Director’s Letter – August 2024

Dear all,

I hope everyone is having a great first week of classes! The ISUComm Foundation Courses team was busy this summer. Here are a few highlights:

• We held the ISUComm Foundation Courses Redesign Institute. Learn about what we did and who was involved in the spotlight article below!
• One outcome of the Redesign Institute is the ISUComm Foundation Courses Activity Inspiration Repository, which includes alternative major assignment descriptions and lesson plan ideas for ENGL 1500 and ENGL 2500. We are calling it the “inspiration” repository because the ideas are meant to inspire, not prescribe. We hope you will adapt the plans to meet your students’ needs and interests.
• Another outcome of the Redesign Institute is an updated Statement on the Use of Generative AI in Foundation Courses. Starting this semester, every section of ENGL 1500 and ENGL 2500 will have at least one discussion activity about generative AI, in response to “Using Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in the Writing Course: A Guide for Students” by Andrea A. Lunsford. Look for the robot icon in the Activity Inspiration Repository for more ideas about how to integrate AI into your class activities if you choose.
• We revised the ISUComm Foundation Courses Instructor Guide, which includes important information about our courses, expectations, policies, etc. Like all the resources we create, this guide is designed to enable you to do your best work. The Instructor Guide is a living document, so let us know if there is something you think it would be helpful to add.
• We revised the Canvas shells for ENGL 1500 and ENGL 2500 for both face-to-face and online sections. They are streamlined and beautiful! As Katie Fulton, Online Learning Coordinator, said at our Fall 2024 Kickoff Meeting last week, many sets of eyes reviewed the shells, but hiccups are inevitable. Please reach out to Katie when you encounter a typo or other issue with the Canvas shells so she can fix it for everyone in the blueprint. We also revised major assignment rubrics to make them more user-friendly for students and instructors. The rubrics have been simplified, revised for consistency, and edited to include style points for original voice.

We are also welcoming 21 new graduate teaching assistants into the Foundation Courses program this semester. Please offer a kind word when you see new faces around the department!

All best,

Lesley