Ferris State University Writing Intensive Course (WIC) Requirements

A Writing Intensive Course (WIC) is a non-freshman level (200 or above) course that demands a substantial amount of writing, fulfills the criteria listed below, and partially satisfies the communication competence category of the General Education Requirements. The prerequisite of any WIC will be English 211 or 250.
A department will decide as a whole which courses it wishes to propose as WIC. (Individual sections can not be designated as WIC).

Procedures for obtaining approval for a Writing Intensive Course:

• According to general education guidelines, a department interested in obtaining a WIC designation must submit a proposal to the WIC committee for approval.
• The proposal will be submitted at least a year before the course will be offered in order to provide adequate time for consultation between the proposing department and the WIC committee, time for the WIC committee to consider the course, and time to meet university publication deadlines.
• When a department is interested in proposing a WIC, it will submit a proposal to the WIC committee or the Coordinator of General Education. This proposal must consist of the following:
• complete description of the course plan and a course syllabus;
• supporting material including
• description of potential pedagogical methods to be employed,
• possible textbooks and materials,
• the name(s) of faculty member(s) who will teach the course, and
• the name of one faculty member who will agree to answer questions about the proposal.
• Once a course has received WIC approval, the WIC committee will contact the sponsoring department, the dean's office of the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Records Office in order to ensure the inclusion of the course in WIC listings in university publications.
• If there are any substantive changes to the content of methodology/approach of a WIC, the sponsoring department will contact the WIC committee.

Criteria for a Writing Intensive Course

• Students will write a minimum of 4 edited papers of 3-5 typewritten pages or the equivalent. These assignments, consisting of several different kinds of writing, will constitute a significant portion (1/3 to 1/2) of the final grade for the course; the grade or score on each assignment will reflect effective and correct written expression as well as knowledge of content.

Writing assignments might include correspondence, memoranda, proposals, progress reports, research reports, work-logs, site descriptions, observations, creative writing, and many other forms of course-related assignments. Informal journal writing is another useful means of developing students' critical thinking skills.
• Students should receive instruction in the following areas:
• the role of writing in professional/academic settings;
• strategies for determining the appropriate document type and style;
• effective writing for different audiences; and
• organization of papers for various purposes.
• Students will be allowed to evaluate and revise their own writing and receive help in achieving proofreading standards.
• Students will be required to organize, draft, and revise their work prior to submitting the final edited assignment for evaluation.