Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Back to Syllabus Search | Browse by Department
Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2026

Topics in Creative Writing (Face-to-Face)

ENGL 4140-02

Course: ENGL 4140-02
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2026
Department: English
CRN: 33360

Course Description

An in-depth seminar in a special topic in Creative Writing. Topics may include the History of Poetics, the Psychology of Creative Writing, Form and Theory in Fiction, and/or Playwriting. May be repeated once with a different topic (with instructor permission). (Fall, Spring) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): ENGL 3010 or ENGL 3030 or ENGL 3040 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C- Repeatable for Add’l Credit? Yes - Total Credits: 6

Required Texts

They Said: A Multi-Genre Anthology of Contemporary Collaborative Writing

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  1. describe various approaches to collaborative writing
  2. read and collaboratively create poems, essays, and short stories,
  3. approach writing with more play and less preciousness, 
  4. learn to listen to what a piece is over your desires for it, and 
  5. refine your individual writing process. 

Course Requirements

Reading Annotations and Assignments (20% of overall grade)


Annotations: If you want to write well, you have to read well, therefore, reading carefully and closely--to figure out how a text works--will be a foundational part of your grade. I substantiate a student's engagement with the text through their annotations on said text. You will work from your textbook or print out each reading you are assigned and annotate it by hand. This is better for engagement, recall, and discussion. Annotating is not merely highlighting or underlining, nor is it notes on a separate piece of paper. Annotating is adding notes to the text.

Assignments: While the majority of this grade category will be your reading annotations, you may occasionally have other small assignments or exercises to complete. If participation and discussion on readings in class isn't generous, this grade category may adapt to include required in-class reading quizzes, reading responses, discussion questions and/or another alternate.

Writing and Revision (50% of overall grade)


Throughout the semester you will complete a number of in-class and out-of-class exercises, develop your favorite of the exercises into full pieces, then revise a smaller number of those full pieces into polished works.

The end of the semester will culminate with an open-ended collaborative project that you will design, pitch, and complete.

Reflection (30% of overall grade)


Your grade in this category will include work we do together to build a taxonomy of collaborative writing, occasional reflective exit-ticket assignments, workshop reflections, though the most significant assignments will be thoughtful reflections on your own collaborative works/process and a comprehensive final reflection.

If at any time you wish to discuss your grades, set an appointment with me or leave me a message on the relevant Canvas assignment. I cannot discuss grades via email.

I grade major assignments in the order in which I receive them. If you're anxious for feedback, consider submitting your work with more clearance from the deadline.

Course Outline

Weeks 1-10: The first two thirds of the semester will be spent reading and exploring short collaborative piece while drafting works of your own. We will also read reflective work from the authors, and you will generate similar documents.
Weeks 11-16: The final third of the course will be spent designing, pitching, and executing a collaborative project that suit your process and interests, then executing that project, ending with revision and reflection.

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Completing work on time and attending regularly is going to be essential for this class on collaboration. If you don't get your part done on time, that puts someone else in an unfair time bind or leaves them with nothing to work on. Prioritize the collaborative work you've got to turn over to someone else soon.

Each assignment you're turning in has a due date. That date is the date on which I will begin grading. You have a natural, built-in grace period though. If I haven’t finished grading the assignment yet, you can still turn your assignment in. Once I’ve entered a zero for your grade, that means I’m done grading that assignment and the grace period has ended. It’s a bit of a gamble to turn something in late; get your work done ASAP. If you really need to, email me and ask me how far out I am on grading. I can give you a rough ballpark. When it comes to work others need, that too must be in by the time its needed.

Accepted late work will be given no feedback, only a grade, and may take significantly longer to be returned.

If you have something exceptional going on, talk with me ASAP. I may be able to work with you, but I also have to be fair to all students, so there are some issues on which my hands are tied.

Computer or user error is not a legitimate excuse for late work, so submit early and double-check that your submissions were uploaded correctly and that they are the correct submissions.

I do not offer extra credit. If you haven't done as well on an assignment as you'd like or as well as you need to in order to maintain the grade you need, get in touch with me as soon as possible so we can discuss how you can do better in the future.

Attendance Policy

Just as with turning in work on time, collaborative work can only happen if people show up consistently, hence, regular attendance is required. In order to pass the class, your final attendance percentage will need to be at or above 70%. That's very lenient. If someone is missing 30% of class, they're likely to fail without this intervention.

Of course, occasional absences will happen. If you are ill (with anything) or suspect you may be, please stay home and rest. Contact a classmate for notes on what you missed.

If you are every having issues that are keeping you from regular attendance (hospitalization or prolonged, serious illness, etc.) let me know as soon as possible. We will see what we can work out. Note, though, that coming to me at the end of the semester to highlight an issue that began in the early weeks of the semester leaves us with little wiggle room. Even if all you can do is jot a quick email that tells me something is up and you can't even work with me on it yet is better than nothing.

For University-Excused Absences, be sure you're following policy 6.30.

If you have to miss class for any reason, get notes from a classmate, not me. You can always email me with specific followup questions after getting notes from a classmate, but I will respond to "Did I miss anything?" emails with this section of the syllabus.

Course Fees

$12

AI Policy

The Author’s Guild has issued a position statement about the use of AI in publishing, and I teach with those principles in mind. AI tools could take a writing gig away from you one day or keep you from selling a book. In line with the industry standard, I do no allow use of AI in this class. If you use AI on an assignment, you will have to have a face-to-face meeting with me, then redo the assignment from scratch with stricter parameters. If it happens again, you may fail the class. Do not use AI in this course.

Again, use of AI is fundamentally antithetical to our course outcomes, so use of AI, specifically LLMs (large language models) and generative AI, is not allowed in this course.

Similarly, never submit or expose someone else's intellectual property to AI without explicit permission for that person. In this class, that means absolutely not submitting my or your classmates' work to an AI without their explicit, written permission. (I don't think you should submit published work to an AI-driven tool, either, though I carry less responsibility in this.) This includes programs like Speechify (to listen to a text read aloud) and feeding an essay to an AI to ask for a summary or to ask it to generate talking points. I expect you to do this work yourself, as it is the work of the class, and it is professional and personally irresponsible to blow someone else's chance at publication because you violated their intellectual property rights.

Content and Conduct

This class will operate on a basis of mutual respect, personal responsibility, and professionalism. I expect that you respect me and my time, your classmates and their time, and yourself and your own time. This means being prepared, participating generously, and owning the consequences of all your decisions. Remember, no one will ever take you or your work more seriously than you do. 

Anyone who is disrespectful or uses any discriminatory or vulgar language in discussion or comments toward another student may be dismissed from class and be marked absent for the day. Interrupting someone or chatting while someone else is speaking is disruptive and disrespectful and, if not checked, may also result in dismissal from the day’s class and an absence. Sleeping, doing homework for other classes, and being on a device is also disrespectful. I will address all of these rude and disruptive behaviors openly.

Be aware that some of the material we address this semester—your classmates work included—may contain profanity and/or address topics such as sex, violence, suicidal ideation, homophobia, racism, or other difficult subjects. Students who find such content objectionable or overly difficult are free to forgo any reading assignments or class discussions; however, no alternates will be provided. If there is something in particular you are concerned about, please let me know if the first week or so of class and I can let you know ahead of time the pieces you should exercise caution with. Due to the nature of student creative works and submission, I cannot give you the same heads up on student work, though you are free to work with your classmates to gain a heads up.

Please do practice self-care regarding difficult material. I am not interested in causing students pain and difficulty. If there is a reading or story that is too much for you—one I’ve given you or one a classmate has given you—forgo it and talk to me about it during office hours. Similarly, realize that no one in class is obligated to read your writing on difficult subjects.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.