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Frequently Asked Questions for Advisors |
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Who do I contact for more information about W Courses?
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How can I get a W Course approved for the Schedule of Courses?
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What are the implications for the W Course requirement for double major or double degree students?
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How do I advise transfer students?
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What if a student needs to graduate and has not taken a W Course?
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Can students substitute a non-W course with writing for a W Course?
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Can a student take a W Course in his or her minor?
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What is the University Writing Center and where is it located?
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How can the UWC help undergraduate students?
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Can you help graduate students?
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Can you help with my writing?
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Can you help students with Limited English Proficiency?
The graduation requirement for all TAMU students to take two writing (“W”) courses in their majors. The requirement went into effect with the 2004-05 Undergraduate Catalog (#127). In 2007-08 (#130), the requirement shifted to two courses. The W course must include writing instruction relevant to the major, including feedback for students on major assignments done before the final grade is due, and the course grade must reflect demonstrated writing skill. The courses are designed and administered within departments and approved for a period of four years as W courses by the W Course Advisory Committee, the Faculty Senate Core Curriculum Council, and the full Faculty Senate. They must be re-approved after three years.
Courses approved as W will use a 900-section number to designate which sections are W in any given semester. (For Honors W courses, a 960-section number will be used.) W courses will be listed in the Schedule of Courses. Approval is for the course, not the instructor, so departments will be expected to ensure that the course requirements as regards number of words, collaborative work, amount of feedback and instruction remain constant even when the instructor changes.
For a copy of "Educational Leadership at the Beginning of the 21st Century," the report of the Core Curriculum Review Committee to the Faculty Senate which established this requirement, see http://www.tamu.edu/faculty_senate/CCRC.PDF.
Faculty Senate Resolution 20.108 (FS.20.108), approved March 17, 2003, by the Senate and signed April 1, 2003, by President Robert Gates, establishes the procedure for implementation and provides guidelines for W courses. More information on W Courses is also available on this web site.
The basic requirements for a W Course are as follows:
- require writing related to the students' major
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provide instruction in writing and feedback that allow for the improvement of major assignments
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base a percentage of the final course grade on writing quality (about 25% for a 4-credit course, 33% for a 3-credit course, and 75% for a one-credit course)
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require a minimum of 2000 words
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base less than 30% of the percentage of the grade based on writing quality on collaborative writing
2. Who do I contact for more information about W Courses?
3. How can I get a W Course approved for the Schedule of Courses?
The W Course Advisory Committee reviews proposals for W courses and ensures the integrity of Texas A&M’s writing-in-the-disciplines program. This committee, which includes representation from all the undergraduate academic colleges and is chaired by the Executive Director of the University Writing Center, furnishes advice on standards and policies related to W courses and forwards recommendations to the Faculty Senate Core Curriculum Council. The Core Curriculum Council takes the courses to the Faculty Senate for final approval. Approved courses will be designated as W for a period of four years and will be reviewed for renewal in the third year. The W Course Advisory Committee will provide appropriate recommendations for any course that is rejected and invite re-submission.
To submit a course for approval, use the W Course proposal form. Send the form and a copy of your syllabus electronically to V-Balester@tamu.edu. For a copy of the proposal form, see http://writingcenter.tamu.edu/content/view/83/119/. The re-approval form is available at http://writingcenter.tamu.edu/assets/recertify_courseproposal.doc.
4. What are the implications for the W Course requirement for double major or double degree students?
Double majors must take two, not four, W courses. They should take both courses in at least one of their majors, rather than one in each. In other words, students have to satisfy the W course requirement in at least one of their two majors or in one of their two degrees.
5. How do I advise transfer students?
Catalog 127 states that the W course requirement “may be met by a course transferred from another institution of higher learning, with the approval of the student’s college and the dean of Undergraduate Studies” (Dr. Martyn Gunn). It further states that students may have to present a course description, course syllabus, or writing sample from the course being transferred.
6. What if a student needs to graduate and has not taken a W Course?
The AOC deans have agreed to consider appeals from students who feel they should be excused from the W requirement, especially if a course is not available in that student’s major at the time of graduation. Approval must come from the AOC Dean of the student’s college and from the dean of Undergraduate Studies (Dr. Martyn Gunn). Questions may be directed to Dr. Valerie Balester (v-balester@tamu.edu).
7. Can students substitute a non-W course with writing for a W course?
A course must have a 900 section number and be in the student's major to count as the W course on that student's degree plan. Substitutions cannot be made.
8. Can a student take a W course in their minor?
The student may take one of their two W courses in a declared minor if their department has made arrangements with the University Writing Center to notify the Registrar.
9. What is the University Writing Center and where is it located?
The University Writing Center is a tutorial center on the second floor of Evans Library available to all student writers. The main service provided is one-on-one consultations with a trained writing consultant. In consultations, we work with students to determine what each individual needs. For example, some need help getting started; others need someone to read and interpret an assignment with them; and many will want to know more about doing research or writing footnotes. Sometimes our consultants simply provide an opinion on a draft. Our focus is on changing the writer, not the writing; we work to help students master better writing habits and processes so their learning will transfer to new situations. The UWC also helps faculty who include writing in their classes, provides handouts with tips about writing (available both on-line and outside our front entrance), and sponsors an on-line writing lab (OWL) that allows students to send us a paper and a question (such as whether the thesis is clear).
You might want to see our writing center visit form. Just indicate whether or not the presentation is for a class. We are happy to speak to other student groups you might advise. We can also provide you with posters, screensavers, and brochures explaining our services. Requests for these should go to v-balester@tamu.edu.
10. How can the UWC help undergraduate students?
Our consultants work one-on-one with students seeking help on any writing project (not only for class but for resumes, applications, even sometimes creative projects). We can devote up to 45 minutes per session to each student. We work to foster active and independent learning, and we try to improve the writer, not the writing; in other words, we don’t concentrate on making a given paper perfect but try instead to teach skills and habits that will help students in all their writing. Given this philosophy, we might not, in 45 minutes, be able to address every problem in a given paper.
11. Can you help graduate students?
Yes! As of 2007-08 graduate students are paying the $8 per semester fee which allows access to center services. However, since as yet we do not know how this increased demand will impact our operations, we are limiting consultations on theses and dissertations to eight total. We will attempt to provide a single consultant for all five visits. For more about this change, see our news item from August 10, 2007.
12. Can you help with my writing?
We can help faculty or staff only if they drop in and we have an available appointment. In addition, our usual policies apply (limited to one 45-minute sessions per day, no proofreading or editing).
13. Can you help students with Limited English Proficiency?
We currently do not employ specialists in ESL/EFL (English as a Second or Foreign Language). However, some of our consultants are International students, have taught International students, or are obtaining graduate degrees in that area of teaching. We can provide some help to students with limited English proficiency. We are aware of many of their writing concerns, and we can provide them with help in editing techniques. As with all our clients, we limit visits to one per day, and we cannot edit or proofread for them. We also suggest you check with the English Language Institute.
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Tidbits
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Present to inform, not to impress; if you inform, you will impress.
– Frederick P Brooks
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Resources for Faculty and Advisors 
