Request for a Writing Designation

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Rationale, Requirement and Approval Criteria

Rationale

Macalester seeks to ensure that all students receive instruction in writing that gives attention to
writing as a process (writing is rewriting), and that provides students individually with feedback on the
mechanics and substance of their writing. While First Year Courses assists students in making a transition
to college writing along with myriad aspects of college study, each student is required to take at least one
additional course with a W designation, in which they will hone their writing skills and go through a
process of evaluation and rewriting.

Writing instruction at Macalester aims at ensuring that students learn:

• How to plan, draft, and revise a college-level paper.
• How to construct an argument.
• How to organize an essay.
• How to use argumentation and evidence to support claims.
• How to adapt the style, vocabulary, and tone of a piece of writing to its anticipated
  audience and context.
• How to cite evidence using a standard citation style, such as MLA, APA, CMS, or CBE
• How to build a list of works cited using a standard citation style, such as MLA, APA,
  CMS, or CBE.
• The importance of clarity, proper grammar, usage, and style in academic writing.

Requirement

Four (4) semester hours after the First Year Course and prior to
the senior year earned in a course designated as meeting the Writing (W) requirement.

Approval Criteria

Courses fulfilling the Writing Requirement will include:

1. Three or more writing assignments during the semester (at least one of which
   is an academic argument) or one larger research or term paper.
2. At least one writing assignment that undergoes revision based on faculty
   feedback. At a minimum this feedback should include comments that address
   content (e.g. questions of organization, development of arguments, use of
   evidence, consideration of audience, paragraph structure and flow), clarity and
   style, as well as mechanics, such as grammar and proper usage.
3. Evaluation of writing assignments that reflects writing quality as well as
   content mastery.
4. Discussion of writing processes, desired qualities of writing, or writing for
   different audiences.

Section 1.

Section 2.

Section 3.

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