PLAIN DEALER AWARDS

• For faculty members nominating a student paper
• For students submitting a paper in the open category

Faculty Nominations

Faculty may submit one or two of the best essays or term papers received from undergraduate students during the calendar year. Students may submit their best work written for classes over the same period. Submissions are encouraged in the following course categories:

• Freshman English 101
• Freshman English 102
• Essay/Research/Writing Across the Curriculum (200-400 level)
• Foreign Language (300-400 level)
• Creative Nonfiction, including personal essay and memoir (100-400 level)

This contest closes on the last day of February, and the judges (three members of the English department, two members of the Plain Dealer) will select the winners, who will be given an award of $200. Faculty may submit the student paper as is or return it to the student for revision; we prefer that the student revise, since careful proofreading is important. Entries should be submitted to Rita Hammond, English Dept., RT1815. The paper should be headed with the student's name, address, phone number, student ID, course number, and instructor's name. The judges reserve the right to determine the appropriate category for the essay.

In giving these awards, the judges recognize that they cannot determine how well the essays or class assignments fulfill a particular assignment or how well the paper is linked to the objectives of a particular course. What the judges can respond to is the work itself--how well it explains and persuades, how precisely and effectively the writer can use the resources of the language. Joint approval of both the instructor and judges confirms an essential point about student writing: though a student may appear to have an audience of only one, good writing reaches a much broader audience. This award is a way of letting a student know that he or she can communicate significantly with that audience.

Students are also able to nominate themselves.

If you have any questions please call Jeff Karem at (216) 687-6872 or e-mail him at f.karem@csuohio.edu.

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Student Submissions

Students may submit a paper by sending it to Rita Hammond, English Dept., RT1815, by the end of February.

The paper should be headed with the student's name, address, phone number, student ID, course number and instructor's name.

Students are advised to revise the paper before submitting it for the contest.

Papers will be placed in the appropriate categories by the judges. Criteria for the selection of the winner are explained above in the faculty section.

Winners will be announced in April and acknowledged at the English Department Awards Reception.