W Course Requirements

 W courses at CSU Fresno are designed to meet the CSU Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR), a measure created to insure that all CSU graduates are capable of communicating in writing at a level appropriate to their advanced education.  Consequently, this upper division requirement measures more than basic competency in written English. 

While W courses in different departments will have specific requirements that are unique to their disciplinary contexts, it is still possible to clarify what W courses should have in common. To ensure some uniformity of instruction in writing in university W courses, the university has approved the following general requirements to be met by all W courses offered at CSU Fresno. 

For information on specific W courses, see W Courses offered at CSU Fresno.

To provide more curricular and pedagogical direction to departments and faculty offering W courses, the following W-course requirements are proposed and under consideration in the 2001-2002 academic year:

1)   The W course should clearly communicate its primary objective to teach writing and should specify the context in which the writing will be taught (specifying the discipline or genres of discourse).

2)   Course will include instruction on accepted writing conventions appropriate to the discipline and content area of the course.

3)   Course will require at least one textbook specifically addressing writing. 

4)   The course, irrespective of discipline, will ask students to write sustained, refined exposition for both the professional community in question and a wider audience of non-specialists. 

5)     Writing in the course should be addressed writing--that is, writing directed at a specific audience with specific rhetorical purposes and intended to communicate knowledge and ideas--not exclusively a means of demonstrating mastery of course material.

6)     Students will write a minimum of 5000 words total in at least five different writing tasks.  To develop the habits of rethinking and revising drafts, seeking external review of drafts, and editing for clarity and precision, at least two of the writing assignments will include a cycle of drafts and revision.

7)     Essays will be returned in a timely manner to assure students can benefit from instructor feedback. 

8)     Faculty will provide individualized feedback to students about their writing.  Research in teaching writing shows student-teacher conferences to be among the most effective methods, but other measures to assure learning and writing quality may be used. 

9)     Writing will be assessed for knowledge of subject, rhetorical decision-making, and adherence to conventions of standardized written English. 

10)   The instructor’s criteria for evaluating student writing will be explicitly delineated. 

11)   A grade of “C” or better is required to earn W course credit. 

12)   Students must complete English 1 before enrolling in a W course.  Additionally, students should complete at least 56 units prior to enrolling in a W course. 

13)   Enrollment in each W course will remain limited to an average of 27 students per section; no single section may exceed 30 students as shown on the fourth week roster.

This page is sponsored and maintained by the Subcommittee on Writing Competency.  If you have questions about W courses and do not find the answers below, please contact the Subcommittee Chair.

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