What is WI?

(developed by the Longview Writing Intensive Faculty cadre)
March, 2000

 

1.  Writing Intensive (WI) is a kind of Writing-Across-the-Curriculum model.  WI models are especially prevalent in 4-year schools, and in effective models, they are developed and operated by faculty members.

 

2.  Participation in WAC and WI models is entirely voluntary.  Only faculty members who want to participate should participate.

 

3.  Writing Intensive courses are not about students simply producing more writing, but are about faculty using writing as a way of encouraging critical thinking within the context of their discipline and course.  While there are fundamental consistencies in the operation of WI courses (students produce drafts of projects before submitting a final revised version, students get feedback on drafts of projects, faculty are compensated for teaching one), WI courses can look very different from each other because of the nature and goals of the courses and teaching styles of the instructors.

 

4.  WI continues the work of developing students' college-level writing skills that begins in English 101. A WI experience not only allows students to access the perspectives and worldviews of a discipline and learn course material, but it also allows them to continue to develop writing skills in another environment.  The more writing opportunities students have, the better prepared they are to write in junior-senior level coursework and in the workplace.