Primary Writing Requirement : Center for Academic Support

Primary Writing Requirement

Entering students must establish competence in writing clear argumentative essays at the college level. The procedure by which competence is established is determined by the College Writing Committee, and administered by the Director of College Writing.

Typically, students fulfill the Primary Writing Requirement by completing Reasoning and Writing in the College (CAS 105 or CAS 105E) with a grade of "C" or better. (Students accepted into the dual degree program between the Eastman School of Music and The College through the Class of 2009 satisfy this requirement by completing Humanities 101 at Eastman. Since that time students may complete either CAS 105/105E or a FWS course at Eastman.) To be prepared for the upper-level writing requirement in the major, students should satisfy the primary writing requirement by the end of the first year of study.

Students who believe that they are already proficient college writers may petition to satisfy the Primary Writing Requirement by taking a University of Rochester course other than CAS 105. To petition, students submit Form 2B (available at writing.rochester.edu/Form2B.pdf ). A student whose petition is accepted can satisfy the writing requirement by achieving a "B" or above in a course with a significant writing component, which usually includes several short papers throughout the semester and a substantial final paper. The course must be approved by the Writing Center, and getting approval before taking the course is recommended.

Students may petition only once, are expected to do so during the first semester of matriculation, and may not do so after already attempting to complete CAS 105.

Transfer credit policy:

Transfer students who wish to use a writing course they have completed elsewhere to satisfy our requirement need to submit Form 2C (Petition to Satisfy the Primary Writing Requirement with Coursework from Another College or University) as well as other materials specified on that form to the College Writing Center by the end of their first semester of matriculation. These materials include copies of students' written work, course descriptions, and syllabi. The forms are available in pdf form at the address noted above. The Center notifies students directly of the outcome, and sends copies of the letter to the Center for Academic Support and the Registrar. Students who transfer from MCC and who have received the grade of "B" or better in ENG 200 are considered to have fulfilled the Primary Writing Requirement.

Repeat course policy for CAS 105 and 105E:

The "repeated course" policy of the faculty stipulates that the second grade earned (which may or may not be higher than the first) is calculated into the grade point average and the first grade (and credit, if any) is removed from the calculation of the grade point average. However, an exception is available to students who passed CAS 105/105E the first time but need to repeat it in order to earn a grade of C or better. These students may choose to keep the credit from the first course and earn an additional four credits when they repeat the course. The grades from both courses are included in the grade point average.

Students who want the special option must submit the form designed for this purpose to the Center for Academic Support by the drop/add deadline of the semester in which they repeat the course.