WR Program Office

The Thinker
Read the latest WRite Away Articles from Issue 7.1 (October 2001):

To learn more about the WR program, discover teaching tools for WR classes, and read past articles from the WRite Away newletter, please visit our WR Resources page.

The WR Program Office, coordinated by Dr. Geoffrey Cross, helps the Provost's Office administer the University's Written Communication (WR) Requirement. The program applies theories and pedagogies of WAC (Writing across the Curriculum) and WID (Writing in the Disciplines). The aim of the WR Program Office is to assist faculty in meeting their own course goals with the aid of innovative and effective writing techniques.  The WR Program Office holds seminars for faculty support and training in course development, as well as carrying out planning and statistical analysis and reseach.

Each U of L undergraduate must pass two upper level WR courses in order to fulfill the requirement.  The WR course should offer students a variety of writing experiences within the discipline, and general knowledge about the writing process. Instructors choose among informal and formal assignments such as journals, reaction papers, and longer research papers. In addition, students are frequently provided with constructive feedback and the opportunity to revise written work.

According to University guidelines, a WR course should
use writing suited to the discipline.
make writing assignments integral to the course.
assign a minimum of 2400 words.
give assignments in writing.
allow class time for discussing assignments.
provide comments, including recommendations for improvement, on graded papers.
include research as a significant part of at least one assignment.