ENGLISH 302-N03

Advanced Composition    

Fall 2019



Distance Learning
CRN 71427

Prof. Joyce Johnston
jjohnsto@gmu.edu
703.993.1160

Office Hours Thursdays 9:00-10:15 AM
F2F: Room 206 Robinson Hall B
Virtual: Skype: joyce.johnston48





This section of English 302 uses Blackboard and PBWiki as course software.  Access Blackboard at http://mymasonportal.gmu.edu.  After logging in using your MasonLive user ID and password, click on the Courses tab at the upper right of the screen.  Then click on the course name to access the Blackboard course folder. Both the Course Schedule and the Course Policies can also be accessed on the professor's website, available at http://mason.gmu.edu/~jjohnsto




COURSE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
CLICKABLE MENU























Methods of Instruction



Honor Code;
Safety







WHAT IS ENGLISH 302?


English 302 will help you understand how knowledge is created and transmitted in your field of study or discipline; understand key methods and conventions of scholarsly research in your field of study or discipline; articulate and refine your own question for scholarly inquiry; situate your investigation in an ongoing context or conversation in your field; and design a final project that adds new perspectives to the conversation. Advanced composition will help you engage in academic and non-academic inquiry as you work on narrowing a research question and as you engage with your discipline or field of study.


MASON IMPACT STATEMENT



As a Mason Impact course, ENGH 101 teaches students to understand knowledge creation and to investigate a meaningful question through the development of an inquiry-based research project that evaluates, synthesizes and incorporates multiple perspectives.


PREREQUISITES

Students must have completed or transferred in the equivalent of English 100 or ENGH 101. Students must have completed 30 credit hours and the Mason Core literature requirement before enrolling in the course.  The program recommends that students enroll in ENGH 302 after completing 45 credit hours. Students should take a version of English 302 related to their major field.

Please note that the Vogenau School of Engineering requires students enrolled in the following majors to take ENGH 302N: applied computer science and computer science, electrical engineering, computer engineering, systems engineering and statistics.

The Volgenau School also requires students in the following majors to be enrolled in either 302N or 302M: bio-engineering, cyber security engineering, mechanical engineering and civil engineering. Information technology majors may enroll in 302N, 302M or 302B.



WAIVING ENGLISH 302

Full instructions for submitting a portfolio and taking an essay exam to attempt to waive English 302 may be found on the Waiver of English 302 page. 
Any student who does not waive the course MUST take it in order to graduate, since it is one of the Foundation Requirements in Written Communication.


FEATURES UNIQUE TO OUR COURSE


The section is organized around the concept of professional writing within a STEM environment. The semester's work focuses on rigor and ethical practices in STEM research, especially the use of peer review and the challenges faced by non-Western scholars in getting published in recognized journals.


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COURSE OBJECTIVES

MASON CORE OBJECTIVES

This course is part of the Mason Core (General Education) Program, which is designed to develop "a Mason graduate [who is] an engaged citizen, a well-rounded scholar, and someone who is prepared to act." (Mason Catalog) It fulfills the Mason Core Upper Division Written Communication requirement. For more information on the Mason Core, visit the Provost's Mason Core page.


OBJECTIVES FOR STUDENTS AS SCHOLARS

This course participates in the Students as Scholars (SaS) program, a university-wide initiative that encourages undergraduate students to engage in scholarly research. Across campus, students now have increased opportunities to work with faculty on original scholarship, research, and creative activities, through their individual departments and the OSCAR office (http://oscar.gmu.edu).

At the end of the course, the Office of Institutional Assessment and the Composition Program will collect random samples of students’ final research projects to assess the effectiveness of the Students as Scholars Program. This assessment has no bearing on your grade in the course.

Below are course goals and learning outcomes for the composition program and the SaS initiative.


STUDENTS AS SCHOLARS LEARNING OUTCOMES:

* CORE: Articulate and refine a question, problem, or challenge.

* ETHICAL: Identify relevant ethical issues and follow ethical principles.

* DISCOVERY: Distinguish between personal beliefs and evidence.

* METHOD: Gather and evaluate evidence appropriate to the inquiry.

* METHOD: Appropriately analyze scholarly evidence.

* CONTEXT: Explain how knowledge is situated and shared in relevant scholarly contexts


ENGLISH DEPARTMENT LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR ENGLISH 302

DISCIPLINE BASED GOALS: Students who successfully complete ENGH 302 will be able to adapt their reading and writing to meet the expectations of their academic discipline and future workplace. They will be able to demonstrate the ability to: 
  1. analyze the rhetorical situations—audience, purpose, and context—in order to recognize the expectations of readers and understand the main purposes of composing across multiple contexts relevant to their fields of study
  2. understand the conventions of academic and non-academic genres, to include usage, specialized vocabulary, format and attribution/citation systems
  3. apply critical reading strategies that are appropriate to advanced academic and nonacademic texts of relevance to their fields of study
  4. identify and synthesize multiple perspectives in articulating and refining a research question relevant to their fields of study
  5. engage in a recursive process of inventing, investigating, shaping, drafting, revising and editing to produce a range of academic and nonacademic texts of relevance to their fields of study
ADVANCED WRITING GOALS: Students who successfully complete ENGH 302 will demonstrate that they have continued to develop their research and writing strategies to an advanced level; they will be able to: 
  1. use writing as a tool for exploration and reflection in addressing advanced problems, as well as for exposition and persuasion
  2. successfully employ strategies for writing as a recursive process of inventing, investigating, shaping, drafting, revising, and editing to meet a range of advanced academic and professional expectations—including, when given appropriate time for drafting and editing,--the ability to produce documents in Standard Edited American English that are generally free from error 
  3. collaborate with others as they write, through peer review, group projects, and/or consulting with outside experts (writing center tutors, librarians, subject-matter experts, workplace informants, etc.) 
  4. identify, evaluate, and use research sources (print and electronic), to include advanced online library searching of databases pertinent to their disciplines and the critical use of web sites 
  5. employ a range of appropriate technologies to support their researching, reading, and thinking, with particular attention to the ways that advanced students and professional locate, analyze, organize and share information

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COURSE MATERIALS

TEXTS

All course readings will be done online, using uploaded articles, links provided in the syllabus, and material e-mailed to the class by the instructor. Please note that online readings are no less required than paper texts are in other classes.

A research handbook is highly advisable, as students will be expected to use their appropriate professional format flawlessly by the end of the semester.  For the Volgenau School, the default format is APA, so the handbook is the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Assocation (6th edition.) This is available at the GMU Bookstore, or any commercial bookseller, including Amazon.  Be sure to acquire the current (6th) edition, as previous versions have significantly different formatting. Students in Electrical Engineering have the option to use the IEEE Editorial Style Manual.  Physics students have the option to use the American Institute of Physics guide, AIP Style Manual, edited by J. T. .Scott.

Diana Hacker's A Writer's Reference (9th ed.) is an optional but extremely valuable resource for questions of grammar, usage and research documentation.  It contains a section on APA formatting, so could be substituted for a research handbook. There is also an alternate version titled A Writer's Reference with Resources for Multilingual Writers and ESL (8th ed.) A good general guide is Writing with Sources: A Guide for Students (3rd edition) by Gordon Harvey.  The paperback version can be purchased from the GMU Bookstore for about $10.00.  If ordering elsewhere, the ISBN number is 97816246665547


TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS

HARDWARE: Since this class is a distance learning section, it is BYOD (bring your own device.) Students must use their own personal electronic devices to participate in class activities Smart phones are generally NOT adequate to this purpose due to the difficulty of extended writing on such small screen sizes. You will need access to a Windows or Macintosh computer with ast least 2GB of RAM and access to a fast and reliavlew broadband internet connection (e.g., cable or DSL).  Also, allow for the amount of hard disk space you will need to store the work you do in the course.
 
SOFTWARE: The course will be conducted using Blackboard's course folder, available at https://courses.gmu.edu.  Therefore, you will need a browser and operating system that are listed compatible or certified with the Blackboard version now available. Log in using your Masonlive user name and password, then click on our course folder.  At the top of the course menu on the left, you will see a link to a video titled Orientation to Our Blackboard Home Page, which explains how to navigate in our course. Online courses typically use Acrobat Reader, Flash, Java, QuickTime, and/or Real Media Player. Your computer should be capable of running current versions of these appllcations. Also, make sure that your computer is protected from viruses by downloading the latest version fo Symantec Endpoint Protection/Anti-Virus software for free here.
  

Check GMU email regularly, preferably daily. Any student not regularly using his or her GMU email account must set that account to forward to the student's preferred email address.  Failure to do so will mean that the student will not receive any class notices, warnings of missing assignments or individual contact from the instructor, all of which are sent to the class list maintained by the Registrar's Office. In return, please email the instructor at jjohnsto@gmu.edu with any questions or concerns. 

Hardware or software needs may be available for purchase at the Patriot Tech Store, the university's computer store that offers educational discounts and special deals. If you are using an employer-provided computer or corporate office for class work, please verify with your systems administrators that will be able to install the necessary applications and that system or corporate firewalls do not block access to any sites or media types.

If using a PC, use either Chrome or Mozilla Firefox as your browser. Blackboard, our course Learning Management System, does not play well with Explorer. If using a Mac, use Safari and Mac OS10.5 or higher. If necessary, you can set up a Mac or a computer running Linux with Boot Camp or virtualization software so Windows will also run on it. Also, if using LibreOffice, Virtual Office or similar
, or a Mac, be sure to check that your files have successfully converted to .doc or.docx format before submitting assignments .Assignments submitted in other formats, or submitted in ZIP files, will not be scored.

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COURSE POLICIES

UNIVERSITY POLICY ON CLASS MEMBERSHIP

Students are responsible for verifying their enrollment in this class. Deadlines are included in the Course Schedule for this class as well as the GMU Schedule of Classes.

For Fall 2019, the Last Day to Add classes is Tuesday, Sept. 3.  The last day to drop is Friday, Sept 27.

Web Withdrawal (formerly known as Selective Withdrawal) lasts from Monday, Sept. 30 to Friday, Oct. 25, but incurs a 100% tuition penalty.  After that, withdrawal requires the approval of the Dean and is only allowed for nonacademic reasons.  The web withdrawal option may be used no more than three times in a student's undergraduate career at George Mason and must be completed within the dates above. See the GMU Office of Undergraduate Affairs for withdrawal procedures.
IMPORTANT: Courses dropped during this period do not affect the student's GPA, but are marked "W," which affects the student's academic standing and Satisfactory Academic Progress for scholarship purposes.


ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS POLICY

In accordance with English Department policy, each student will submit a minimum of 3500 words in the course of the semester, which will serve as the basis for the course grade. Any student with a documented disability which could impact the completion of this requirement must notify the instructor at the beginning of the semester, using a Faculty Contact Sheet. 

George Mason University is committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunites for all students by upholding the laws that ensure equal treatment of all people with disabilities.  If you are seeking accommodations for this class, pleases first visit http://ds.gmu.edu  for detailed information about the Disability Services registration process.  Then please discuss your approved accommodations with the professor.  Documentation is required to obtain course adaptations to ensure that students recieve appropriate support and assistance for success in the class. The Office of Disability Services is located in
SUB 1, Suite 2500, phone number (703) 993-2474. Its email address is ods@gmu.edu.


CLASS POLICY ON SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENTS


All assignments must be submitted to Blackboard. The instructions file for each assignment contains the link to submit it when finished.

It is the students' responsibiity to retain a copy of work submitted in case of submission problems, plus all graded files until the final course grade appears on their transcripts at the end of the semester.

If extraordinary circumstances prevent a student from submitting to Blackboard on time, it is his/her responsibility to email the assignment to the instructor before the due date to avoid late penalties.  


CLASS POLICY ON EXTRA CREDIT

Extra credit is not awarded in this class. However, the Annotated Bibliography assignment can be revised and resubmitted for regrading after a professor-student conference.  Directions can be found under the Instructions for Assignments link in our Blackboard  course menu.


CLASS POLICY ON LATE WORK

All assignments should be submitted to Blackboard on time.

Late work may be delayed in being graded and returned; delay is usually one week but may be more. Please keep this in mind, especially near the end of the semester.

Students should retain all graded files until the final course grade appears on their transcripts at the end of the semester.

IMPORTANT: The Literature Review has a non-negotiable due date due to the necessity of submitting final grades in time for graduation. It cannot be submitted late.


CLASS PARTICIPATION POLICY

Be aware that writing is a time-intensive activity. The Registrar's Office suggests 2-3 hours per week per credit hour, but composition courses can easily take more time.  It is thus very difficult to make up any significant amount of lost time. Anyone who must unavoidably miss class activities is advised to notify the instructor promptly to avoid falling behind.  In an online class like this one, course work and deadlines go on as scheduled, regardless of weather-related closings, unless there is a network outage or Blackboard crash.

If a major religious holiday will interfere with the ability to participate in class activities or submit an assignment on the due date, it is the student's obligation to provide the professor with the date(s) within the first two weeks of the semester.  See the Mason University Life Religious Holiday Calendar for dates.

Since group work is conducted online, it is crucial that each person contribute meaningfully to the group to which that person is assigned. Therefore, participation in the class environment is an important part of the semester grade, especially for the civility blog and the peer reviews of research papers.  It is not possible to earn an "A" in this class without timely, meaningful group contributions.
When interacting with others in the class, as well as the instructor, remember the core rules of Netiquette.  Be sure to carefully craft communications to show respect and avoid misinterpretation.

Active presence in online conversations is essential.  This implies brain awareness, without other distractions, as well as the basic courtesies of formal social gatherings. A student who is seriously unprepared for class or group work--having no draft ready for group mates to critique, for example--will lose class participation points for that activity.  Any serious breach of good online conduct may cause the loss of all participation points.



CLASS POLICY ON FORMATTING ASSIGNMENTS FOR SUBMISSION


The instructions for each assignment include the correct title for the file(s) submitted.

Assignments MUST be submitted in Word (.doc or .docx) format. The ONLY exception to this is screen shots of quizzes, which may be submitted as JPEG or PDF files.  No other file types will be scored. If using a Mac or  a Word equivalent like Open Office or Libre Office, it is the student's responsibility to ensure that his/her submissions can be read in Word 2016.



CLASS POLICY ON FORMATTING EMAIL

Any questions or correspondence should be directed to the instructor's GMU email address: jjohnsto@gmu.edu. All GMU-related correspondence is handled through that address and ONLY that address. All replies from the instructor will be directed to the students GMU email address and ONLY that address. When contacting the instructor about a message sent to the class list, students should be sure to reply to the instructor's email address rather than to the entire list.  This places communications within the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

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GRADING CRITERIA

UNIVERSITY GRADING REQUIREMENTS FOR ENGLISH 302

It is University policy that in all Mason Core English classes (English 100, 101, 201 and 302), students must achieve a grade of C (73) or higher to receive credit for the course. Students must complete all major projects to earn a C (or higher.) Students with averages of C-  (72.4) or lower will receive an NC (No Credit) for the course. Students can keep track of their grade in the course folder in Blackboard by clicking on My Grades in the Course Menu.

It is also university policy that all students in English 302 must successfully complete a major research assignment in order to earn credit for the course.  In our case, this is the Literature Review.

It is also the policy of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, which houses the English Department, that once final grades have been recorded, instructors should not accept any additional work from a student to change a grade.

In addition, the University requires that students submit a minimum of 3500 words in course of the semester, upon which the course grade is based.


COURSE GRADING SCALE: PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWN OF FINAL GRADES

Each assignment, as well as the final course grade, is based upon a total of 100 points. Grading ranges are:

A+  =  97.5-100.  A = 93-97.4.  A- =  90-92.9.  B+ =  87.5-89.9.  B =  83-87.4.  B- =  80-82.9.  C+ = 77.5-79..9  C = 73-77.4.  C- = 70-72.9.  D = 60-69.9.  F =  below 60.


ESSAY GRADING CRITERIA

Essays are graded using the following general criteria:


MIDTERM GRADES

You will receive a midterm grade based on the work of the first portion of the semester, which you can view in PatriotWeb. The midterm grade's purpose is to help you understand how well you are doing so that you can make any adjustments necessary.  It is not meant to predict your final grade, as the work in the second half of the semester may be weighted more heavily.


CALCULATING THE SEMESTER GRADE

Assignments are individually graded on a scale of 0-100, as described in the previous section.  They are then assigned percentage values (sometimes known as weights) to calculate the final semester grade.  Calculations are handled by Blackboard' grade book function.

In ascending order, weights/percentage values for course assignments are:


ASSIGNMENT
PERCENTAGE
STUDENT LEARNING
OUTCOMES SUPPORTED
Quiz on Course Policies
5%
1, 3, 6
Class Civility Blog and Survey
5%
3, 6
What is Your Academic Discipline? Worksheet
5%
5, 7
Quiz on Punctuating and Citing Quotations
5%
1, 5, 6
Peer Review of Literature Review
5%
1, 2, 3, 4, 7
Research Proposal Conference with Instructor
10%
1, 3, 4
Characterizing an Academic Community
10%
1, 2, 3, 5 7
Plagiarism Test
10%
1, 3, 5, 7
Analysis of Academic Writing
10%
2, 3
Annotated Bibliography 15% 2, 3, 6
Literature Review
20%
5, 6


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METHODS OF INSTRUCTION


EXTENDED WRITINGS

There are four MAJOR WRITING ASSIGNMENTS for this course, each in a different format. Each assignment has an instructions containing goals, skills developed by the assignment, procedures to complete the assignment, and grading criteria. There are also help files supplementing each assignment, designed to provide support in locating materials and/or developing needed critical analysis and research skills.

  1. The Analysis of Academic Writing--idenitfies characteristic of the academic writing genre in a research article of the student's choice
  2. The Annotated Bibliography---presents your preliminary research about your potential topic to establish that it is a current and viable issue in your field. The research should help you narrow your topic to a current "problem" that can be addressed in your literature review  
  3. Characterizing an Academic Community--Analyzed the language usage habits of a group, using Swales' Six Characteristics and based on direct observation of a class in the student's discispline
  4. The Literature  Review--a scholarly paper that includes the current knowledge and gaps in the research on the "problem" identified in your Annotated Bibliography
Successful submission of a complete literature review by the due date is required to earn credit for this course.  At a minimum, a complete paper must contain an title page, abstract page, body with internal citations for sources and a references page.


SHORT WRITINGS


Four SHORT WRITINGS will establish appropriate online behavior norms, used for critical reading, writing and reflection on research material:

  1. a class blog in which students compare appropriate with potentially challenging topics for online interaction, followed by a survey to establish a class code of conduct for a business environment
  2. a worksheet designed to introduce and reinforce the concept of an academic discipline
  3. peer review of classmates' literature review drafts
  4. a brief statement  which accompanies the student's face-to-face or virtual conference on his/her research proposal

QUIZZES

Three QUIZZES, taken online, will cover concerns in business research and writing.

  1. The first will cover punctuating and citing quotations from sources, an essential mechanical skill for researched writing
  2. The second tests student knowledge of the policies established by the Mason Core program, Students as Scholars, the English Department and the University itself, as well as the professor's policies for the class
  3. The third will review plagiarism and intellectual property. It is a prerequisite for acceptance of the literature review, which in turn is required in order to pass the class.  
After the due dates for the quizzes, students will be expected to use these elements accurately and appropriately, with grade penalties if this goal is not achieved.  Otherwise, grammar will be taught in this class only occasionally, on an as-needed basis. Please consult the instructor if a particular grammar question arises.

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HONOR CODE; STUDENT SAFETY


HONOR CODE

George Mason University has an Honor Code, which requires all members of this community to maintain the highest standards of academic honesty and integrity.  Cheating, plagiarism, lying and stealing are all prohibited.   Instructors in the Composition Program support the George Mason Honor Code, which requires them to report any suspected instances of plagiarism to the Honor Council. All judgments about plagiarism are made after careful review by the Honor Council, which may issue penalties ranging from grade-deductions to course failure to expulsion from GMU.


THE COMPOSITION PROGRAM'S STATEMENT ON PLAGIARISM


It is expected that students adhere to the George Mason Honor Code as it relates to integrity regarding coursework and grades: "To promote a stronger sense of mutual responsibility, trust, respect and fairness among all members of the Geoerge Mason University community and with the desire for greater academic and personal achievement, we. the George Mason University community, pledge not to cheat, plagiarize, steal and/or lie in matters related to academic work."  More information about the Honor Code, including definitions of cheating, lying and plagiarism, can be found at the Office of Academic Integirty website at  http://oai.gmu.edu

Mason's Composition Program recognizes that appropriately attributing sources is a learning process.  This class will include direct instruction in source integration, documentation, and citation strategies in a range of rhetorical istuations, and follows the CWPA Best Practices for Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism.
Instructors in the Composition Program support the Mason Honor Code, which requires them to report any suspected instances of plagiarism to the Mason Honor Committee. All judgments about plagiarism are made after careful review by the Honor Committee, which may issue penalties ranging from grade-deductions to course failure to expulsion from GMU.


AVOIDING PLAGIARISM

To avoid plagiarism, meet the expectations of a US Academic Audience, give their readers a chance to investigate the issue further, and make credible arguments, writers must:

• put quotation marks around, and give an in-text citation for, any sentences or distinctive phrases (even very short, 2- or 3-word phrases) that writers copy directly from any outside source: a book, textbook, article, website, newspaper, song, baseball card, interview, encyclopedia, CD, YouTube video, movie, etc.

• completely rewrite—not just switch out a few words—any information they find in a separate source and wish to summarize or paraphrase for their readers, and also give an in-text citation for that paraphrased information

• give an in-text citation for any facts, statistics, or opinions which the writers learned from outside sources (or which they just happen to know) and which are not considered “common knowledge” in the target audience (this may require new research to locate a credible outside source to cite)

• give a new in-text citation for each element of information—that is, do not rely on a single citation at the end of a paragraph, because that is not usually sufficient to inform a reader clearly of how much of the paragraph comes from an outside source.

Writers must also include a References list at the end of their essay, providing full bibliographic information for every source cited in their essay.

While different disciplines may have slightly different citation styles, and different instructors may emphasize different levels of citation for different assignments, writers should always begin with these conservative practices unless they are expressly told otherwise. If student writers ever have questions about a citation practice, they should ask their instructor.


AVOIDING SELF-PLAGIARISM 

Students should be careful to avoid self-plagiarism, the practice of re-using their own academic work in two courses or contexts.  If you wish to use your research or writing from another course, project or context in this section of ENGH 302, please speak to the instructor first.  The Instructor needs to approve every instance in which previous research and portions of previous writing might be used in two different courses.  Failure to consult with the instructor might result in a failing grade for the assignment and/or a referral to the Academic Integrity Office.


STUDENT SAFETY

In an emergency, call Crisis Link at (703) 527-4077 or go to Online Crisis Chat, sponsored by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline You may also call the campus police at (703)-993-2810, especially if a problem arises at night when daytime offices are closed.

George Mason University is committed to providing equal opportunity and an educational and work environment free from any discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation or age.  GMU adheres to all applicable state and federal equal opportunity/affirmative action statutes and regulations.

George Mason University values diversity. Through the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Multicultural Education (ODIME), Mason seeks to create and sustain inclusive learning environments where all are welcome,valued and supported. It is committed to providing equal opportunity and an educational and work environment free from any discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation or age.  GMU adheres to all applicable state and federal equal opportunity/affirmative action statutes and regulations.

George Mason University is also committed to a campus that is free of sexual misconduct and incidents of interpersonal violence.  As a faculty member, the instructor for this course is designated as a "Responsible Employee" and must report all disclosures of sexual assault, interpersonal violence and stalking to Mason't Title IX Coordinator per University Policy 1412.  If you experience or witness such an incident, contact the Title IX Coordinator's Office at (703) 993-8730 for available options and resources at the Office of Diversity Services and Programs. This office works specifically with  African Heritage, Hispanic/Latino, Asian/Pacific American, American Indian, and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning populations.  

The Student Support and Advocacy Center , available at (703) 993-3686, offers educational programming, one-on-one consultations, and resources in the areas of interpersonal violence, personal wellness, and alcohol and drug use. Students seeking additional counselling or advice should contact Counseling and Psychological Services  (CAPS) at (703) 993-2380.   CAPS provides free counselling and academic workshops to enhance students' personal experience and academic performance.

IMPORTANT: The University Catalog is the central resource for university policies affecting all students, faculty and staff conduct in university academic affairs.  Other policies are available at http://universitypolicy.gmu.edu/.  All members of the university community are responsible for knowing and following established policies.


ACADEMIC RESOURCES

The University Writing Center: The Writing Center is one of the best resources you will find on campus. The center’s website offers a wealth of online resources for student writers. You can schedule a 50minute appointment with a trained tutor to help with any phase of the writing process. You can obtain assistance with papers by visiting the online writing center. Go online, call, or drop in to make an appointment

The University Library: In addition to a wealth of printed resources, the library hosts around 150 electronic databases indexing hundreds of journals. GMU is also a member of the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC), which means you have hasslefree access to the library resources of eight area universities.  Please take some time to explore the library’s offerings; you may also instant message the library with any questions. In our distance learning environment, the library's Online Education Services are particularly helpful

The Language Resource Center in Mason's Global Center provides workshops and tutoring in reading, speaking and writing for ESL students. Assistance with writing is also available at the Mason Writing Center.


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