The teaching of writing should help students develop their authority, stamina and confidence as writers.  It should emphasize the development of a personal competence and affinity for writing as a means for construction and communicating knowledge.  Students in the FYS should not regard writing as a ‘check’ on learning, but rather, as an important means for discovering and shaping what they know, or mean to say.  FYS encourages students to see writing as an essential intellectual activity in which one makes sense of oneself and one’s world.

And so, students will:

1. Write often and for varied purposes.

2. Develop habits of good writing, including drafting, self and peer review, editing and revision.

3. Recognize purposes of writing for different audiences and in different genres.

4. Articulate their own creative process for writing and creating.

5.Write analytically, descriptively, persuasively and in summative ways.

6. Create academic expository and argumentative essays, with an emphasis on thesis formation and development, appropriate use of evidence, clarity in style, proper organization and other principles distinctive to good writing.

Recommendations:

1. Informal, low-stakes writing assignments should occur early and often. One weekly exploratory or informal writing assignment is recommended.  These assignments may be used to help students experiment with voice, style or form; aid in the drafting of formal assignments; or help prepare students for class discussion.

2. Formal writing assignments usually include at least three essays, total 15 pages or more and include at least one post-grade revision per semester.  In practice, this means 15-20 pages of assessed writing in the form each instructor finds most useful.

3. Writing in the FYS should have an audience: students should receive support and suggestions for improvement from both faculty and peers.