Writing and Library Science

Mission Statement

The Writing and Library Science Department supports the University of Wisconsin-Superior's liberal arts mission by promoting literacy across disciplines. In doing so, the Department refines skills in reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and thinking (both critical and creative) for both native and non-native speakers of English.

Faculty and Staff

Faculty

Julie Gard, Associate Professor
Jayson Iwen, Associate Professor
Laura Jacobs, Professor
Daniel Lawrence, Assistant Professor
Yvonne Rutford, Associate Professor
Jamie White-Farnham, Associate Professor

Academic Staff

Deborah Faul, Senior Lecturer
Elizabeth Grbavcich, Senior Lecturer
John McCormick, Senior Lecturer
Heather McGrew, Senior Lecturer
Kate Nolin-Smith, Senior Lecturer

Additional Offerings

University Studies Core Requirement: First-Year Writing

Majors

Writing Major Requirements

Minors

Writing Minor Requirements

Course Descriptions

Catalog Nbr.	Course Title/Course Topics	Credits
ESL - English as a Second Language
ESL 131	Reading Academic Texts	3.00
	Academic reading and vocabulary development for advanced-level ESL students. Texts include adapted and unadapted textbook chapters and magazine and journal articles. Students placed into ESL courses must take these courses in their first semester at UWS. Students must pass with a C- or better. Open only to non-native speakers of English through the UW-Superior ESL Placement Test or with instructor permission.
ESL 132	Writing for Academic Purposes	3.00
	English grammar and composition for academic purposes. Includes advanced grammar, critical reading, research skills, rhetorical approaches to a topic, writing processes, organization of content, re-writing and editing. Students placed into ESL courses must take these courses in their first semester at UWS. Students must pass with a C- or better. Open only to non-native speakers of English through the UW-Superior ESL Placement test or with instructor permission.
ESL 133	Listening to Academic English	2.00
	Structured practice in listening and note-taking using university lectures and a variety of other academic presentations. Focuses on lecture organization, language cues and academic vocabulary. Students placed into ESL courses must take these courses in their first semester at UWS. Students must pass with a C- or better. Open only to non-native speakers of English through the UW-Superior ESL Placement test or with instructor permission.
ESL 134	Speaking for Academic Purposes	2.00
	Guided practice in developing elements of clear speech for advanced-level ESL students. Emphasis on pronunciation, discussion skills and effective individual and group presentations. Students placed into ESL courses must take these courses in their first semester at UWS. Students must pass with a C- or better. Open only to non-native speakers of English through the UW-Superior ESL Placement test or with instructor permission.

WRIT - Writing
Catalog Nbr.	Course Title/Course Topics	Credits
WRIT 099	Fundamentals of Writing	2.00
	Fundamentals of academic writing: active reading strategies, writing processes, revision, audience awareness, full development of ideas, adherence to rules of standard edited English. Credits in this course cannot be used to fulfill University Studies requirements, graduation requirements, or the requirements of a major or minor. Credits count for transcript only. Students must co-enroll in WRIT 102.
	Prerequisites: Placement based on score of ACT English or SAT verbal or Wisconsin English Placement Test; or approval of the Writing Coordinator for students taking ESL 132.
	Typically Offered: Fall and Spring Terms
WRIT 102	Introduction to Academic Writing	3.00
	Critical reading, research, and academic writing arguments. Emphasis on information literacy, elements of persuasion, documentation and citation. Students must pass with a C- or better.
	University Studies Requirements: College Writing
	Prerequisites: A qualifying score on ACT English or SAT Verbal or WEPT or AP Language and Comp test or AP Literature and Comp test; or permission of Writing Coordinator for students taking ESL 132.
	Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer Terms
WRIT 189	Writing Elective	0.00 - 12.00
	Transfer credits ONLY from another accredited institution not equivalent to a UW-Superior course.
WRIT 209	Introduction to Professional Writing	3.00
	Writing in a range of genres related to the rhetorical situations, audiences, technologies, and multicultural environments of the 21st century workplace. Emphasis on liberal arts career skills. Students must pass with a C- or better to complete the core writing sequence.
	University Studies Requirements: Professional Writing
	Prerequisites: Completion of WRIT 102 with a grade of C- or better and completion of 30 college credits or instructor permission.
	Typically Offered: Fall and Spring Terms
WRIT 250	Introduction to Creative Writing	3.00
	Introductory creative writing course in which students develop their ability to write in a variety of genres. Study of contemporary works in genres including literary prose, poetry, and drama; composition in genres including literary prose, poetry, and drama; development of a writing process and writerly identity; workshop critiques of student writing. Course includes Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (URSCA) high-impact practice.
	University Studies Requirements: Fine Arts - Aesthetic
	Typically Offered: Fall and Spring Terms
WRIT 255	Gender and Sexuality in Writing	3.00
	Explores writing on gender and sexuality with a focus on texts by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex (LGBTQI) and allied writers from diverse cultures, classes, races, and ethnicities. Students discover and deepen their own perspectives through writing and reading. Students of all genders and gender identities are welcome. Cross listed as WRIT/GST 255. Course includes Academic Service-Learning (AS-L) high-impact practice.
	University Studies Requirements: Diversity
	Typically Offered: Occasional by Demand
WRIT 270	Contemporary Topics in Writing	3.00
	Studies in writing. Can be repeated for credit with different topics.
	Typically Offered: Occasional by Demand
WRIT 280	Writing on Illness	3.00
	Study and practice of the craft of four main genres of creative writing (poetry, drama, fiction, and nonfiction), with emphasis on the themes of illness and healthcare; development of a writing process and writerly identity; group discussions of student writing.
	University Studies Requirements: Fine Arts - Aesthetic
	Typically Offered: Occasional by Demand
WRIT 289	Writing Elective	0.00 - 12.00
	Transfer credits ONLY from another accredited institution not equivalent to a UW-Superior course.
WRIT 298	Prior Learning Portfolio Development	1.00
	Facilitation of students' creation of a portfolio that document prior learning. Reflection and analysis of prior learning experiences to articulate knowledge, understanding, and skills that may meet college-level learning outcomes. Designed for students with significant work and life experiences. Course requires instructor permission. Must be taken Pass/Fail.
	Typically Offered: Fall and Spring Terms
WRIT 301	Advanced Creative Writing: Nonfiction	3.00
	Advanced creative writing course in which students study and create works of creative nonfiction. Emphasis on the writing process and writers' workshops. By the end of this course, students should have a solid understanding of the specific characteristics of CNF, an awareness of their own creative process, and a completed body of written work that demonstrates the skills acquired in the course. Course includes Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (URSCA) high-impact practice.
	Prerequisites: Successful completion of WRIT 250 or instructor consent.
	Typically Offered: Spring Term Every Other Year
WRIT 303	Introduction to Rhetoric	3.00
	Introduction to the field of rhetoric, including discussion of ancient and contemporary theories and practices. Course includes Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (URSCA) high-impact practice.
	Prerequisites: Successful completion of WRIT 102 or instructor consent.
	Typically Offered: Fall Term Only
WRIT 307	English Grammar	3.00
	Introductory linguistic explanation and analysis of the traditional and the transformational generative models of English grammar.
	Prerequisites: Successful completion of WRIT 102 or instructor consent.
	Typically Offered: Fall Term Every Other Year
WRIT 308	Nature Writing	3.00
	Study of exemplary contemporary and/or classic works of nature writing. Writing of essays related to nature, science, and/or the environment. Research and writing in areas of student interest.
	Prerequisites: Successful completion of WRIT 102 or instructor consent.
	Typically Offered: Fall Term Every Other Year
WRIT 309	Technical Writing	3.00
	Study, analysis, and practice of technical writing with an emphasis on processes for writing with technology: writing for the web, writing for social media, fundamentals of Adobe Creative Suite, and digital composition tools.
	Prerequisites: WRIT 102 or Instructor Consent
	Typically Offered: Spring Term Every Other Year
WRIT 350	Advanced Creative Writing: Fiction	3.00
	Advanced creative writing course in which students further develop their ability to write fiction. Study of contemporary works of fiction; examination of and practice in elements of craft; composition of fiction (drafts and revisions); further development of a writing process and writerly identity; workshop critiques of student writing. Course includes Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (URSCA) high-impact practice.
	Prerequisites: Successful completion of WRIT 250 or instructor consent.
	Typically Offered: Fall Term Every Other Year
WRIT 352	Advanced Creative Writing: Poetry	3.00
	Advanced creative writing course in which students further develop their ability to write poetry. Study of contemporary works of poetry; examination of and practice in elements of poetic craft; composition of poetry (drafts and revisions); further development of a writing process and writerly identity; workshop critiques of student writing. Course includes Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (URSCA) high-impact practice.
	Prerequisites: Successful completion of WRIT 250.
	Typically Offered: Spring Term Only
WRIT 353	Advanced Creative Writing: Cross-genre	3.00
	Advanced creative writing course in which students study, practice, and invent techniques that bridge conventional generic boundaries and explore new approaches to literary production. Study of works in hybrid genres including, but not limited to, mashups, multi-media writing, slipstream fiction, prose poetry, and lyrical nonfiction; composition in forms and genres of the students' invention; development of a writing process and writerly identity; workshop critiques of student writing.
	Prerequisites: Successful completion of WRIT 250 or instructor consent.
	Typically Offered: Fall Term Every Other Year
WRIT 389	Writing Elective	1.00 - 12.00
	Transfer credits ONLY from another accredited institution not equivalent to a UW-S course.
WRIT 401	Advanced Rhetoric: Theory and Practice	3.00
	Study of persuasive writing. Students learn classical and contemporary approaches to the arts of persuasion and apply them in reading and writing contemporary discourse. Course includes Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (URSCA) high-impact practice.
	Prerequisites: Successful completion of WRIT 303 or instructor consent.
	Typically Offered: Spring Term Only
WRIT 409	WRIT 409: Digital Writing	3.00
	Theory and practice of writing for digital media: writing for social media, writing for the web, and writing in emergent technological spaces, informed by digital media theory and the philosophy of technology, and grounded in a rhetorical approach.
	Prerequisites: WRIT 102 or Instructor Consent
	Typically Offered: Spring Term Every Other Year
WRIT 420	Language, Narrative and Unconscious Bias	3.00
	WRIT 420 introduces students to the metaphoric and narrative foundations of human identities and the prejudices inherited with those identities. The course provides students with an understanding of the complexity of their own personal assemblage of identities as well as those of others. Unconscious bias, its impact on decision-making, and social crises arising from identity conflicts will be studies, as well as techniques for recognizing and mitigating one's own unconscious biases.
	Prerequisites: Successful completion of WRIT 102 or instructor consent.
	Typically Offered: Spring Term Odd Years Only
WRIT 450	Special Topics in Rhetoric	1.00 - 6.00
	Studies in language, rhetoric, or poetics. May be repeated for credit with different topics.
	Prerequisites: Successful completion of WRIT 102 or instructor consent.
	Typically Offered: Occasional by Demand
WRIT 470	Special Topics in Writing	1.00 - 6.00
	Studies in writing. May be repeated for credit with different topics.
	Prerequisites: Successful completion of WRIT 102 or instructor consent.
	Typically Offered: Occasional by Demand
WRIT 480	Writing and Well-being	3.00
	Exploration of theoretical and applied aspects of writing and well-being. Forms studied and practiced may include poetry, story-telling, journaling, guided autobiography, and/or creative nonfiction, with focus on restorative benefits of narrative and imagistic writing.
	Prerequisites: Successful completion of WRIT 102 or instructor consent.
	Typically Offered: Spring Term Every Other Year
WRIT 489	Writing Elective	1.00 - 12.00
	Transfer credits ONLY from another accredited institution not equivalent to a UW-Superior course.
WRIT 490	The Writer's Portfolio	3.00
	Course in which students explore writing beyond the university setting through readings, discussion, and independent research and create an online portfolio of creative, academic, and/or professional writing accompanied by critical reflection. Public presentation of written work is required.
	Prerequisites: If taken to fulfill Senior Year Experience, successful completion of at least 18 credits in the major or 12 credits in the minor is required.
	Typically Offered: Spring Term Only
WRIT 495	Writing Internship	1.00 - 6.00
	The Writing Internship allows students to apply their academic learning in a professional context. The internship site will vary based on the interests of the student. The nature of the writing undertaken may fall within any/all of the following types/contexts as appropriate: creative, technical, editorial, journalistic, bureaucratic, industrial, web-based, non-profit, and others as opportunities arise. If taken to fulfill Senior Year Experience, must be taken for 3 credits.
	Prerequisites: If taken to fulfill Senior Year Experience, successful completion of at least 18 credits in the major or 12 credits in the minor is required.
	Typically Offered: Fall and Spring Terms
WRIT 498	Independent Study	1.00 - 6.00
	Advanced study for students who have shown themselves capable of independent work, carried on under direction of a staff member chosen by the student with approval of the department chair. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credits. Instructor consent.
	Typically Offered: Fall and Spring Terms

Writing and Library Science Department Contact Information

Writing and Library Science Department
University of Wisconsin - Superior
Swenson Hall 3061
Belknap and Catlin Ave.
P.O. Box 2000
Superior, WI 54880
Phone: 715-394-8195
Email: infowls@uwsuper.edu