W2 Requirement
W2 courses build on the academic inquiry and writing skills of WRI 1000 by applying college-level research and writing principles within a specific disciplinary context. Students learn to develop complex research questions and lines of inquiry; write in appropriate disciplinary genres; understand the proper use of primary and secondary sources; evaluate, summarize, analyze, and synthesize research; revise to develop and deepen ideas; and complete an amount of writing that meets the disciplinary-specific course standards.
W2 Course Standards
To be a W2 course, courses must:
- identify itself as a W2 on the course syllabus
- Include one or more outcomes on the syllabus related to writing, emphasizing the Writing Program Outcomes
- include revision as a substantial component of the course, as reflected by the course calendar
- include collaboration with the SPU library, via a subject-matter librarian, as reflected on the course syllabus
- meet the following disciplinary-specific page requirements. Note: an assignment here can be a wide range of tasks: a research proposal, a literature review, an annotated bibliography, a research paper, a cover letter, a memo, a resume, a technical report, a specs sheet, a short story, an artist’s statement, a grant application, etc.
- Note: These requirements are still being negotiated with individual programs and departments. Some changes my occur.
ARTS (Art, Music)
5- credit course: at least 3 assignments totaling together at least 8 revised pages (2,000 words), with extensive revision throughout the quarter
STEM: (Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Engineering & Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Food & Nutritional Sciences, Mechanical & General Engineering, Data Science, Physics, Physiology, Math, Health Sciences, Nursing)
5-credit course: at least 2 assignments totaling together at least 8 revised pages (2,000 words; figures included) with extensive revision throughout the quarter
2- and 3-credit courses: at least 2 assignments totaling together at least 6 revised pages (1,500 words; figures included) with extensive revision throughout the quarter
SOCIAL SCIENCES (Sociology; Family & Consumer Sciences; Education; Psychology; Business, Government, & Economics)
Research-based, 5-credit course: at least 2 assignments totaling together at least revised 10 pages (2,500 words), with extensive revision throughout the quarter
Research-based, 3-credit course: at least 2 assignments totaling together at least revised 6 pages (1,500 words), with extensive revision throughout the quarter
HUMANITIES (Communication; English; History; Language, Cultures, & Linguistics; Philosophy; Theology)
5-credit course: at least 2 assignments totaling together at least revised 10 pages (2,500 words), with extensive revision throughout the quarter
3-credit course: at least 2 assignments totaling together at least revised 6 pages (1,500 words), with extensive revision throughout the quarter
Applying for the W2 Attribute for your Class
If you are applying to add a W2 attribute to your class, you will need to answer the following questions in Courseleaf:
- How does this course build on the course outcomes for WRI 1000 of rhetorical knowledge, critical inquiry, process, and conventions?
- How does this course fit within your major’s overall offerings pertaining to writing instruction?
- What kinds of writing will students do in this course?
- How do these assignments fulfill the W2 standards as established by your disciplinary cluster?
- Please submit a syllabus that explicitly identifies this course as W2, includes at least one course outcome related to writing within the discipline, lists the main writing assignments of the course, and shows where students will revise their writing.