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Writer of Distinction Committee Chair: Terry Engel, PhD
The Writer of Distinction transcript notation is a recognition of the skills and experience demonstrated through success in discipline specific, upper-level, writing intensive courses. A Writer of Distinction transcript notation provides evidence to graduate admissions programs and employers that students have developed skills and demonstrated competence in discipline-specific written expression.
To receive the Writer of Distinction transcript notation students must meet the following requirements.
Minimum Requirements:
Student must submit a written portfolio to the Writer of Distinction Committee a minimum of four weeks prior to the completion of the degree. In the event that part of the portfolio is represented by a capstone project that has not been completed and presented, a significant draft of the project may be submitted for review, with the final draft submitted prior to final exam week before graduation.
Submission of the portfolio will include a $25 application fee.
Notation will be awarded to students who complete a minimum of 4 hours of approved writing intensive courses with a minimum grade of B (see criteria for approved courses below).
The portfolio will consist of a minimum of 20 pages of revised and polished writing generated within approved courses. Portfolios will be reviewed by an interdisciplinary committee and receive a pass/fail evaluation.
Criteria for Approved Courses:
Individual departments and colleges may submit syllabi that include detailed writing assignment descriptions to the Committee for review. Upon review, courses that meet the criteria will be added to the list of approved courses:
- Courses should be at the 3000 level or above;
- Courses should teach context-based, discipline specific writing, focusing on teaching students how to think and write so they can communicate with professionals in their field;
- Courses should be located within the department or college offering the degree, if at all possible, in order to ensure success in critical thinking and communication within the discipline; exceptions may be granted for courses outside the discipline if the course complements the student’s degree program;
- Writing should be integrated into the course instruction and comprise a significant portion of the final grade for the course;
- Students should receive substantive feedback from the course instructor and revision should be a required part of the writing assignment(s);
- The course should require multiple writing assignments, both formal and informal, or at the minimum require multiple drafts of a single project or assignment; it is highly recommended that students produce a minimum of 20-25 pages of polished and revised writing. These pages should be primarily prose, but flexibility will be given to academic and professional expectations for publications and practices within the discipline;
- It is recommended that class size not exceed 20 students, in order to maximize the evaluation and feedback on student work.
- Writing should be composed in English, with the exception of students studying in a modern foreign or Biblical language. In these cases, experts in the language would be recruited to evaluate submissions.
Approved Writer of Distinction Courses
These writing-focused courses are approved for meeting the requirements for the Writer of Distinction notation. Any course not listed will need to submit a course justification form to the Writer of Distinction Committee.
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