LOW-RESIDENCY MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN CREATIVE WRITING

LOW-RESIDENCY MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN CREATIVE WRITING

Student Guidelines Handbook

(revised 2017)

59 College Avenue West Virginia Wesleyan College

Buckhannon,WV 26201 wvwc.edu/MFA

LOW RESIDENCY MFA STUDENT GUIDELINES HANDBOOK

The light on this page is not bright, but the light in my mind is. I felt for a scrap... I grasped the pen as hard as I could and wrote four lines.... I put it in a packet with the others: the Chocalat Meunier wrapper, the mildewed subscription blank, the soiled brown paper bags smoothed out, and tucked them all in a little drawer where I can stretch out my hand and touch them any time I want to.

--Irene McKinney, from "Her Fascicles"

Wesleyan's MFA Program Founding Director, Irene McKinney, was the State Poet Laureate of West Virginia from 1992 until her death in February 2012. Her seven books include Six O'Clock Mine Report,Vivid Companion, Unthinkable: Selected Poems 1976-2004, and her posthumous collection Have You Had Enough Darkness Yet? published by WV Wesleyan Press.The MFA faculty is commit-

ted to carrying on Irene's vision now and for the future.

LOW RESIDENCY MFA STUDENT GUIDELINES HANDBOOK

West Virginia Wesleyan College

Low-Residency Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Student Guidelines Handbook

This handbook is intended to be used in tandem with the WV Wesleyan Graduate Catalog which sets forth the policies of all graduate programs. This handbook is subject to changes and is issued as a guide, not as a binding contract; its primary use

is for operation and functionality of the MFA program.

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

West Virginia Wesleyan College, a private educational institution, is committed to the principle of equal opportunity for all qualified persons, welcomes students of all backgrounds and takes pride in the diversity of its faculty and staff. It assures students of access to all the privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available at the College. West Virginia Wesleyan College strongly supports affirmative action principles and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, or religious affiliation in the administration of its educational programs, admissions policies, financial aid programs, athletics, co-curricular activities or other College administered programs.

In accordance with the Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act, complete information regarding campus security policies and campus crime statistics can be obtained from the Vice President for Student Development and Enrollment Management.

LOW RESIDENCY MFA STUDENT GUIDELINES HANDBOOK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE PROGRAM AT A GLANCE 2 ADMISSION DETAILS 4

PROGRAM OVERVIEW 4 Our Mission 4

Program Outcomes 5 Commitment to the Appalachian Region 5

Membership in AWP 6 Community of Writers 7 Student-Designed Program 7

PROGRAMS OF STUDY 8

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS 9

AUDIT OPTION FOR RESIDENCY 11

SECONDARY GENRE CONCENTRATION 12

WITHDRAWAL FROM PROGRAM 13

CREDIT AND LEAVE OF ABSENCE 14

RESIDENCY 14 What to Expect at the Residency 14

Accommodations 18 Workshop Procedures 18 Semester Project Proposal 21

SEMESTER PROJECT 23 Writing Packets 24

Sample Template for the Annotation 28 Sample Letter on Progress 30 End-of-Semester Materials 32 Annotated Bibliography 34

LOW RESIDENCY MFA STUDENT GUIDELINES HANDBOOK

IRELAND RESIDENCY 36

GRADING & EVALUATION 37 Mid-Tenure Warning Letter 39

Incompletes and Academic Probation 39 Transcripts 41

CRITICAL ESSAY 42 Description 42 Guidelines 43

THESIS 45 Description 45

Guidelines 49

FIFTH RESIDENCY 55 Thesis Interview 56

Graduate Seminar 58

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS 62

EMAIL POLICY & INSTRUCTIONS 63

LIBRARY ACCESS 64

TUITION, FEES & FINANCIAL AID 64

GENERAL EXPECTATIONS OF MFA FACULTY 67

SAMPLE RESIDENCY SEMINAR DESCRIPTIONS 72

IRENE MCKINNEY POSTGRADUATE 76 TEACHING FELLLOWSHIP

LOW RESIDENCY MFA STUDENT GUIDELINES HANDBOOK

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