This checklist is meant to guide in the preparation of the proposal for a W course. The W Course Advisory Committee prepared this checklist using the Faculty Senate's Resolution 20.108 as a guideline.  A W course must meet the following criteria:

♦ Is not included in the Core Curriculum Communications requirements (i.e., English 104, English 203, English 210, English 235, English 236,English 241, English 301, Communications 203, Communications 205, Communications 243).

♦ Bases a significant percentage of the final course grade on written products. This does not generally include Power Points or essay examinations unless they are a very minor percentage of the grade and other written products are required. Specifically, a one-credit course should base at least 80% (preferably more) of the final course grade on written products; a three-credit course, at least 33%, and a 4-credit course, at least 25%.

♦ Has a reasonable instructor-to-student ratio (1:25) to ensure course quality. The ratio is determined by including the instructor(s) plus any aides, graduate or undergraduate, on the instructor side. In cases where a higher ratio may be proposed, the committee will ask for compelling evidence that it will not adversely affect course quality.

♦ Requires writing significant to and essential for the major. (As a guideline, the name of the major appears in the course title, the course figures into the GPR for the major, or the course is part of a College Core Curriculum.) The W course is integral to and prepared specifically for the major. Writing assignments are of the type students will encounter in their academic careers or in the workplace.

♦ Assigns at least 2000 words (eight pages) of graded, finished writing.

♦ Includes some writing instruction, not just the assignment of writing with comments on finished products. Instruction can be defined as, but is not limited to, providing opportunities for practice, providing feedback, providing and discussing models, conducting peer response or workshop classes, and lecturing on rhetorical forms or principles. Some instruction may occur outside of class as homework, but some in-class is instruction recommended.

♦ Provides formative feedback on writing in progress so that students have an opportunity to improve. Feedback is structured so that students may use it to revise drafts. It is not simply comments on finished and graded papers.

♦ Distributes assignments so as to allow feedback before a final draft is due and students have some indication by mid-term of the quality of their writing, even if on drafts.

♦ Requires demonstration of writing skill for an appropriate proportion of the final grade.

♦ Requires that students must pass the writing portion of the course to pass. (The W Course Advisory Committee wants to prevent the case where a student might receive an A in 70% of the course but neglect the 30% that requires writing. This student, if she passed, would get credit for a graduation requirement in writing without actually writing.)

♦ Requires that collaborative writing projects constitute no more than 30% of the graded writing; further, the collaborative process is monitored for quality control and individual effort. If at least 33% of a three credit course is individually written and if 2000+ words are individually written, the requirement is also met.

♦ Does not allow undergraduate aides to grade more than ten percent of the writing portion of the final grade (with the exception of Calibrated Peer Review software).

♦ Ensures all aides, graduate and undergraduate, are appropriately monitored and supervised.

♦ Follows minimum syllabus requirements (including Honor Code statement).

Have you done the following?