Gordon Rule FAQs
1.
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Who determines which courses are Gordon Rule courses?
As under the
previous rule, the individual postsecondary institution will decide which courses
meet the requirements.
2.
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The requirement notes “Six (6) semester hours of English coursework and six
(6) semester hours of additional coursework in which the student is required
to demonstrate college-level writing skills through multiple assignments.”
How many is “multiple”?
Multiple does not necessarily mean multiple
assignments per course. For example, one course might have a substantial
research paper assignment and could possibly qualify as a Gordon Rule course.
This is an institutional decision.
3.
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How is “English coursework” defined?
Previously, the rule defined English
coursework as any “course within the general study area of the humanities in
which the student is required to produce written work of at least 6,000 words.”
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Although the word count has been eliminated, it is intended that each student
still be required to complete an extensive amount of writing in each of the 4
designated Gordon Rule courses in the area of communications.
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Institutions will be charged with designating which courses will meet the
“English” requirement (i.e. emphasis on composition) and which courses will
meet the “additional coursework” requirement. The courses designated as
“English” should fall within the “English Language and Literature” discipline
(i.e., within the following prefixes: AML – American Literature, CRW –
Creative Writing, ENC – English Composition, ENG – English General, ENL
– English Literature, and LIT – Literature).
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Students must complete a minimum of 6 credits of “English” coursework, but
the “additional coursework” may also come from courses designated as
“English” courses.
4.
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How do academic advisors know if a course meets Gordon Rule
requirements?
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Until there is the ability to note individual coursework as meeting Gordon
Rule requirements on the individual transcript, institutions must continue to
refer to the Statewide Course Numbering System (http://scns.fldoe.org) when
receiving transfer credit to ensure that a course is designated as Gordon Rule
by the sending institution.
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There are plans underway to add a designation to the transcript (via
STRES/FASTER) that will delineate whether a specific communications
course meets Gordon Rule “English” or “additional (writing) coursework”
requirements.
5.
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How should students who were in the middle of completing the word-count
portion of the previous Gordon Rule requirement be handled?
Students in
process should not be penalized. If they successfully completed a Gordon Rule
communication course, no matter what the word count, the course should count as
one of the twelve semester hours of communication coursework.
6.
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How will the transition be handled?
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As institutions transition, it is expected that each institution will establish clear
policies concerning the designation of Gordon Rule courses. These policies
should include a clear understanding of the acceptance of Gordon Rule
transfer credit.
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Institutions shall submit Gordon Rule policies and designated courses to the
Statewide Course Numbering System (SCNS) by July 1, 2006. Institutions
will be expected to verify to the SCNS that the communication coursework
previously designated as Gordon Rule now meets or does not meet current
standards.
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Each institution is expected to determine its own expectations of coursework
meeting the Gordon Rule requirement. Among the items that an institution
might consider for communication coursework are the opportunity for
students to demonstrate college-level writing skills and type of writing
requirements.
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If an institution’s word count is currently spread out over a number of classes
(i.e. 1000 words per class) it will be necessary to reassess the courses that will
maintain the Gordon Rule designation because the requirement will now be
met with only 4 courses. Therefore, 1000 word courses may be insufficient in
meeting the “multiple assignments” requirement.
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If an institution’s course has multiple sections, all sections must meet the new
criteria. Every student enrolled in a designated Gordon Rule course must
meet the writing requirement.
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Computation coursework will remain the same as there were no major
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changes.
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Policies and a listing of coursework qualifying for Gordon Rule should be
placed in the college catalog.
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Please submit policies via email to Mr. Matthew Bouck, SCNS Administrator,
at Matthew.Bouck@fldoe.org by
July 1, 2006.
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A copy of each institution’s policies should also be sent to their respective
state office:
Ms. Lynda Page (Board of Governors) Lynda.Page@flbog.org
Dr. Sara Hamon (Division of Community Colleges and
Workforce Education) Sara.Hamon@fldoe.org