College Writing Requirement
Within their first two years, all matriculated students must complete a First Year Seminar and at least one other writing-intensive class (all classes marked "CW" in the catalog are writing-intensive and will satisfy this requirement). All academic departments participate in the College Writing Program, offering "writing intensive" courses within the major and in the First-Year Seminar Program.
Our writing courses focus on critical and creative thinking, conventions of academic discourse, and persuasive argumentation. Through writing, students learn to use the methods of inquiry and the specialized forms and styles appropriate to the major disciplines. Our Writing Center is open to all Middlebury students.
Guidelines for Writing Intensive Courses
Writing is not simply "assigned" in writing intensive courses. Instead, the writing done in these courses helps students develop their analytical and persuasive powers. Additionally, in many courses, students are encouraged to use writing to learn. Because learning, like writing, is a constant process of collecting, connecting, discarding and reorganizing, instructors may encourage students to think through new or difficult ideas and terminology in writing.
Instructors of writing intensive courses frequently employ both informal and formal writing assignments. Informal writing might be graded or ungraded and might include journals, diaries, field notes, responses to discussion questions, and/or free writing. Informal writing might be used as a way to begin a formal paper, as a means to generate good class discussion, or as an end in itself. Formal writing assignments are usually graded, and might include critical, creative or researched papers, or might combine formal writing strategies, like outlining, with an oral presentation. The formal writing done in these courses averages 20-25 pages, although the number of papers and the number of pages per paper vary. In some courses, formal writing is submitted for assessment in a portfolio once or twice during the semester.