The following FAQs provide information about Writing 1. If you have further questions, contact the Writing 1 Program Administrator.

Who takes Writing 1?

In the schools of Architecture, Art, Arts & Sciences, and Business, all students who enter as freshmen must take Writing 1 to satisfy the University’s Writing Requirement.  Additionally, any student who transfers into these schools from outside the university and who has not yet taken a formal writing course must take Writing 1.  (Engineering has its own policy for how students satisfy the Writing Requirement; in many cases, Engineering students are required to take Writing 1.  To find out more about Engineering’s requirement, contact the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at 314-935-5463.) 

I don’t know much about Writing 1.  When is it offered? How big are the classes? 

All Writing 1 courses (with the exception of those linked to the Text & Tradition program) are held on MWF, beginning at every hour of the day from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. (excluding 11 a.m.).  The sections are kept at a very low enrollment (about 12-13 students) in an effort to maintain small writing communities.

I see that Writing 1 is housed in the English Department.  Does that mean it is a literature course?

No – in fact, students are sometimes surprised to find that work in class focuses less on discussion of the readings’ content and more on the particular strategies the writers of those texts have employed. Our goal in examining written texts in this way is to increase students’ awareness of the wide variety of choices open to them as writers, and to empower them to make new and more informed choices in their own writing.  In Writing 1, we work with texts from a variety disciplines, and we consider the ways in which a text’s situation in a particular discipline informs its construction.

I’ve heard that Writing 1 courses are “standardized.”  What does that mean?

All Writing 1 courses (with the exception of those sections linked to first-year programs) share standard curricular elements, including syllabus (objectives, grade weights, and policies); readings; essay assignments and grade sheets; major concepts; and deadlines for the Researched Analysis rough and final drafts. Additionally, every section will have at least one class visit to the library and a Visiting Writer week. (These shared elements provide the backbone of the course, and using them, individual instructors design their own semester calendars, making decisions about such things as which of the shared readings to assign (and when), how much homework to assign, and when major assignments are due.)

What kinds of things will we do in Writing 1?  What kinds of essays will we write?

In Writing 1, the writing you do in class is as important as the writing you do outside of class.  Class time is often spent on exercises designed to help you practice new writing strategies, experiment with alternative writing strategies, and prepare to write longer assignments.  You will write several formal, argumentative essays, including analyses of both visual and written texts.  Additionally, you will work on a semester-long research project which asks you to analyze a cultural text of your own choosing.

Someone told me there is some creative writing done in Writing 1, in the Visiting Writer week.  What is the Visiting Writer week and what can I expect?

A practicing writer visits each Writing 1 section during the term to lead a creative writing workshop.  The week shares the goal of Writing 1 – to energize and help transform student writing – but has a special emphasis on meaningful play, exposing students to techniques and experimental practices used by creative writers. During the week, students can expect to read one to three short pieces of imaginative literature (typically poetry), discuss some of the choices that shaped it, experiment with similar choices during in-class writing, write and receive feedback on one take-home exercise, read one of their own pieces, and hear from the work of their peers. 

I know that I must earn a C+ or better in this class to satisfy the University Writing Requirement.  What happens if I don’t?

By and large, students pass Writing 1 with a C+.  However, in cases where they don’t, students are usually required to re-take the course the following semester.

I’ve heard that this course is taught exclusively by graduate students.  Is that true?

No.  While there are graduate students (from English and from other departments) who teach Writing 1, there are also many others who do so as well, including part- and full-time lecturers, senior lecturers, post-doctoral fellows, and members of the English Department faculty. 

I notice that no instructor names are listed for Writing 1 on WebSTAC.  Why can’t I select my class based on who the instructor is?

Given the challenges of staffing so many classes and finding seats for so many students each year, it simply isn’t possible to allow students to enroll by instructor.

I am a freshman who has already done a lot of writing; I even did well on standardized tests (e.g., SAT, AP, IB).  Why do I have to take this course?

Despite its number at the 100-level, Writing 1 is not a remedial course, nor is it an introduction to writing.  In fact, it is designed for students just like you: well-prepared, competent writers who are ready to be challenged to write differently for this new writing situation.

Even though standardized tests can’t place me out of Writing 1, I would like to get credit for my AP or IB score.  Can I?

Yes, in some cases: if you earned a 5 on the AP exam or a 7 on the IB exam and if you earn a B or better in Writing 1, you will earn 3 elective back-credits toward graduation.  Please note: If, after you have completed the course, you don’t see these credits listed on your planner, please contact the registrar for your school.

I am a transfer student who has not yet taken a formal college writing course, but I have been writing in a college setting for a while now.  Why do I have to take this course?

All writing is shaped by the environment in which it is produced, and writing done at WU is no exception.  The university is committed to knowing that its students have received similar instruction in the conventions of academic research and discourse.  Therefore, it requires transfer students who have not yet taken a course in academic writing/composition to take Writing 1 during their first year of study.

I am a transfer student who has already taken one or more writing courses.  Do I have to take this course?

It depends.  If you have taken a course that WU considers an equivalent to Writing 1, you may submit a portfolio of written work for review.  The portfolio review will determine whether you have already satisfied the University Writing Requirement or whether you need to take additional writing coursework to do so.  For details about the Writing Portfolio, click here.

As a transfer student, I’ve had a portfolio reviewed and I still have to take this course.  Why?

Because the course(s) you have taken have not instructed you in all of the areas WU requires and/or the work you have submitted does not yet demonstrate the qualities of effective academic writing that the university requires of all its students.

I’ve been told that I have to take the Writing Placement Exam.  What is the Writing Placement Exam, and why do I have to take it?

The Writing Placement Exam is one way we can ensure that students whose first language isn’t English are prepared to write intensively in English.  Like placement exams in other languages, this exam gives you an opportunity to demonstrate your preparedness for the rigors of Writing 1.  The exam consists of one essay question, and it lasts no more than 2 hours.  For details about the next Writing Placement Exam, click here.

Who do I contact if:

…I need to change my section of Writing 1? Contact the Program Administrator.

…all the sections of Writing 1 are full? Contact the registrar for your school.

…I have a question about my writing portfolio? Contact the Program Administrator.

…English Composition is not cleared on my planner? Contact the registrar for your school.

…Elective credits for my AP or IB score do not appear on my planner? Contact the registrar for your school.

…I want to talk to someone about my experience in Writing 1? Contact the Program Administrator or the Head of Writing 1.

…I want to talk to someone about the experience of the Visiting Writer week? Contact the Assistant Director, who is also the head of the Visiting Writer program.

…I want to know about more opportunities for creative writing beyond Writing 1? Contact the Assistant Director, who is also the head of the Visiting Writer program.