Ohio University Zanesville - Humor Writing Syllabus

During the early 1980’s, Professor Mel Helitzer created the first university-level humor writing course. This extremely popular class taught students the fundamentals of humor writing and included the infamous final exam--a performance before a live audience.

Catalog Description

Theories and techniques of writing humor for newspaper, magazines, speeches, and other media.

Objectives

The following are the objectives for this course.

• Learn the fundamentals of humor writing.

• Practice writing humor for outlets (e.g., newspapers, magazines, radio)

• Understand how humor writing can be applied to professional settings.

• Discover how to transform family functions into enjoyable experiences.

But I Ain’t Funny

OK, some individuals are naturally funny while others are humor-challenged, such as my mother and Al Gore. Fortunately, you do not have to be a born comic to be successful in this course. The focus of this course is on the process of humor writing. If you actively participate in class discussion and complete all the assignments, then you will earn a grade that reflects your effort as well as the “laughability” of your writing.

Pedagogical Beliefs

I believe that three conditions, or “connections,” must exist for learning to occur. First, learning is more enjoyable and productive when students connect with other students. The student-student connection will be fostered by a variety of cooperative learning activities and projects. Second, intellectual growth is promoted when students view an instructor as accessible and “human.” I will use an assortment of instructional strategies to facilitate the student-teacher connection. Third, students are more motivated to learned when they understand the everyday and practical significance of the course material. Active learning activities will engage you in the learning process (and not allow you to be a passive participant). In sum, the instructional strategies and course topics should produce an intellectually challenging and rewarding experience.

Course Outline

The course concepts, reading assignments, and class schedule are described in separate handouts.

Textbook

• Helitzer, M. (1987). Comedy writing secrets. Writer’s Digest books: Cincinnati, OH.

Student Feedback and Evaluation

The final course grade is determined by the total points earned. The following is a breakdown of the possible points. (The specific course components are explained in the following sections.)

Assignment Points

Homework projects 160

Final exam 140

Class participation 100

Your final grade will be determined by the following criteria.

Grade Percentage Points

A 90% 360

B+ 87% 348

B 80% 320

C+ 77% 308

C 70% 280

D+ 67% 268

D 60% 240

Homework Assignments

The weekly homework assignments will provide you with an opportunity to refine your humor writing skills. Each homework assignment is worth 20 points for a total of 160 possible points.

Final Examination

Your ability to apply the course concepts will be evaluated by a performance before a live audience. Although you are not required to perform, you are required to write the material for the performance. The details of the final exam will be discussed during the first class session. The final is worth 140 points.

Class Participation

The majority of class time will be devoted to developing your humor writing skills. Individual and group activities will require you to participate actively in the class. Class participation is worth 100 points.

Contributing Editor

The Contributing Editor provides you with an opportunity to earn extra credit for making additional contributions to the class (e.g., assisting with the development of a class Web page, promoting the class final). Possible contributions to the course will be discussed during the first class. The points earned from Contributing Editor can increase the final course grade by only one grade level (e.g., “B” to “B+”).

“I Did My Homework Assignment but...”

Faculty are often required to judge the legitimacy of a student’s excuse for failing to meet a course requirement. Although there are clear and valid excuses (e.g., a death, an illness), most student excuses are questionable and force instructors into the awkward position of having to determine the validity of the excuse. To be fair to you, and to me, each student will be assigned an imaginary “Get out of jail card” that can be redeemed for a minor transgression. The “card” expires in 48 hours (i.e., a late assignment must be turned in within 48 hours after the due date). After the card has been used, and a second transgression occurs, the consequence will be a significant grade reduction or dismissal from the course.

Attendance Policy

Attendance of each class session is mandatory. Remember, that each class session is the equivalent of one week of lecture (i.e., 10% of the entire course). Therefore,

1) any student missing the first class will be dropped from the course,

2) if a student has an official written excuse for a missed class, then the student will be allowed to make-up the material without any penalty,

3) a student without an official excuse will be required to make-up the material and will receive a 10% point reduction in their overall course grade,

4) a student missing two classes will be dropped from the course, and

5) a student regularly missing portions of class will be required to make-up the material and receive a 10% point reduction in their overall course grade.

Freedom of Speech...Not

Although the majority of today’s professional comedians use obscenities in their performances, vulgarity is not a necessary component of effective humor writing. Humorists ranging from Bill Cosby to Jay Leno have built successful careers without going for the “cheap” joke. I will strongly encourage you to restrict your use of obscenities except when making references to OSU, the Taliban, or Kathy Lee Gifford.

Academic Misconduct: How Not to Graduate From OU

Any form of academic misconduct (e.g., stealing material from comics, lying) will automatically result in a failing course grade. I will also refer the case to the University Board for further disciplinary action. This zero tolerance policy means that you must weigh the benefits of “cheating and lying” your way to a better grade versus the consequences of being tossed out of OU and having academic misconduct charges placed on your record.