"A body of writing may take any of a thousand forms, and there is no one right way to measure." -Lu Chi (from Wen Fu)

Beyond the Writing Requirement

As one student observed recently, you can't NOT write--all the time--at Wellesley.

Writing 125 is only the beginning of a student's experience as a writer at Wellesley. Students will receive focused writing instruction in many, if not all, of their courses at Wellesley. But if they want to "just write" or study writing in and of itself, the following options are available:

Writing 126. Writing 126 is a tutorial writing course intended for students who have already taken Writing 125, but who still feel they need help with writing. Students who enroll in this course work one-to-one with a specially trained teaching assistant (a junior or senior) who works under the close supervision of a Writing Program faculty member (usually Wini Wood). The TA develops assignments individually tailored to the needs and interests of the students; the assignments are academic in nature, and at least one paper must involve research writing. Students write four or five full papers over the course of the semester, in drafts, with lots of revision, and submit a portfolio of their work to Prof. Wood at the end of the semester. Many students take this course during their sophomore, junior, or senior years, and report that they benefit immensely from working so closely with a tutor, as well as from being able to write on topics of their own choosing. The course is available only during the spring semester, is taught mandatory credit/noncredit, and receives a full unit of credit. Student must receive the permission of the instructor to enroll in this course; if you are interested, call or email Wini Wood (x2407).

Writing 225. Writing 225, “Nonfiction Writing,” offers students the opportunity to explore advanced topics int writing. We offer this course only once a year. In 2001-02, it is offered in the spring semester. The topic is “Travel Literature: A Critical/Creative Nonfiction Advanced Writing Class.” The course will be taught by Professor Sides of the English Department.

Writing 250: Independent study in writing. Students who are self-motivated and have some experience writing can choose to do an independent study with a member of the Writing Program staff. In a Writing 250, the student is responsible for choosing the faculty member to work with and establishing the agenda of the course. Normally, a student would not take this course to “improve” her writing, but rather to explore writing as an intellectual pursuit; she may want, for example, to study in some depth a particular genre of writing, or the social conditions of writing, or the teaching of writing. Writing 250 is available for a full or a half-unit of credit, and may be taken in either the fall or the spring semester. Permission of the supervising faculty member is required, as well as the consent of the Director of the Writing Program.

Writing in other disciplines: Many faculty at Wellesley teach their upper-level courses as writing-intensive courses. Students studying in the sciences, especially, will find themselves receiving good and ample instruction in writing in many of their science courses. Students who wish help finding writing-intensive courses should feel free to consult with Wini Wood, Director of the Writing Program, x2407.

A note on creative writing: All creative writing courses are handled through the English Department. Students wishing to do an independent study involving creative writing should enroll in English 350 with a member of the English Department creative writing faculty.

• Lynne Viti and Wini Wood
• Wellesley College Writing Program
• Created by: Karyn Lu '01
• Date Created: June 29, 2000
• Expires: June 30, 2008

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