Policies for Implementation of the Gordon Rule Revisions

On November 17, 2005, the Florida Board of Governors eliminated the word count in the communication component of the Gordon Rule policy. The new requirement is as follows:

Six semester hours of English coursework and six semester hours of additional coursework in which the student is required to demonstrate college-level writing skills through multiple assignments.

At FIU, in response to this change, a faculty committee was formed to establish university policies for the designation of Gordon rule courses and expectations for coursework meeting the Gordon rule requirement. The new policies are outlined below.

Expectations for Gordon Rule Coursework

The revisions require that in a Gordon Rule course, students demonstrate “college-level writing skills.” At FIU, college-level writing is defined as that which exhibits the following characteristics:

• It has clear purpose and thesis or controlling idea.
• The thesis is supported with adequate reasons and evidence.
• It shows sustained analysis and critical thought.
• It is organized clearly and logically.
• It shows knowledge of conventions of standard written English.
• It shows awareness of disciplinary conventions in regard to content, style, form, and delivery method.

Expectations for the Number of Assignments

The Gordon Rule revisions require “multiple” writing assignments. FIU courses will meet this requirement by assigning a minimum of three writing assignments.

Expectations for the Types of Writing Assignments

The assignments must be such as to encourage the production of “college-level writing,” as defined above. Specific assignments may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Essays
Reports
Essay Examinations (essay exams may count as one, but no more than one, of the three writing assignments)
Manuals
Reviews
Case Studies
Project Plans
Research Papers
Feasibility Studies
Websites (with a professional or academic focus)

Assignments that normally will not fulfill the requirement include the following:

Journal or Diary Entries
Resumes
Free-writing
Classroom Assessments
Online Discussion Posts
Emails
Brainstorming
Creative Writing
PowerPoint Presentations
Personal Homepages

Gordon Rule essay assignments should exhibit the following characteristics:

• They should be given to the student in writing.
• They should be sequenced to encourage the writer’s growth both in idea development and in writing strategy; therefore, they should increase in complexity throughout the term.
• They should indicate the criteria for assessment.

10/2006