THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE FACULTY SENATE Senate Document Number 1890S  Date of Senate Approval 2/8/90  Signature of Senate Chair _______________________ Date __________ Action of Vice Chancellor: Approval _______________________ Date ______________ Denied _______________________ Date ______________ Reasons for denial and suggested modifications: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Statement of Faculty Senate Action: APC #14: Catalog Changes in Creative Writing Effective Date: Fall, 1990 Proposed Changes: 1. Add Lang 260 Introduction to Creative Writing (3) A first workshop experience for students interested in the composition of poetry, fiction, and other imaginative writing. Fulfills General Education Arts 310 Studio Req. Prerequisite: Completion of Freshman Composition Req. Rationale With the exception of the "Playwriting Workshop," the creative writing program has added no new courses since it began in the 1970's. Our courses and requirements were originally designed to serve a small number of majors and a fairly large number of community adults, usually with a single evening workshop offered each semester. Over the last decade, and Page 2 especially in the past two years, our constituency--and the demand for writing courses--has changed rapidly. In 1985 we increased our offering to two workshops per semester, one daytime, one evening. Both filled. In the spring of 1988 we again increased our offerings with a "Special Topics Advanced Fiction" course (to serve more experienced majors and community adults), plus two sections of a 1-hour "studio" course (to provide Arts 310 students with a way of fulfilling the General Education requirement). By the fall of 1988 all courses were over-enrolled. This fall we had a waiting list of more than fifteen students, some of whom were creative writing majors. Part of the increased demand has arisen from the new General Education Arts 310 course which requires a 1-hour studio or laboratory experience. Although we have provided 1-hour studio courses, a significant number of students seem to want the full 3-hr workshops. Unfortunately, the workshops were never designed to accommodate General Education students. The first step in our proposed revision then is the creation of a 3-hr 200-level Introduction to Creative Writing. This course will cover both fiction and poetry writing, and will be designed for full-time students who wish to take a 3-hr course to fulfill the Arts 310 requirement, for novice community adults who wish to try their hand at writing (always a large element of our constituency), for literature majors who wish to fulfill a literature elective in writing, and for those creative writing majors who are not prepared to begin in the 300-level workshops. 2. Add the following condition to "Language 361 Poetry  Writing Workshop," "Language 363 Fiction Writing  Workshop," and "Language 365 Playwriting Workshop": "Does not fulfill General Education Arts 310 Studio Req." Rationale The new "Language 260 Introduction to Creative Writing" will now be available for general education students and others who wish to explore fiction or poetry writing out of personal curiosity. The 300-level workshops will serve students with a serious interest in pursuing writing in more demanding ways. 3. Add Lang 367 Magazine Writing Workshop A workshop in the writing of essays, articles, and Page 3 other professional non-fiction. Same as MCOM 323. Does not fulfill General Education Arts 310 Studio Req. Prerequisite: Completion of Freshman Composition Req. Rationale "Magazine Writing" has been coffered several times in the past as a Special Topics in the creative writing program, as well as Mass Comm 323, and as a cross-listed course in both departments. The most recent offering, in Fall 1988, enrolled 30 students. Almost that many others were turned away. Demand for the course comes from creative writing majors, community adults, and mass communication majors. We therefore believe it should be moved from a Special Topics offering to a regularly scheduled course. In addition, it adds, for the first time, a professional component to the creative writing program which a significant number of students desire. For the time being, we expect the course to be offered every other year, alternating with "Playwriting Workshop." Instructors will be drawn from either creative writing or Mass Communication (which will continue to list the identical course as Mass Comm 323.) The course will not fulfill the Arts 310 studio requirement, but will count toward one of the workshop requirements in the creative writing major. 4. Add Lang 461 Advanced Poetry Writing (3) Intensive writing experience for students with an advanced or professional interest in the writing of poetry. May include study of contemporary and/or traditional poetry. May be repeated once for credit. Does not fulfill General Education Arts 310 Studio Req. Prerequisite: Lang 361 or Permission of Instructor. Lang 463 Advanced Fiction Writing (3) Intensive writing experience for students with an advanced or professional interest in the writing of fiction, including the novel. May include study of contemporary short stories and/or novels. May be repeated once for credit. Does not fulfill General Education Arts 310 Studio Req. Page 4 Prerequisite: Lang 363 or Permission of Instructor Lang 465 Advanced Playwriting (3) Intensive writing experience for students with advanced or professional interest in the dramatic arts. A final component of this course may include development and production of student scripts. May be repeated once for credit. Does not fulfill General Education Arts 310 Studio Req. Prerequisite: Lang 365 or Permission of Instructor Rationale When enrollments were significantly smaller, we could not justify advanced courses. Instead, we required students to repeat the 300-level workshops. The result was that beginning students were mixed with advanced students. Instructors would encounter some students who had never written more than a freshman composition paper, while others in the same class were working on a novel. In several cases, writers with several novels or a long list of poetry publications would have to sit through weeks of introductory work before the instructor could turn his or her attention to them. Only by taking an Independent Study could such students receive attention at the appropriate level. As a consequence all creative writing instructors have in the past carried three-to-seven independent study projects every semester. In the spring of 1988, we combined five advanced students-- each seeking an independent study--into a "Special Topics in Advanced Fiction Writing." Two students in that class have now had first novels accepted for publication by major New York publishing firms. One student from the second advanced course, offered Spring Semester 1989, is now discussing possible publication for her first novel with another New York publisher who has requested revisions. Obviously it is pedagogically sound to offer advanced courses in a major rather than to combine advanced and introductory students in every class. The number of students in the program now justifies the additional level. 5. Change numbering of course & Prerequisites: Lang 461-3 Independent Study in Creative Writing to Lang 491-3 Independent Study in Creative Writing [same course description] Page 5 Prerequisite: 461, 463, 465 as appropriate, and permission of the instructor. Rationale "Independent Study in Creative Writing" was originally added because of increased demand from advanced students, but at a time when that demand did not justify an additional course. Now that advanced courses are needed at the 400 level, we would like to retain the availability of Independent Study for unusual cases only. For example, it might be used for an exceptionally bright student who needs to finish a major project begun in one of the advanced courses, or perhaps for a student who needs credit for graduation but for whom the appropriate workshop or advanced course is unavailable. 6. Change Prerequisites for Lang 497 from Lang 361, 363, 365, and permission of instructor to Lang 461, 463, 465, and permission of instructor 7. Change Requirements for Major in Creative Writing from I. Required courses in the major -- 36 hours including Literature 241 (with no more than 3 additional credit hrs selected from 200-level courses); 321, 322, 323, 324, 349; 3 hrs selected from 354 or 356; 3 hours selected from 481, 483, 485, 487; Language 497 with nine additional hours selected from Language 361, 363, 365 (with no workshop repeated more than twice). (p. 152, 1989-90 Catalog) to I. Required courses in the major -- 36 hours including Literature 241; 9 hrs selected from Lit 321, 322, 323, 324; 3 hours selected from Lit 354 or 356; 9 hrs elected from other literature  courses (with no more than 3 hrs below the 300  level) or Lang 260 plus 6 hrs elected from   literature courses; 9 hrs selected from Lang 300- level or 400-level creative writing courses, of Page 6  which at least 3 hrs must be at the 400-level; Lang 497. Summary of New Requirements: Lit 241 (Poetry) 3 hrs Lit surveys 9 hrs Novel or Drama 3 hrs Lit electives 9 hrs [or Lang. 260 & 6 hrs Lit electives] Writing Workshops 9 hrs Senior Project 3 hrs   36 hrs. Rationale These new requirements take into account the new course offerings and other changes proposed in this document. They provide creative writing majors with a more flexible program, more choices, and a more clearly defined progression from introductory, to mid-level, to advanced level work. They do not add hours to the major nor to the total number of hours needed for graduation. 8. Delete the following requirement from the Creative Writing Major (p. 152, 1989-90 catalog): 11 Required courses outside the major -- 3 hours in Art, Drama or Music selected from a list approved by the department. Rationale The new General Education Arts 310 requirement now eliminates the need for this requirement. Summary of New Creative Writing Curriculum Lang 260 Introduction to Creative Writing Lang 361 Poetry Writing Workshop Lang 363 Fiction Writing Workshop Lang 365 Playwriting Workshop Page 7 Lang 367 Magazine Writing Workshop Lang 461 Advanced Poetry Writing Lang 463 Advanced Fiction Writing Lang 465 Advanced Playwriting Lang 491-3 Independent Study in Creative Writing Lang 497 Senior Project in Creative Writing We believe that such a program would offer, for the first time, a fully developed major in creative writing. Instructors for courses would include Rick Chess (poetry); David Hopes (poetry, magazine writing, playwriting); Phyllis Lang (magazine writing) Peggy Parris (fiction); Jeff Rackham (fiction); and Arnold Wengrow (playwriting).