OVERVIEW
In keeping with the mission of the university, the University Writing Program fosters a commitment to rigorous academic work, free and open dialogue, and an appreciation of human diversity, thereby preparing students to become ethical leaders and global citizens. The University Writing Program introduces students to the principles of effective written and oral communication that will allow them to excel as writers, readers, listeners, and speakers. The courses challenge students to understand the complex rhetorical relationships among audience, purpose, and text. The courses also introduces students to the collaborative and social aspects of the writing process. The program aims to cultivate lifelong learning in written and oral communication by encouraging students to develop their capacity to reflect on events and information, to reason critically and thoughtfully, and to develop a commitment to the ethical uses of language.
The University Writing Program focuses on writing in particular and communication in general as vehicles for learning. It does so through rhetoric and communication skills courses.
Our courses seek to enable students to participate effectively in multiple academic discourse communities, as well as to practice the habits of mind demanded by writing at the university level in a variety of disciplines.
These courses engage students in a variety of language activities to help them grow as writers and communicators. Students typically write papers, compose multimodal texts, give presentations, and participate in small group discussions.
