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The ability to write with confidence, purpose,
and precision is essential to the success of graduates of Queens College. The professional success and personal satisfaction of twenty-first century citizens require fluency with a broad range of modes of communication. With this in mind, a Queens College education aims to enable students to take ownership of language and to develop a capacity for both critical analysis and considered reflection.
The College’s curriculum reflects ambitious goals for student writing intended to foster a commitment to ideas, engagement with texts, and ownership of language. The cumulative experience Queens College graduates have had by the time they complete a Bachelor’s degree will prepare them to
- Become fluent with the elements of academic writing, including thesis, motive, evidence, analysis, and style
- Practice the processes and methods commonly used by effective writers
- Take ownership of the language and rhetorical strategies they employ
- Develop a working knowledge of the grammar and mechanics of standard English
- Gain experience with the conventions of various genres, disciplines, and professions
The links below offer a more detailed explanation of these goals and suggestions to help faculty engage students in working toward them.
To meet these ambitious goals, the college has made a broad commitment to writing across the curriculum and in the disciplines. This reflects the reality of student learning. No student learns to write in a single course, and the development of successful writing practices takes time. The college provides students with ample opportunities to develop writing practices, strategies, and skills throughout their academic work. This begins with English 110: College Writing (or its equivalent) and continues with the requirement to take three Writing Intensive (W) courses. These may be taken in any department, though students are encouraged to take at least one in their majors. In addition to W courses, which must meet college guidelines in terms of the amount of writing assigned and attention to writing in class border, courses throughout the curriculum, both in the General Education requirements and in the majors, have significant expectations for student writing.
Of course, the significance of particular elements of writing and the writing process will vary according to course and discipline. Faculty teaching both W and non-W courses are encouraged to develop a manageable set of specific goals appropriate to their courses by selecting from, and often modifying, the detailed cumulative writing goals outlined in the following pages.
These pages also list suggestions which may be useful to faculty in helping and encouraging students to meet their specific writing goals. A variety of other writing resources are also available for students and faculty. The Writing Across the Curriculum program offers regular workshops, and the WAC web site (http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/Writing/) contains a variety of teaching resources and handouts for students that will help teachers and students work on particular goals and strategies. Students and faculty interested in learning more may contact the Director of the Writing Across the Curriculum program (see url above for contact information). In addition, the Writing Center offers students one-on-one consultation at any stage of the writing process. Students interested can set up appointments or find information at http://qcpages.qc.edu/qcwsw/.
Specific Goals and Strategies
