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Options for Departments Offering Junior Year Writing Courses
A department or program can customize their JYWP course to fit their needs. The following are the three most frequent models used:
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A stand-alone 3-credit course, required for juniors and ideally taught by a faculty member expert in the field (or sometimes by a professional writing specialist with knowledge of the discipline or profession of the sponsoring department). 85% of JYW Program courses adopt this model. Department faculty members provide regular feedback on the content and effectiveness of the course. With this model it is important that responsibility for writing be widened beyond the 3-credit course, with other faculty members in the department incorporating into their courses writing that builds on the required course assignments.
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A year-long course sequence, required and taught by faculty in the field and including the minimum amount of writing desired for all courses: 6-8 short writing assignments of 2-3 pages each, per semester. (This course may be a tutorial, taught one on one.)
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A series of 2-3 designated “Writing Intensive” courses or workshops, each carrying an additional 1-2 credits when taken as a JYWP course, and each taught by participating faculty from the department. Courses may be required or elective, but students need to tell the respective instructors that they are taking the course for JYWP credit, and then instructors will give the students 2-4 additional writing assignments in that course. Ultimately, students must complete a required sequence.
All three models assume that writing is an instrument for thinking and learning, as well as a means of communication. In addition to the core course, some departments offer additional writing services, such as small, local writing centers or “writing intensive” or “writing across the curriculum” initiatives that help their students get even more help with their writing.
Updated September 3, 2008
