Teaching a W Course

Deadlines

Course proposals are due by:

• March 1 for a course to be offered the following fall semester.
• October 1 for a course to be offered the following spring semester.

Exceptions to these deadlines are possible with the approval of the Writing Program director (such as in the case of a new hire or a change in course load).

Who Must Submit a Proposal

Because writing-intensive courses require a pedagogical commitment, the W designation is linked to the instructor, not to the course number. New and visiting faculty who intend to teach a W course must submit a new proposal, even if the course has traditionally been taught as a W course by other members of the department.

The Writing Center staff will gladly consult with faculty in any stage of the W course proposal process.

W Course Approval Process

1. Complete the online W1 or W2 proposal form.
   Note: (For a list of the Writing Program requirements, see the Writing Program legislation.) To see the full list of questions on the W1 or W2 proposal form before beginning the online proposal process, you may wish to view one of these documents: W1 template or W2 template. Please do not use these templates in lieu of the online forms.
2. The Writing Across the Curriculum Council's approval committee will review the proposal. If the committee needs more information, a member will contact you and you will have the opportunity to revise your proposal if necessary. You may then resubmit it to the Writing Across the Curriculum Council for approval.
3. When the committee has approved your proposal, you will be notified by email and your course will be added to the W course database.
4. Once a W course is approved, the instructor may in later semesters decide to teach the course without emphasizing its writing component. Because instructors have this option, approved courses are not automatically listed as W courses in subsequent semesters. You will need to inform your department chair each semester that you intend to offer your course as a W course so that your chair can designate it as such on the Master Class Schedule. If this does not happen, the course will not be listed in Banner as a W1 or W2.

After your course is approved, please complete the following steps to ensure that the course is listed properly in any semester:

1. On the Master Class Schedule, designate your course as a W course by checking the W1/W2 column.
2. Inform your department chair that you are offering your course(s) as W1 and/or W2.
3. The Writing Center compiles a preliminary W course list for each semester and sends it to all faculty several weeks prior to pre-registration and advising. Please review the preliminary list to make sure your W course is listed correctly.
4. Contact the Coordinator of the Writing Program and Writing Center immediately if:
   1. You do not find your W course listed.
   2. You see your W course listed but you are not offering it as a W course this semester.
   3. You notice any errors in your W course listing (course number, section, title, etc.).

Following these procedures will help us get the correct information to students and the registrar's office.

If you have any questions, please contact the Coordinator of the Writing Program and Writing Center, Jo Reish, at jo.reish@bucknell.edu.