The University of the South had two sets of Writing-Intensive (WI) designated courses, one at the General Education level (known as the GFWI requirement) and at the level of individual majors (known as the GMWI requirement).
The current descriptions for each requirement are as follows:
GFWI: Foundational Writing Courses
A Foundational Writing-Intensive Course is built around casting thoughtful academic writing as a critical component of the thinking and learning processes. Not just an end goal, writing in these courses is seen as integral to discovering connections between and among ideas as well as offering creative and continual engagement with the course material. As any department might offer a Foundational Writing-Intensive Course, the structures of writing instruction may differ from course to course. However, all students will be expected to write at least 20-25 pages of prose that communicate what they have discovered in a clear and compelling manner. Moreover, any GFWI course will devote significant and dedicated class time throughout the semester to writing instruction, including argument and organization, use of evidence, mastery of academic English grammar and style, consideration of a piece’s intended audience, and will prioritize strategies for responding to feedback through careful revision practices.
Courses currently approved for a GFWI designation are listed in the Course Catalogue.
More information on General Education degree requirements is also available in the Course Catalogue.
GMWI: Writing Intensive Courses in the Major
Upper-level Writing Intensive courses are offered in the student’s major as part of the major requirement. Such courses aim to sharpen the student’s skills through frequent writing assignments. They may include conferences with the instructor and should include assignments to revise written work and some time spent in classroom, group-engaged attention to the writing process. The second writing-intensive course or its college-approved equivalent (in the major) should also expose students to conventions of writing and research expected in a given discipline. Sewanee graduates are thus trained to express themselves with clarity and precision.
Information about degree requirements can be found on the Registrar’s website and on departmental websites.
