially if they need to take the course in a particular semester.

 

Maximum class size is 19 students [an ideal writing class size is 15-18 students]. Students on wait lists can add into a section if a seat becomes available. Generally, we will not oversubscribe students into a professional writing course. However, we will try to help graduating seniors who failed to register promptly, but we can make no guarantee that they will get the course. It is, therefore, particularly important that upper-level students be encouraged to register promptly.

Some Professional Writing Program courses have been assigned new numbers. All variations of Engl 390, 391, 392, 393, 394, 395, and 398 satisfy the professional writing requirement. The Professional Writing Courses page fully explains the focus of each PWP course.

Below is a list of course number changes:

If you have any concerns regarding these changes, contact Grace Crussiah via e-mail mgjc@umd.edu.