A great way to introduce students to your WIP course is to include a statement on your syllabus that articulates the purpose and philosophy of WIP. Below, you will find several models that you can use or modify to create your own. Please credit the creator(s) with a line of attribution.

Writing Intensive Course: This class is being sponsored in part by the Writing Intensive Program at UGA and, therefore, one of the principle goals of the class will be to improve one’s writing skills. The course is designed to interweave the study of [insert course content here] with the enhancement of each student’s ability to describe and to analyze [that content]. This will be achieved through a series of writing exercises (e.g., [insert writing assignments here]).

—from ARHI 4310

This course is a Writing Intensive course, and we have the fortunate opportunity to have a Writing TA with whom you all will get to know as the semester progresses. A writing-intensive course simply means that more time and attention are afforded to a content-embedded writing process through increased low-stakes writing, staging writing assignments, individual writing conferences, and review of paper drafts, with the goal of increasing skills and understanding in writing within [this specific discipline].

—DANC 4700, Rebecca Gose

Goals of the Writing Intensive Program: The Writing Intensive Program (WIP) is designed to accomplish two main goals: (1) To provide experience for students to write in their discipline; and (2) To enhance the understanding of course material by ‘writing to learn.’ WIP encourages prewriting, drafting, revision, editing (they’re different) and other elements in the writing process that students often omit. WIP provides an opportunity for students to grow as writers, and more specifically, [scientific] writers.

Importance of the Goals: Writing is the primary means through which scientists convey new ideas and research. Scientists must not only know how to conduct good research, but also effectively communicate their findings and results to a reader. The ability to express yourself clearly in writing is an invaluable asset applicable to any career path you follow.

The Writing Process: Unlike the ‘writing process’ used by most students, successful writing involves more than sitting down, pounding out a paper the night before the due date, and then editing it the next morning. The writing process involves multiple drafts used to focus the argument or ideas of the paper. Early drafts are checked for coherence, clarity, and idea completeness, whereas editing word choice is saved for final drafts. Using this writing process, our WIP assignments will incorporate this revision process.

—GEOL 3020, Charlotte Garing and Adam Milewski

This [Insert Field] course is part of the University’s “Writing Intensive Program” (or WIP). The goal of the program is to incorporate innovative techniques to help students improve their written communication skills. One implication is that assignments and project reports will be graded not only on the quality of statistical analysis, but also on the quality of writing. We will also have special writing assignments in addition to the more content-oriented homework.

Another implication is that we have a TA who has been specially trained in writing pedagogy. They will be very involved in the planning of the course and in improving your writing and communication skills. They will also help to supervise [insert tasks/projects here].

—STAT 5010, Lynne Seymour and Nicole Lazar

This is a Writing Intensive Program (WIP) course focused on improving writing skills and strategies. As with many skills, writing is improved through practice and feedback. This course involves writing activities both in-class and at home. [Insert Writing Coach name] is the writing coach for this course and will be providing feedback on written work as well as [insert TA’s other responsibilities here (e.g., facilitating writing workshops, leading peer review, holding conferences, etc.)] throughout the semester.

—WMST 4010, Cecilia Herles

Learning Objectives pertaining to writing. Students will be able to . . .
—Write upper division undergraduate laboratory reports
—Analyze and evaluate scientific sources
—Use a citation manager, such as EndNote
—Write a resume and CV and know the difference between the two
—Write a cover letter or personal statement with a strong understanding of the rhetorical devices that make them effective
—Give a short presentation that communicates information clearly and effectively

—CHEM 3550W, Jessica Jensen