The Writing Intensive (WI) Requirement
Passed in December 1993 by the Faculty Senate, implemented in Fall 1995, and overseen by a Senate committee, the Writing Intensive (WI) requirement
states that:
every undergraduate student must complete at least
one writing-intensive course in the major at the 300 level or above.
What Makes a Course Writing Intensive?
- Section size is limited to 35 (the Fall 1996 average was 26).
- Students are required to submit at least 3500 words of graded writing (about 14 standard
double-spaced pages)--drafts, exercises, ungraded logs, etc., are additional. The 3500 words should
be divided among two or more assignments. (Option: a single term paper project might be used, but to
fulfill this requirement the project should be divided into stages--e.g., proposal, working draft, final
draft--that receive feedback.)
- Teachers need to devote sufficient class time to instruction in how to complete assignments. (Detailed
written assignments are strongly encouraged as part of this instruction.)
- On one major project in the course, students submit a draft on which the teacher gives them detailed
feedback, and then students submit a revised draft. (Option: courses in which students are graded on regular
(weekly or semi-weekly) short assignments of a very similar nature--e.g., lab reports, proofs, critiques of
reading--revision need not be required, though for one or two early assignments it is strongly recommended.)