Writing Standards

Writing Standards 

Faculty and students will use the following standards for all graded written compositions and essays for courses taught in the Humanities Department, (except foreign language and ESL). These courses are: history, philosophy, religion, art, music, theater, and public speaking. 

1. Students will use standard academic formatting (APA or MLA style):
   1. All major papers will be written using a computer.
   2. Brief papers may be hand-written in blue or black ink.
   3. A standard font (Verdana, Times New Roman or Arial) will be used, in 10 point type.
   4. 1-inch margins will be used for all margins.
2. If any outside sources are used, they will be credited using either MLA or APA documentation styles.
3. Basic essay format as taught in ENG 100 will be expected unless another format is specifically stated:
   1. Paper organized around main idea or thesis that responds to demands of assignment, clearly stated in introductory paragraph
   2. Supporting body paragraphs that develop main idea, each organized around supporting topic sentence
   3. Reasonable amount of detail, example, or explanation will be used to develop each idea.
   4. A clear distinction will be made between the writer’s ideas and those from any other source, using APA or MLA documentation appropriately.
   5. A clear conclusion will be provided.
4. Students will use a reasonable standard of editing.
5. Papers will follow the specific requirements of the assignment.
6. Students who need assistance to meet the standards will be referred to the Academic Success Center.
7. Assignments for papers will be given in writing by instructors, and will clearly state the requirements of the paper and the grading standards, including weight given to format/editing and to content.