Academic Resources & Policies
Please note the following information related to Literature undergraduate course policies and campus resources for undergraduate students. Contact our advisors if you have any questions.
Well-Being Resources on Campus
Visit these websites / offices to find programs and services that support your well-being:
- Basic Needs Hub / Triton Food Pantry
- Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)
- Campus Advocacy, Resources, & Education at the Sexual Assault Resource Center (CARE at SARC)
- Center for Ethics & Spirituality
- Office for Students with Disabilities
- Recreation
- Student Health Services
- Student Affairs Case Management Services
- Triton CORE: Compassionate Response
- The Zone
Academic Integrity
Instructors in the Department of Literature are obligated to report all forms of academic misconduct. Students should familiarize themselves with campus policies and definitions surrounding academic integrity: Academic Integrity (ucsd.edu). We encourage all students to take the Excel with Integrity Pledge.
Disability Accommodations
In order to maintain the overall academic integrity within our courses, class/exam accommodations may only be provided to students who have received a formal Authorization for Accommodation (AFA) letter from the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD). If/when students receive and accept their approved accommodations, their AFA letter will be sent to the course instruction and department's OSD Academic Liaison. We will follow-up with students to provide the next steps in the administration of their accommodations.
Enrollment Authorizations
If you are not yet able to enroll in a course - due to missing a pre-requisite or not meeting a course restriction (such as upper division standing) - you may submit a course pre-authorization request via the Enrollment Authorization System (EASy). If the course instructor approves the request, department advisors can enter applicable authorization codes. You will then be able to enroll via WebReg, assuming there are seats open in the course and you are within your eligible enrollment time windows.
Enrollment in LTWR 8A, 8B, 8C
Students admitted to UCSD as freshmen must have completed a portion of their College Writing Program coursework prior to enrolling in LTWR 8A, 8B, or 8C. The specific pre-requisites for each college are:
- Revelle: HUM 1 & HUM 2
- Warren: WCWP 10A & WCWP 10B
- Marshall: DOC 2 & DOC 3
- Sixth: CAT 2 & CAT 3
- Roosevelt: MMW 12 & MMW 13
- Muir: MCWP 40 & MCWP 50
- Seventh: SYN 1 & SYN 2
Transfer students who are not required to take these courses (due to IGETC certification) can submit a pre-authorization request through EASy for approval to register without the pre-requisites. These requests will be automatically approved.
Students enrolled in LTWR 8A and/or 8B are required to attend three readings in the New Writing Series (represented as "LAB" on the schedule of classes). See the New Writing Series schedule for specific times and dates.
Enrollment in LTWR 100-149
LTWR 100-129 are writing workshops, and LTWR 140-149 are writing theory courses. Declared Literature/Writing (LT34) majors and minors have priority enrollment for these courses during the "1st pass" of registration. It is strongly recommended that declared Literature/Writing majors and minors enroll in no more than 2 writing workshops per quarter.
Students who are not declared Literature/Writing majors or minors may put in an authorization request via EASy. Requests for authorization will be processed during the "2nd pass" of registration. Requests are only processed M-F 8am-4:30pm, so please plan accordingly.
Independent Study Courses
There are three types of undergraduate independent study courses possible in Literature:
- LT** 196 (Honors Thesis): See the Honors Program details for more information
- LT** 198 (Directed Group Study): Directed group research, under the guidance of a member of the faculty, in an area not covered in courses currently offered by the department.
- LT** 199 (Special Studies): Individual reading in an area not covered in courses currently offered by the department.
For 198 and 199 courses, students need to inquire directly with specific Literature faculty to confirm their willingness to supervise the independent study. Only our department's faculty are permitted to serve as instructors for Literature independent study course numbers.
If a faculty member agrees, the student and faculty need to work out the plan for the course content. Then, the student will need to fill out and submit a special studies request via EASy, including the course plan details. If that request is ultimately approved, the Registrar will enroll the student in the course. 198/199 courses may only be taken for P/NP grading.
Class Attendance
Each instructor is entitled to establish a policy regarding attendance for students in Literature classes, and it must be mentioned in their course syllabus. Grades may be affected by lack of compliance with an attendance policy.
Incomplete "I" Grades
As long as the course instructor is satisfied that the information provided by the student (regarding the justification for an incomplete) meets the campus-wide policies (https://www.ucsd.edu/catalog/front/AcadRegu.html), then no further approval or paperwork is required by our department. Faculty will simply needs to enter the “I” grade at the end of the quarter and then update the grade once the incomplete coursework has been completed and graded. We do recommend that the faculty and the student come to a clear agreement (in writing) about what coursework is left to be completed and what the extended deadline for completion will be. Incomplete grades must be updated by the end of the following academic quarter at the latest, or an extension request must be initiated by the instructor and the department (and approved by campus).
WASC Learning Outcomes
A learning outcome is a formalized statement of what a learner will understand, value, or be able to do when the course or program is complete. It is designed to be a measurable statement that connects learning activities between courses, programs, and the university. Click below to view the full learning outcomes for the Department of Literature:
Undergrad Advising
Current students must use the VAC (valid student PID required) or Zoom appointments for advising. We cannot advise students via email or over the phone (to preserve student privacy standards). If/when we are able to re-open in-person advising, we will update you. If you have academic-related forms or paperwork that require our review and signature, please email them to litug@ucsd.edu.
Virtual Advising Center
Send us your questions via the VAC. We respond to questions Mondays - Fridays, 8:00am-4:30pm.
Zoom Appointments
Walk-in advising is currently unavailable, but we are happy to schedule a virtual appointment with you.