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Intensive Writing Requirement FAQs

What is the pedagogical purpose of the Intensive Writing Requirement?
The College of Arts and Sciences writing requirement consists of composition and Intensive Writing (IW). The purpose of the IW requirement is to provide students with practice in writing, preferably with a focus on the kinds of responding, analyzing, and evaluation appropriate to their major field, with substantive feedback provided by an instructor well-acquainted with the standards of good writing in that discipline. Departments have considerable latitude in defining what sorts of writing experiences are most appropriate for their majors; consequently the sorts of IW courses offered by different departments will vary.

What are the standard guidelines and requirements for IW credit?
To qualify for IW credit, a course must require that students write at least 5,000 words, not counting revisions (and excluding essay examinations and informal writing, e.g., journals or brief response statements). Students should receive periodic evaluations of their writing, and they should be required to redraft one or more papers in light of the instructor's critique. Ordinarily, students will write a series of papers over the course of a semester, not one long term paper. A single long paper (such as, for example, an honors thesis) may be acceptable, however, only if it is drafted in sections that are reviewed during the semester and if the entire paper is revised at least once before the course ends.
The instructor is expected to provide criticism (in the form of marginal notes on papers, or through private conferences) on aspects of the actual writing presentation, organization, style, etc., as well as addressing the substantive arguments of the papers. A full version of these guidelines is available.

What is the grading structure for Intensive Writing courses?
Two grades are given for IW courses: a regular grade of A-F and then a notation of “S” or “N” for the IW component. The shift to S\N, which was implemented as of fall 2004, is a significant difference from the former reporting system. “S” simply indicates that a student’s writing skills meet IW criteria; “N” indicates a student did not meet IW criteria.

What sorts of classes carry IW credit and who teaches them?
Intensive writing must be taught at the 200-level or above by a qualified instructor. In most cases the instructor will be a regular member of the faculty; under unusual circumstances the instructor may be a visitor or an advanced graduate student working under the close supervision of a regular faculty member. Regular faculty members are encouraged to use the resources of the Campus Writing Program, and all visitors and graduate students will be expected to attend an orientation and training session conducted by that program.

How big are IW courses and sections?
Classes designated for automatic IW credit must be limited to no more than 25 students. In other classes, a small number of seats may be set aside for students who will fulfill an IW component in conjunction with the regularly assigned work in the course. That is, with prior approval of the College, faculty may allow up to 25 students in a larger class to fulfill their IW requirement by completing additional assignments that will bring the general written requirements of the course up to the standards for IW classes.

How can students find a list of all the IW courses currently being offered?
For any given semester, the online Schedule of Classes contains a list of Special Courses, including IW.

Should students take IW courses in their own majors?
Yes, when possible: The original intention of the Intensive Writing requirement was to encourage students to take IW courses in their majors, learning the modes of writing appropriate to the discipline in the context of courses dealing with issues in the field. Ideally, students should enroll in as many IW courses as possible; including courses outside their major.

When should students take IW courses and what are the prerequisites?
Students must satisfy the English composition requirement before enrolling in IW courses. IW courses are meant to further refine and develop writing skills that will have applications across the curriculum generally but most specifically in a student’s chosen major. Although many capstone courses such as honors seminars and senior theses now carry IW credit, taking an IW course as a sophomore or junior will undoubtedly benefit most students.

When is it appropriate for a student to file a Proposal to Satisfy Intensive Writing by Special Arrangement?
It is appropriate only in exceptional cases, and only with departmental and College approval and prior to enrollment. Students in the College may meet the IW requirement in conjunction with individualized readings courses, supervised research, internships, or honors theses, as long as the total amount of writing, the structure of the writing assignments, and the commentary provided by the faculty member all meet the guidelines for IW credit. Students may pick up a Proposal to Satisfy Intensive Writing by Special Arrangement form in Kirkwood Hall 012, or they may print it off the web . The proposal must be filled out and signed by the course instructor, and endorsed by the director of undergraduate studies of the student's major department. The request is then evaluated by the College, and the student will be notified of approval or denial. Intensive writing credit will not be awarded for written work in courses not listed as intensive writing unless arrangements are completed and approved by the College by the end of the second week of instruction for regular semester length classes, by the end of the first week of a particular eight week session, and by the end of the first week of classes taught in a particular summer session.

Can students petition to earn IW credit for a course they have already taken in the College?
No. Credit will not be awarded retroactively for IUB courses that were not classified as IW when the student completed the course.
Can students earn IW credit for non-College of Arts and Sciences coursework?
No. IW is a College requirement and it will not be awarded for courses taken in another school (eg. BUS, EDUC, HPER, SPEA, JOUR, etc.).

Can a student earn IW credit for a course taken at another IU campus?
Yes. Listed below are courses from other IU campuses that are automatically approved by the College to receive Intensive Writing credit at IU Bloomington.

IUN (Northwest)	Beginning with classes taken Fall 1998 and after, students who have fulfilled Intensive Writing at IUN by successfully completing IW courses at the 200 level and above (with the exception of ENG W231) may apply to the College of Arts and Sciences Recorder’s Office to have their IUN class counted in fulfillment of the Bloomington IW requirements. Please note: IUN 100-level Intensive Writing courses and ENG W231 cannot be counted toward fulfillment of IU Bloomington’s Intensive Writing requirement.
IPFW (Fort Wayne)	ENG-L 202 ENG-W 233
IUPUI (Indianapolis)	ENG-W 350
IUK (Kokomo)	ENG-W 350
IUSB (South Bend)	ENG-W 350
IUS (Southeast)	ENG-W 350
Indiana State University (ENG-W 350)	ENG 305 (ENG-W 350)

Only these non-IUB courses will be automatically counted towards the College’s IW requirement. Students can ask the College to review non-IW courses taught at other IU campuses to determine if they can carry this credit, but only after the course has been completed. The director of undergraduate studies in the student's major specifically must approve such a request in writing. As evidence that a student has successfully completed writing exercises comparable to those employed in the department's own IW courses, the request must be accompanied by a copy of the course syllabus and all the written papers with instructor’s comments. To make such a determination, we ask that directors of undergraduate studies review all papers that were prepared for the course in question, noting the sort of writing that was required, and the nature of commentary offered by the course instructor. Without this information, requests for using transfer work to meet the IW requirement will be denied. Students may pick up a Proposal to Satisfy Intensive Writing with a Course Taken at Another IU Campus in Kirkwood Hall 012, or they may print it off the web . If evaluated as IW by the student's major department, then the College will review the materials and notify the student of approval or denial.

Can a student earn IW credit for a course taken at another university?
No. The College of Arts and Sciences will not grant IW credit for coursework completed at another university.
Where is a list of courses that have been approved for IW credit?
Students and advisors should consult the Special Courses at http://registrar.indiana.edu/scheofclass.shtml to see which currently scheduled courses will carry IW credit.

How can I develop a new IW class and what do I need to do to get it approved?
Instructors who want to offer IW courses should submit requests to their director of undergraduate studies. The director will verify that the proposed writing exercises meet the requirements of the departmental plan, and ask the College to review the proposal for conformity to general IW guidelines. A signed copy of the form, as well as supporting materials, must accompany the request.

The request form with a more detailed outline for approval procedures is available. If you have any questions about procedure after reading the information below, please contact June Hacker, Topics/Curriculum Coordinator, at jhacker indiana.edu. Course and curricular materials can be sent to her attention at Kirkwood Hall 012.

Each time a department plans to offer a section that will carry IW credit, the department's scheduling officer must notify the Registrar (by using the Registrar's Report Code "BLIW") that it is offered for IW credit. Students and advisors can find a "Special Course Listing" section linked to the Registrar’s online Schedule of Classes that lists all IW courses offered that semester.