Writing Requirement

All CC students are required to demonstrate proficiency in writing as part of the All College Requirements. Below you will find information regarding the CC writing requirement for the following student groups:

  • Students entering Fall 2020 and following
  • Students entering between Fall 2017 and Spring 2020
  • Students entering between Fall 2010 and Spring 2017
  • Transfer students

Students entering Fall 2020 and following

Beginning in Fall 2020, all incoming students complete their writing requirement via the required CC120: First-Year Writing course. In the event that a student does not pass CC120, they are then required to complete any 1-unit course designated as Writing Intensive (WI) course.

 

Students entering between Fall 2017 and Spring 2020

Beginning in Fall 2017, students receiving a Writing Evaluation of "needs work" in either or both blocks of their FYE class will complete at least one of the following prior to their fourth semester on campus:

  • Any Writing Intensive course (including summer WI courses)

For more information on available writing courses, please see the "Writing Courses" section of this site.

 

Students entering between Fall 2010 and Spring 2017

All students who entered CC between Fall 2010 and Spring 2017 will demonstrate Writing Progress in the form of a successfully evaluated First-Year Portfolio or subsequent coursework in classes emphasizing writing.

Writing evaluated in the First Year Portfolio will include an essay from FYE, a paper completed in a first-year course other than FYE, and an essay reflecting on these two writing samples and your experience as a writer during your initial year at CC.

First-Year Portfolios, submitted no later than the end of block 8 (block 4 for Winter Starts), will be evaluated by a team of CC faculty, with all portfolios receiving at least two independent readings. Portfolio readings will result in one of two outcomes: an evaluation of complete work or an assessment indicating work in-progress.

  • A portfolio assessed as complete meets the following criteria: evidence of sufficient course-grounded first-year writing and a reflective essay which serves as useful self- analysis and an evidence-grounded appraisal of growth as an early undergraduate writer. An evaluation of complete fulfills the Writing Progress (formerly Writing Proficiency) graduation requirement.
  • A portfolio assessed as in-progress grants a writer an additional semester to work on his or her early undergraduate college writing and self-assessment. An in-progress evaluation may result from insufficient evidence of writing in first-year courses, or a reflective essay deserving of significant revision or more fully developed and grounded self-appraisal. Deadline for resubmission of in-progress portfolios will be the end of the semester following initial submission.

Students submitting portfolios evaluated as in-progress or students failing to submit a portfolio by the conclusion of their first year can also fulfill the Writing Proficiency requirement in one of several ways.

  • Successful completion of a Writing Intensive (WI) course, with an evaluation of competency from the instructor of record in case of grades below C--/S.
  • Successful completion of a Writing in the Discipline course taken in conjunction with a GS260 Writing Enhancement or a GS 257 Topics in Reading and Rhetoric adjunct.
  • Successful completion of two Writing in the Discipline courses.

 

Transfer students

To meet the Writing Progress requirement as a transfer student, there are a few options:

  • If you have taken a First-Year Composition (FYC) course/seminar at another institution, please submit your transcript, the course name and number, and the syllabus to Katrina Bell (kbell@coloradocollege.edu) for evaluation. She will communicate with both you and the registrar about how you have/have not met the requirements.
  • If you have not taken a FYC course at another institution, but have taken a Writing Intensive (WI) course (15-20 pages of polished writing) at another institution, please submit your transcript, the course name and number, and the syllabus to Katrina Bell (kbell@coloradocollege.edu) for evaluation. She will communicate with both you and the registrar about how you have/have not met the requirements.
  • If you have not taken either a FYC or a WI, you should register for a CC Writing Intensive course in the near future. You have until graduation to take and pass a WI, but the sooner, the better! CC requires, for students who did not complete the First Year Experience here and/or the portfolio (classes of 2019 & 2020 only), a Writing Intensive course for graduation. You can find the list of WI courses through the Banner course schedule page or on the Writing Intensive page on the CC website.
Report an issue - Last updated: 01/20/2021

Aaron Stoller, Ph.D.

Director, Academic Programs

Tutt Library 230b
(719) 227-8291
astoller@coloradocollege.edu