Writing Intensive Requirement

Writing is the most important skill that a student masters in a liberal arts education. In order to assure that all of its students have achieved a high level of writing proficiency by the time they graduate, the School of Liberal Arts requires them to take one approved writing-intensive course beyond the writing proficiency requirement of the general core. Students may satisfy this requirement by taking a course that is designated “writing-intensive” in the course schedule or, with the approval of the instructor, by signing up for a Writing Practicum associated with one of their regular 3-credit-hour courses that meets the same writing-intensive requirements.

If a course is to satisfy the writing-intensive requirement, it must require

1. At least 5000 words (20 pages) of expository, analytical writing, whether distributed among a number of short assignments or fewer, longer papers. Creative and technical writing assignments do not qualify for inclusion. Creative writing theses may count as long as they include an analytic component of at least 20 pages.
2. Sole authorship by an individual student.
3. Regular, detailed evaluation by the instructor of the written work for organization, content, grammar and technical presentation.
4. Revision of at least one project totaling 2500 words, with re-evaluation by the instructor.

Students are encouraged, but not required, to satisfy the writing-intensive requirement with a course in their major. Students may satisfy this requirement with a capstone course in the major, as long as the writing requirements of the course achieve the defined minimum for a writing-intensive course, or with a senior honors thesis. There is a separate grade for all Writing Practica.  A letter grade must be assigned for both the course and the practicum; the S/U option may not be used to satisfy the writing requirement.