WIC FAQ's
1. Q. What is a WIC course?
A. A Writing Intensive Course (WIC) is an upper division course that has
both graded and non-graded writing tasks, emphasizes revision, and makes
writing central to the curriculum.
2. Q. How does a course receive a WIC designation?
A. Faculty submit a proposal to the WIC coordinator, particpate in at least one WIC workshop, and work with a trained writing assistant.
3. How does one become a writing assistant?
A. Writing assistants are graduate students who have taken ENG 413/513, Teaching and Tutoring Writing, and have been approved by the faculty member and the WIC Coordinator. WIC assistants may be asked to help the professor plan the timing of drafts and writing assignments, respond to short, in-class ungraded writing, respond to drafts in progress, teach levels of revision, direct peer response groups, and cover matters of APA and MLA convention.
4. Q. Where are WIC courses listed?
A. WIC courses are listed in the PSU Schedule of Classes and marked by
the designation WIC after the course number.
5. Q. What do all WIC courses have in common?
A. WIC courses are four credit upper division content courses in the major
and are taught by faculty in the major. In WIC courses, informal ungraded
or minimally-graded writing is used as a mode of learning course content.
Students also are introduced to formal writing appropriate to the discipline
or field, receive instruction in writing in the discipline, and are allowed
to revise formal assignments after receiving feedback on drafts.
6. Q. Why should students take a WIC course?
A. Writing is an invaluable skill, and regardless of discipline, graduates
will be expected to know discourse specific conventions and to write clearly
and coherently.
7. Q. Does a WIC course have to be taken in a student's major department?
A. It is recommended a student take a writing intensive course in his
or her department, but it is not required.
8. Q. Can students get WIC credit for a course taken at another school?
A. WIC courses are taken at PSU because courses at other schools are not
likely to conform to all
requirements of a WIC course. However, students may consult with the Coordinator
to see if a course taken at another university satisfies the requirements
for WIC.
9. Q. Other than the WIC assistant where can students get help with
their writing?
A.The PSU Writing Center is located at 188F Cramer Hall, and the phone
number is 725-3570. Students can make an
appointment with a consultant who will provide assistance on whatever
stage of the writing process students need help with, such as understanding
the assignment, generating ideas, finding the focus, and using the appropriate
style. Consultants will help students work on revising, but they will
not simply correct the papers. Carol Burnell burnellc@pdx.edu is the Director of the Writing Center. See www.writingcenter.pdx.edu.
10. Q. What are other helpful sources for writing in the disciplines?
A. See Writing Research Papers, 9th ed,
by James Lester; Writing and Revising in the Disciplines, Ed. Jonathan
Monroe; and Writing in the Disciplines, Eds. Jones, Bizarro, and
Selfe. Also see PSU library website:
http://www.lib.pdx.edu/instructions/sharons_originals/howto3.html