Office of the Provost and Dean of the Faculty Writing-attentive and Writing-intensive course definitions

Writing Attentive:  

Any course in any discipline can define itself as Writing Attentive (W) if it has as one of its conscious and stated objectives the improvement of students’ critical writing, whether that writing is highly discipline-specific (e.g., a lab report) or broader in its application. Whether a course counts as a W course is determined not so much by the number of pages of writing students produce as by the uses to which that writing is put.  In particular, writing assignments should be used at least in part for the purpose of improving students’ writing skills rather than solely as evidence of their mastery of course content.  Accordingly, in W courses, students can reasonably expect to receive extensive feedback not only on the content but also on the form of their writing. This feedback might be given in a variety of ways, e.g., written comments, one-on-one paper conferences, and/or classroom discussion of samples of student writing.

Writing Intensive:

Intensive Writing (IW) courses provide academic writing instruction for students who would benefit from more feedback and support than is offered in writing attentive classes. Students enroll with permission of the Director of Intensive Writing after a placement process or instructor recommendation. IW classes employ guiding principles of Composition pedagogy by integrating reading, writing, and critical thinking strategies that students can apply in a range of courses across the curriculum. They emphasize multi-step drafting and revising processes, equipping students to offer and respond to feedback. They further teach students to navigate core rhetorical components of academic writing, including: audience and genre awareness; analysis and argument development; use and citation of evidence; clarity and organization of prose; and critical awareness of one’s identity as a writer. While courses may engage a range of topics, the study and practice of writing itself is always their main focus. Ultimately, IW classes empower students to cultivate their own intellectual voices and to feel confident about contributing to ongoing scholarly conversations.

• Interested faculty should contact Intensive Writing Director Kristina Reardon (kreardon@amherst.edu) to learn about the process of designating a course "writing-intensive."