Course Syllabus

Summer 2024 | ENG-2090-VO01 - Travel Writing

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

Sean Dobbin
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Cindy Swanson

General Education Requirements

VSCS Arts & Aesthetics

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

In this course, students explore the fundamentals of travel writing. Through critical reading and extensive writing, students discover how to craft pieces that evoke a sense of time, place and personal journey. Students also focus on developing points of view and description, and draw upon personal experience and research to build skills in the full range of travel writing including blogs, memoirs, essays and guidebooks.

Essential Objectives

1. Identify and analyze elements of good travel writing through reading the works of notable travel writers.
2. Accurately and skillfully record observations and reflect critically upon them.
3. Discuss and demonstrate features of travel writing, such as voice, imagery, time structure, and evocation of place and culture.
4. Develop a process for getting started, developing, and structuring drafts of his/her own travel writing, as well as revising toward a final product.
5. Analyze personal strengths and weaknesses in writing, as well as critique one another's work constructively.
6. Create and submit a final portfolio of selected work that demonstrates a commitment to the writing process and competence in the craft of travel writing.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV IT Support page. https://support.ccv.edu/general/computer-recommendations/

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

*** This is a low cost ($50 or less) textbook or resource class. ***

ENG-2090-VO01 Link to Textbooks/Resources Information for this course in eCampus.

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.

Artificial Intelligence(AI) Policy Statement

CCV recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools are widely available and becoming embedded in many online writing and creative applications.

Prohibited: The use of generative AI is not allowed in this course, with the exception of spellcheck, grammar check and similar tools. This course rests in the value of students engaging in the learning process without relying on AI-generated content. Students will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills independently, owning their learning journey from start to finish. If you use these tools, your actions would be considered academically dishonest and a violation of CCV's Academic Integrity Policy.

Methods

This course will be taught mostly using a combination of reading, reflection, discussion, peer review, and of course lots of writing (both large and small assignments)!

Evaluation Criteria

50% -- Essays

20% -- Discussions

30% -- Other Assignments

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

In group assignments and discussions, your participation has a direct effect on your grade, and it is also how I track attendance in the course throughout the semester. Full participation means completing all expectations for the assignment, giving all required responses, meeting length requirements, submitting your work on time, etc.

If you do not participate in a given week, you will not only earn zeroes on your assignments, but you will also be considered absent. No student with more than three absences will be able to pass the course.

Missing & Late Work Policy

All deadlines for the work in this class are firm, with extremely rare exceptions. Work not submitted by the due date is given a grade of 0.

We are all on a schedule, and also have many assignments and activities that require timely participation by everyone in order for all students to get the full benefit. Please do not email me late work or ask to submit work after the assignment deadline is closed. This will not be allowed unless you have previously been granted an extension for a serious, unusual circumstance.

Again, all work not submitted by the due date (always 11:59pm on the due date unless otherwise noted) is given a grade of 0. For course discussions (including Peer Reviews), where you typically have a deadline for your initial post (usually Fridays at 11:59pm) and another for your reply posts (usually Monday at 11:59pm), late initial posts will be given no credit, and your overall grade for the discussion will be reduced accordingly.

Extensions are very rarely granted -- and only in the most serious circumstances. However, if you feel that you cannot complete an assignment by its due date, it is important that you communicate with me as soon as possible. Do not wait to email me the day the assignment is due. I am much more willing to work with you if you show forethought and a genuine desire to talk to me about your work. As you will likely hear me say many times throughout this course, the most important thing you can do to assure your success in this course (and in college in general) is to communicate with your instructor.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity