UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS
DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY
PHILOSOPHY 398W: JUNIOR YEAR WRITING REQUIREMENT
Vere Chappell Spring 2003
ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR JUNIOR YEAR WRITERS
Jan 24 - Junior Year Writing students who are not yet enrolled for PHIL 398W must register in the next week.
Jan 30 - PHIL 398W must be taken in conjunction with some other, regular three-credit Philosophy course. For most students this
course will be PHIL 321: History of Modern Philosophy; but other courses may serve, with the permission of both the Director
of Undergraduate Studies (Professor Chappell) and the instructor of the course concerned.
Jan 30 - An extra meeting for Junior Year Writing students, over and above the meetings of the associated regular course, will be held
each week (with a few exceptions, to be announced), on Wednesday afternoons from 3.35 to 4:25 in Bartlett 127. All students
taking PHIL 398W are required to attend these extra meetings. One such meeting may be missed without penalty; any absences
beyond this may result in a failing grade for PHIL 398W.
Jan 30 - All Junior Year Writing students are required to read The Elements of Style, by Strunk and White, at the rate of one chapter per
week, starting next week (i. e. Chapter 1 for Wed Feb 05, Chapter 2 for Feb 12, etc.)
Jan 30 - All Junior Year Writing students must write four or more extra papers, over and above the papers required of all students in the
associated regular courses. These extra papers will be read and commented on by Julie Petty, the Philosophy Department's
Writing Assistant. Ms Petty will not put grades on these papers, and her comments will have solely to do with matters of writing.
Students may, however, be required to rewrite these papers one or more times, taking account of Ms Petty's comments.
- Students may communicate with Ms Petty by e-mail: <petty@philos.umass.edu> ; the papers, however, must be handed in to
the instructor of the associated course.
Jan 30 - Junior Year Writing papers should be 500-600 words in length (ca. two double-spaced pages), printed, and stapled (no loose
sheets or paper clips). Also, these papers must be hard copies, handed in directly to the instructor concerned: do not submit them
by e-mail.
Jan 30 - Junior Year Writing students in PHIL 321 will be required to write four papers in addition to the four required of all students.
The papers must be written on the topics specified on the Paper Topics page of this website, and handed in at the beginning of class
on the dates on which they are due (as indicated on the Syllabus). All four of the papers must be completed (not three out of the
four), and they must be handed in on time: late papers will not be accepted. If a paper is missed because of a genuine emergency,
however, a make-up, on a different topic, may be permitted, but only upon presentation of a written excuse within a week of the
missed paper's due date.
Feb 04 - IMPORTANT: Note the alteration in the third item above (the second entry dated Jan 30).
Feb 06 - Junior Year Writing students in PHIL 329, PHIL 394M, and PHIL 551 will be required to write four papers in addition to whatever
written work is required of all students in these classes. Topics for these papers will be provided by Professors Matthews and
Schaffer, and the papers will be due at the beginning of class on Feb 11, Mar 04, Apr 08, and Apr 29.
Feb 06 - The reading assignment for the next Wed meeting, on Feb 12, is Chapter 2 of Strunk and White.
Feb 14 - The first papers written by PHIL 321 students have now been marked, and can be picked up from Beth Ellena in 352 Bartlett.
(I will bring papers not picked up before next Wednesday afternoon to class on that day.) Nearly all of the papers must be rewritten,
following the directions provided by Julie Petty in her comments. The rewritten papers, together with the original versions, must be
handed in at the beginning of the PHIL 321 class on Tuesday Feb 25. (The next Jr Yr Wr paper, on Leibniz, is due on Thursday Feb 27.)
Feb 14 - The first papers of the students in PHIL 329 and PHIL 393M are now being marked by Ms Petty. We are hoping to hand these back at
the Wed meeting on Feb 26. Rewritten versions, if required, will be due a few days later (exact date TBA). (The next Jr Wr Wr paper
for these students is due on Tues Mar 04.)
Feb 14 - Reading assignment for Wed meeting on Feb 19: Strunk and White, Chapter 3 *and* Glossary.
Feb 25 - No meeting of the 398W class tomorrow, Feb 26. For next week's class (Mar 04), review Strunk and White, Chapter 3 and Glossary,
and read Chapter 4.
Feb 25 - There will be a brief quiz, covering Strunk and White Chapters 1-3 and Glossary, at our next Wednesday class, March 04.
Feb 25 - Reminder: Junior Year Writers in PHIL 321 must hand in their Leibniz papers at the beginning of the 321 class tomorrow, Thur Feb 27.
Mar 10 - Next meeting on March 12. Read Chapter 4 of Strunk and White.
Mar 10 - Bring re-writes of Leibniz papers to the meeting of March 12 (or put them in my box earlier).
Mar 10 - Schedule for the rest of the semester: No meetings on Mar 26, Apr 23, or May 14. We will meet all the other Wednesdays between
Apr 02 and May 07. There will be a quiz on Apr 30.
Apr 28 - Reminder: the 398W class will meet on Wed, Apr 30, as scheduled, and the scheduled quiz will be given in that class.
Apr 30 - No class next week. Graded quizzes and marked papers will be handed back to PHIL 321 students in the 321 class next week. Other
students may pick up their quizzes from Beth Ellena next week, and their marked papers (due Tues May 6) the week following.