First Year Writing

The mission of First-Year Writing is to provide students with a foundation in composition by fostering the development of strategies, which will empower them to be successful in future writing situations they encounter in academic and professional environments and in their communities as active, engaged citizens. First-year students take a two-semester writing sequence comprised of course Writing I and course Writing II. Writing I focuses on writing as a process and introduces students to a variety of strategies and techniques to use as writers. Writing II builds on what students learn in Writing I and focuses on research and public writing.

Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC)

The mission of Writing Across the Curriculum is to infuse writing within and across disciplines by supporting faculty as they integrate "writing to learn" and "learning to write" pedagogies into their courses. To this end, two courses in each major are designated as "Writing Intensive," one at the 200-level and one at the 300 or 400-level. The Writing Intensive courses (WI) are designed to help students practice the genres of writing that are central to each specific discipline. The types of assignments in Writing Intensive courses vary by major, and all assignments provide students with practice in writing clear, well-organized persuasive prose. Additionally, faculty in many courses incorporate multiple writing opportunities into their classes as a way to help students learn and engage with course material.