The Arts & Sciences Writing Program

Through its courses and writing consultations, the Writing Program helps BU undergraduates acquire writing and communication skills and more general habits of mind essential both to their full participation in the intellectual life of the University and to their future personal, professional, and civic lives.

Learning Outcomes

CAS WR 111 Academic Writing for ELL Students teaches ELL students to understand the culture of American academia and fluently perform varied language functions; to build awareness of situation, audience, purpose, and diverse points of view in order to participate in discourse communities on campus and beyond; to use effective strategies for reading college-level texts and acquiring new vocabulary to communicate in academic and public contexts; to express ideas in appropriate rhetorical structures, using multiple modes of expression; to identify and practice various writing styles and formats; to acquire and apply knowledge of advanced grammar and meta-language; and to perform metacognitive and self-reflective tasks that situate their beliefs and experiences in the new context of an American university and community.

CAS WR 112 Critical Literacies for Multilingual Writers teaches ELL students to read, analyze, and discuss written and visual texts of varied genres on global and intercultural topics with intellectual discernment and cultural sensitivity; to recognize and critically employ the culture-specific conventions of expository and argumentative discourses in speech and in writing; express themselves orally with greater comfort and confidence in diverse contexts, and with a focus on intelligibility, register, and the power dynamics of oral communication in English; to plan, draft, and revise academic papers and other genres (both written and visual/multimodal) for clarity and coherence in different rhetorical situations, with attention to and reflection on concepts and controversies in syntax, diction, and style; and to critically reflect on how academic language norms, world Englishes, and existing power structures intersect with multilingualism, racial identity, and linguistic choices in global and academic communities.

CAS WR 120 First-Year Writing Seminar teaches students to read a range of genres with understanding, appreciation, and critical judgment; to express themselves orally and converse thoughtfully about complex ideas; to craft responsible, considered, and well-structured written arguments; to produce clear, coherent prose in a range of genres and styles, using different media and modes of expression as appropriate; to plan, draft, and revise efficiently and effectively, and help their peers do the same by responding productively to their work; and to reflect on their own reading, writing, and editing practices.

CAS WR 151 Writing, Research & Inquiry with Oral and/or Signed Expression builds on the skills cultivated in WR 120 and teaches students to strategically search for and select both scholarly and nonscholarly sources and read them with understanding, appreciation, and critical judgment; to engage a range of sources in order to address research questions and to communicate findings in the form of responsible, considered, and well-structured written arguments; and to reflect on how research, reading, writing, and editing practices differ for varied audiences, genres, and purposes. It also places special emphasis on teaching students to express themselves orally and converse thoughtfully about complex ideas, recognizing and cultivating the vital connections between oral and written communication.

CAS WR 152 Writing, Research & Inquiry with Digital/Multimedia Expression builds on the skills cultivated in WR 120 and teaches students to strategically search for and select both scholarly and nonscholarly sources and read them with understanding, appreciation, and critical judgment; to engage a range of sources in order to address research questions and to communicate findings in the form of responsible, considered, and well-structured written arguments; and to reflect on how research, reading, writing, and editing practices differ for varied audiences, genres, and purposes. It also places special emphasis on engaging with sources in different modes and media and developing an understanding of the capabilities of various communication technologies.

CAS WR 153 Writing, Research & Inquiry with Creativity/Innovation builds on the skills cultivated in WR 120 and teaches students to strategically search for and select both scholarly and nonscholarly sources and read them with understanding, appreciation, and critical judgment; to engage a range of sources in order to address research questions and to communicate findings in the form of responsible, considered, and well-structured written arguments; and to reflect on how research, reading, writing, and editing practices differ for varied audiences, genres, and purposes. It also places special emphasis on the ability to think and communicate in original ways, helping students discover how to generate ideas, risk productive failure, and execute sustained projects of their own design.

CAS WR 318 Public Speaking teaches students to use rhetorical theory in order to analyze public speaking genres, articulate the reasoning behind rhetorical decisions they make in their work, and evaluate their classmates’ presentations; to analyze model speeches, ranging across rhetorical traditions and social contexts, and incorporate techniques from different emergent genres into their work; to consider the questions of how, when, and why it is appropriate to use visual and other aids as a public speaker; to incorporate language and discourse structures to construct compelling arguments and engage audiences; to engage in substantial and detailed discussion around thematic units, practicing both question-asking and question-answering; to reflect on models and target audiences in order to craft culturally and situationally appropriate messages; to build and sustain effective collaboration and use different forms of collaborative assessment and consensus-building; and to create well-functioning teams that divide roles, share responsibilities, support each other in high stakes situations, and communicate feedback successfully.

CAS WR 320 Community Writing teaches students to understand the role positionality plays in informing one’s own worldviews and beliefs as well as those of other individuals and societies; to participate respectfully with community partners beyond BU through research, discussion, and writing experiences; to read texts on service learning and creativity with understanding, engagement, appreciation, and critical judgment; to reflect on experiential learning as a form of civic engagement; to integrate community-based learning experiences in a creative project that is responsible, considered, and well-structured; and to understand creativity as a learnable, iterative, and collaborative process.

CAS WR 415 Public Writing teaches students to understand motivations for communicating academic research to a public audience; to read various genres of public writing with appreciation and critical judgment and to identify their textual and visual conventions; to adapt oral communication and prose styles for different audiences and purposes; to choose and use digital tools ethically and effectively; to translate academic research into responsible, considered, and well-structured written, oral, and visual arguments for public audiences; and to integrate multiple modes of communication in a single project.

CAS WR 597 Tutoring Writing in the Disciplines provides instruction and support for department-based writing tutors. Students learn about discipline-specific writing practices, genres, and conventions; develop practical tutoring methods to help peers of all abilities and linguistic backgrounds become more independent writers; and reflect on their experience as advanced writers and mentors.

CAS WR 599 Tutoring in the Global University prepares writing consultants to work effectively with diverse student populations at various levels of linguistic and writing abilities. The course asks consultants to reflect on their roles within the community of the Writing Center and cultivates strategies to help them to mentor students as they navigate the educational challenges and opportunities at a global university.

Requirements

All BU undergraduate students, including both entering first-year and transfer students, will pursue coursework in the BU Hub, the University’s general education program that is integrated into the entire undergraduate experience. BU Hub requirements can be satisfied in a number of ways, including coursework in and beyond the major (or minor) as well as through cocurricular activities. CAS WR 111 fulfills a Hub requirement in The Individual in Community. CAS WR 112 fulfills a Hub requirement in Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. CAS WR 120 fulfills a Hub requirement in First-Year Writing Seminar. CAS WR 151, WR 152, and WR 153 fulfill Hub requirements in Writing, Research, and Inquiry; and Research and Information Literacy. CAS WR 151 fulfills an additional Hub requirement in Oral and/or Signed Communication. CAS WR 152 fulfills an additional Hub requirement in Digital/Multimedia Expression. CAS WR 153 fulfills an additional Hub requirement in Creativity/Innovation. While it is permissible for students to take more than one writing course at the 150 level (CAS WR 151, WR 152, or WR 153), it is not generally recommended. CAS WR 318 fulfills Hub requirements in Oral and/or Signed Communication, Writing-Intensive Course, and Teamwork/Collaboration. CAS WR 320 fulfills Hub requirements in Writing-Intensive Course, Individual in Community, and Creativity/Innovation. CAS WR 415 fulfills Hub requirements in Digital/Multimedia Expression; Writing-Intensive Course; and Oral and/or Signed Communication.

For other ways of fulfilling the First-Year Writing (CAS WR 120) and Writing, Research, and Inquiry (CAS WR 151, 152, or 153) requirements, see the BU Hub Bulletin page.

Placement Notes

• Students who submit TOEFL scores or other proof of English language proficiency as part of their applications for admission to Boston University are asked to take an online writing placement and will receive a recommended placement of CAS WR 111, WR 112, or WR 120.
• Students who are not required to take the writing placement will be placed into CAS WR 120.