Muir College

OFFICE: Provost, Muir College, 2126 Humanities and Social Sciences Building

Courses

The Writing Program

OFFICE: 2346 Humanities and Social Sciences Building, Muir College (858) 534-2522.

Director: Barbara Tomlinson, Ph.D., Professor of Literature

The Muir College Writing Program is a sequence of courses in critical thinking and the writing of expository prose during which students must advance beyond the basic competency expected at entrance to understand and write discourse acceptable at the university level. Even when faced with challenging topics, students must demonstrate the ability to comprehend texts at more than a superficial level; their writing must exhibit focused theses, systematic methods of analysis and argumentation, awareness of the needs of their audience, strong organization and development, clear presentation of ideas, appropriate syntax and diction, and—needless to say—correct grammar and usage.

To achieve these ends, the courses focus on principles of analysis and reasoned argumentation. Through close reading of texts, students learn both to identify underlying issues, assumptions, and values, and to identify rhetorical strategies by which these are conveyed or revealed. Students also learn to monitor and adapt their own writing processes. Since the ability to evaluate one’s own writing and carry out appropriate revision strategies is particularly crucial to effective writing, all students are required to revise their papers several times. Attention is devoted to developing skill in evaluation and revision in discussion sections and in individual conferences with instructors. Sections of MCWP 50 vary in theme and content, giving students the opportunity to write in areas that interest them or that may be relevant to their major fields. (Descriptions of the MCWP 50 sections are available each quarter in the Muir Writing Program office during preregistration.)

Students are required to take both MCWP 40 and MCWP 50 for a letter grade in their first year of residence at the college. All transfer students, upon satisfaction of Subject A, must take MCWP 40 and MCWP 50 in their first year of residence. In cases where more than one quarter of practice is needed to prepare a student for MCWP 50, an IP grade is given in MCWP 40, and the student takes MCWP 41. MCWP 41 is then followed by MCWP 50. Completion of the sequence allows students to meet the Muir College writing requirement.

Certain exceptionally well-prepared students, particularly transfer students, may satisfy the MCWP 40 or MCWP 50 requirement by examination. The Muir challenge examinations are given at the beginning of fall and winter quarters only. Students may not take the challenge in the same quarter in which they expect to graduate.

IGETC and TAG certified transfer students: please contact the Muir Writing Program Office.