Essential Characteristics
Courses in Writing give students the ability to write clearly and correctly. Instruction in writing at the university level should do more than this, however. It should develop the ability to analyze written texts from a variety of disciplines and to construct clear and convincing written arguments. It should require skill in the formulation and defense of an original interpretive thesis, and include extensive practice in the techniques of argumentative writing. Finally, it should require repeated draft revisions, and include practice in the fundamental skills of research writing.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
As a result of taking a General Education Written Communication course, students will be able to…
- Develop a thesis that establishes a position in relation to sources, goes beyond common knowledge, can be debated, and provides control, direction, and purpose to the paper;
- Incorporate concrete examples in most body paragraphs to develop the thesis;
- Incorporate an organizational structure that presents paragraphs in a meaningful progression;
- Demonstrate control over grammar errors while maintaining the sentence-level flexibility to clearly articulate ideas;
- Demonstrate sustained engagement with evidence (i.e. quotations) using appropriate citation form.
- Engage in writing as a social process that includes multiple drafts, collaboration and reflection.
(Committee approved: 12/2020)