FAQs for Students:
Frequently Asked Questions
about
Writing-Intensive (WI) Courses
What are Writing-Intensive
courses?
Writing-Intensive courses are specially
designated
courses in which…
-
Writing is used as a tool for learning the
subject.
-
The instructor interacts with students to
help them
improve their writing.
-
Writing is a major element in the course
grade.
-
The student does a significant amount of
writing
-- at least 4,000 words (equivalent to 16 typed pages) during the
semester.
-
Class size is limited to 20 students to allow
for
substantial instructor-student interaction.
Are there any prerequisites
for
Writing-Intensive courses?
-
Yes. Almost all WI courses taught at LCC
require
previous completion of English 100 or equivalent with a C or better.
I took a class in which I
wrote
much more than 16 pages. Why didn't I get WI credit for it?
-
In order for a class to receive WI
designation, the
instructor has to submit a proposal to a faculty committee for
approval.
Not all instructors choose to do this.
Why does LCC have a Writing-Intensive
requirement for the AA degree?
-
Because writing skills are important -- both
in college
courses and in "real life". Employers want to hire graduates who have
good
communication skills; these are also the employees who are most likely
to advance on the job.
-
To give students a head start if they're
transferring
to UH-Manoa, where five WI courses are required for the Bachelors
degree.
Two of these courses can be lower-division (100- or 200-level). WI
courses
you take at LCC count toward this degree requirement when you transfer.
How many WI courses are
required for LCC's AA degree?
- Two WI courses are required.
- For students who began here
before Fall 2003, one WI course is required for the AA degree.
If I transfer to another
community
college or UH campus in Hawai'i and I already took WI courses at LCC,
will they count
toward the requirement at the other college?
-
Yes. WI credits earned at LCC transfer to any
other
community college or university in our system.