Writing Intensive / WI Course Design Materials
Writing-intensive (WI) courses at Saint Louis University (SLU) are designed to help students learn disciplinary knowledge through writing. Writing-intensive courses are also designed to help students learn more about writing within their discipline. So, the goals of WI courses at SLU are to help prepare students to succeed in their disciplines through an increased knowledge of their field and an increased capability to write in higher-level courses, in graduate school, and in the workplace. To achieve these goals, these courses are designed to teach writing across the semester in classes no larger than 20 students. Please use the buttons and the collapsable menu below for more information on WI course requirements.
Students in writing-intensive courses will:
Write for specific purposes and audiences
Analyze and synthesize claims from a variety of sources
Engage in processes of invention and revision that enable evaluation of their own and others' rhetorical choices in written messages and arguments
Reflect on the ways in which rhetorically proficient written communication contributes to ethical public discourse
Eloquentia Perfecta: Written and Visual courses must be directed toward achievement of their Core component learning outcomes in order to introduce, develop, and achieve the relevant Core SLOs connected to this course in the overall Core design.
SLO 3: ALL SLU graduates will be able to assess evidence and draw reasoned conclusions
Eloquentia Perfecta: Writing Intensive courses should demonstrate students' achievement of the ability to assess evidence and draw reasoned conclusions.
SLO 4: ALL SLU graduates will be able to communicate effectively in writing, speech, and visual media.
Eloquentia Perfecta: Writing Intensive courses should demonstrate students' achievement of the ability to communicate effectively in writing, speech, and visual media.
Boilerplate Statements that must be Included in EP: Creative Expression Syllabi can be found here.
Instructors must receive training in best practices in writing pedagogy prior to teaching a course attributed as “Writing Intensive”
All sections must be taught at a maximum 20:1 student/instructor ratio (per standards for writing courses set by national professional organizations (e.g., Conference on College Composition and Communication) and best practices benchmarks for post-graduate programs (e.g. University of Missouri medical school); courses may use teaching assistants to manage the student/instructor ratio
Instruction should frequently focus on student writing. Student texts should be workshopped by the instructor and/or peers
Writing assignments must be spread throughout the term;
Collaborative or group writing assignments may be part of the assigned writing for the course
Writing assignments may be discipline-specific (e.g. professional, technical, or scientific writing)
Visit these external sites to learn more about writing at SLU, writing-intensive pedagogy, and writing across the curriculum (WAC):
Student Writing Opportunities at Saint Louis University
The Kiln Project - Saint Louis University's undergraduate literary and visual arts magazine
Convivium - Saint Louis University Madrid's undergraduate arts magazine
Poetic Us - A poetry club run by undergraduate students Katerina Super (katerina.super@slu.edu) and Elsa Mulat (elizabeth.mulat@slu.edu)
Online Writing Resources
Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing from the Council of Writing Program Administrators, National Council of Teachers of English, and the National Writing Project
Statement of WAC Principles and Practices from the International Network of WAC Programs (INWAC) and the CCCC Executive Committee
Resources from the MLA-CCCC Joint Task Force on Writing and AI
Use shared platforms like GoogleDocs for student work and utilize the version history and time stamp functions
Best strategies for addressing these are already incorporated in WI courses, faculty development sessions
Scaffold low- and higher-stakes writing assignments across the term
Tailor assignments as closely as possible to course rather than generic, “find something interesting to write about in X and give me 2,500 words”
Require students to submit drafts for peer review, using guided, structured workshop instructions to help students evaluate one another’s work
Require students to submit drafts for instructor review and provide specific, helpful feedback
Cap WI courses at 20 – already a WI requirement
Integrate grading rubric lesson so students know what’s expected & how to achieve course learning outcomes
Integrate project management strategies like Gantt charts, work logs, and other visuals to help student plan their time
You might also use these AI platforms in class to facilitate discussion on ethics, attribution, AI biased responses