Writing at GustavusWriting Our Way Forward to Make Our Words Count

When they leave Gustavus, writers face a new world of communication challenges. They must be flexible users of both traditional and digital forms in many contexts. The new Writing Requirement integrates the best of our well established Writing Across the Curriculum Program, with its emphasis on rhetorical and process-based approaches to writing, with an additional emphasis on information literacy, or how we use writing to find, evaluate, and circulate information. 

In order to become truly educated in the liberal arts tradition, students must communicate clearly and ethically. Gustavus students write a variety of forms for multiple purposes and audiences. They develop disciplinary knowledge and communicate it to both general audiences and more academic, specialized ones. And they learn to do so with awareness of the historical, cultural, and social contexts in which they write.

When we transition to our new Writing Requirement, Gustavus students will complete FOUR designated writing requirement courses from at least two different departments in order to graduate. Generally, one of the courses will be taken in the first year, typically in FTS or Three Crowns, and designated WRIT. Students then complete the writing requirement by taking three additional courses (WRITL, or Writing and Information Literacy, and WRITD, or Writing in the Disciplines). At least one designated writing course must have WRITL designation.

Why does that matter? Because we want graduates of Gustavus to approach reading, research, and daily life in a digital age with critical awareness and a commitment to communicating clearly and ethically, no matter where they are or who they hope to persuade. That's what it means to write our way forward. At Gustavus, we know how to make our words count.