Writing
Diane LeBlanc, Rolvaag 526
507-786-3438
leblanc@stolaf.edu
Writing is a primary means of learning in the liberal arts. Through courses in the writing program, students read, discuss, and write about significant human issues as they develop critical skills to write effectively. Courses in the writing program are designed to accommodate varying levels of preparation.
General Education
The writing program supports two general education requirements: FYW and WRI. See Intended Learning Outcomes for FYW and WRI.
Most students take WRIT 111 First-Year Writing during the fall or spring semester of their first year. WRIT 111 seminars focus on a variety of topics with emphasis on writing practice to fulfill FYW. Students may also fulfill the FYW requirement by successfully completing designated courses in American Conversations or The Great Conversation, or through advanced placement credit. Consult the director of writing or the Registrar's Office.
Students who may benefit from more extensive writing instruction and practice enroll in a two-semester sequence, taking WRIT 107 Introduction to Academic Writing or WRIT 110 Critical Skills in Composition during the fall of their first year, and completing WRIT 111 during the spring semester.
For more information about FYW and WRI, see Comprehensive Graduation Requirements.
WRIT 107: Introduction to Academic Writing
This course guides multilingual international students through the conventions of U.S. academic culture and discourse with emphasis on liberal arts education. Students practice reading, writing, speaking, and listening to develop skills and confidence in college writing. The course also includes extensive discussion of academic integrity and responsible use of information. Students must pass the course with a grade of C or higher in order to enroll in WRIT 111. Offered in the fall semester.
WRIT 108: Writing Studio (0.25)
Writing Studio emphasizes process and practice as students reflect on their emerging identities as thinkers, readers, and writers. The course is ideal for students seeking ongoing support in their personal and academic transition to the rigor of college-level academics by providing guidance in areas such as course attendance and engagement, completion of assignments, and reading, writing, and speaking development. Offered annually in the spring semester.
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
WRIT 109: Topics: Supplemental Writing (0.25)
This course provides supplemental instruction in reading, writing, and critical thinking in conjunction with a designated course. Students practice reading course-specific texts, focusing writing topics, writing essay and short answer exams, developing research habits, indentifying and using discipline-specific sources, and writing for general and specific audiences. Supplemental assignments complement writing in the designated course. P/N only. May be repeated once with a different designated course.
Prerequisite: concurrent enrollment in a designated full-credit course.
WRIT 110: Critical Skills in Composition
This course emphasizes critical reading, the writing process, and revision. Students write frequently, respond to one another's writing, and meet often with course faculty in conferences. WRIT 110 is required of students who place into it; it may not be substituted for WRIT 111. Students must pass the course with a grade of C or higher in order to enroll in WRIT 111. Offered in the fall semester.
WRIT 111: First-Year Writing
First-Year Writing, taken during the first year, equips students for effective writing in the liberal arts and introduces writing as a means of learning. The course is taught in multiple sections that explore a variety of topics. In all sections, students write frequently in a variety of genres, with emphasis in writing expository essays. One or more assignments require research. As part of the writing process, students revise their writing and meet individually with course faculty to discuss their writing. This course is limited to first-year students and sophomores. Offered each semester.
WRIT 211: Topics in Writing
Blending the reading seminar and writing workshop, this course offers advanced practice in critical reading and writing with emphasis on a particular discipline or topic. Students will read and respond critically to a range of writing that may include textbook chapters, popular feature stories, and creative literature. The course emphasizes how writers make and support claims, integrate research, and narrate to communicate effectively in a variety of genres for multiple audiences. Click on course title in the class and lab for more information about the course for that term.
Prerequisite: successful completion of FYW.
WRIT 237: McNair Research Writing Across the Disciplines
This course prepares McNair Scholars for the rigors of academic writing. Because the enrolled students represent a variety of disciplines, this course serves as a general introduction to writing in research; it is not meant to replace discipline-specific research methods or writing courses. Students read scholarly literature in their disciplines, write a literature review, draft various sections of a research paper, and prepare for a formal poster presentation. Offered every summer.
Prerequisite: successful completion of FYW.
WRIT 294: Academic Internship
WRIT 298: Independent Study
WRIT 394: Academic Internship
WRIT 398: Independent Research
Director, 2020-2021
Diane C. LeBlanc
Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies and Director of the Writing Program
rhetoric and composition; creative writing; gender studies
Elisabeth G. Alderks
Visiting Assistant Professor of English
Mark Allister
Professor of English and Environmental Studies
American literature; environmentalism; popular music; men's studies
Anne G. Berry
Adjunct Instructor in Writing
linguistics; English as a second language
Amy Bolis
Adjunct Assistant Professor of English
Nicolette Bucciaglia
Visiting Assistant Professor of English
creative writing
Brett B. DeFries
Visiting Assistant Professor of English
Bridget A. Draxler
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Writing
Ryan Eichberger
Visiting Assistant Professor of English
Carlos Gallego
Associate Professor of English
Chicano/a studies; 20th century American literature; comparative ethinic studies; philosophy and critical theory; cultural studies
Courtney A. Humm
Visiting Instructor in Education
social studies education; urban and multicultural education
Ida Moen Johnson
Visiting Associate Professor of Norwegian
Anthony D. Lott
Associate Professor of Political Science and Environmental Studies
international law; international relations; international security
Karen E.S. Marsalek
Associate Professor of English
medieval and early modern literature, especially drama; history of the English language
Joseph L. Mbele
Associate Professor of English
folklore; English post-colonial and third world literature
Jeremy (Sequoia) Nagamatsu
Assistant Professor of English
fiction; creative nonfiction
Jonathan T. Naito
Associate Professor of English
20th- and 21st-century British and Irish literature; postcolonial studies; black and Asian British literature; Samuel Beckett
Juliet Patterson
Associate Professor of Practice in English
creative writing; contemporary American poetics; hybrid literature; environmental literature
Jean C. Porterfield
Associate Professor of Biology
evolutionary biology; molecular ecology; gene expression analysis
Barbara Reed
Professor of Religion and Asian Studies
Buddhism; East Asian religions; women and religion in Asia; religious myths and rituals; Taoist literature
Kaethe E. Schwehn
Associate Professor of Practice in English
creative writing
Jennifer Shaiman
Visiting Assistant Professor of English
Mary E. Trull
Professor of English
16th- and 17th-century English literature
Sean Ward
Visiting Assistant Professor of English
20th-century British and Anglophone literature; postcolonial studies; critical theory