FAQs About the Writing Intensive Program
Who has to take WI courses, and how many WI courses do they have to take?
All Otterbein University students have to take WI courses, no matter what their major. Current (2012-13) freshmen and sophomores need to take two WI courses: IS 1500 and a WI-designated course in the student’s major. Beginning with fall 2013 freshmen, all Otterbein students will need to take three WI courses: IS 1500, a WI-designated course in the major, and a third WI course that could come from a variety of sources (a second WI in the major, a double major, a minor, a WI elective, an additional WI course in INST, etc.). Students should check to see what WI course(s) are part of their major.
When should I take my WI courses?
Students should take IS 1500 during freshman year. The other WI course(s) can be taken at any time during or after (IS 1500 is a pre- or co-requisite to any other WI courses). The different majors will make their own decisions about when students take the WI course(s) in the major.
Can I transfer in another WI course from another institution?
Possibly, if it meets the same goals and outcomes as Otterbein’s WI courses. You will have to submit a copy of the syllabus from the course you took to the Writing Intensive Advisory Subcommittee, which will then determine whether the course meets a WI requirement.
Can I take a WI course over J-term?
No. Because a Writing Intensive course requires time for revision, Otterbein will not allow J-term WI courses. This is true for IS 1500 as well as for WI courses in the majors.
What if I don’t see a WI course listed yet for my major?
Again, the only groups that are affected by WI are current (2012-13) freshmen and sophomores. If they don’t have a WI option the major for 2012-13, they can be assured that their WI offering will come along in 2013-14 or 2014-15. Many majors may not even want the WI requirement to come until junior or senior year, in which case they are deliberately waiting for this year’s freshmen or sophomores to reach that point.
Should I take a WI outside my major?
For current students (freshmen and sophomores), the only WI course to take—besides IS 1500 the freshman year—is the WI in the major. Later students will have to think about a third course possibly beyond their major, but not until entering freshmen of fall 2013.
Are any of the INST courses going to be WI?
All IS 1500 courses are of course Writing Intensive and fulfill the first of the three required WI courses. No other INST courses are currently WI (again, because this year’s freshmen and sophomores need to think about a WI course in the major—and INST isn't anyone's major). In the future, when students have to take three WI courses, there are likely to be some upper-level INST courses that are WI.