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Scenes from Writing and Rhetoric

General Education Writing

At URI, there is no single required writing course - we encourage you to choose the one that is right for you and your goals. Thus, we offer many ways for you to fulfill your General Education writing requirement. Please explore your options below, and ask your advisor for further guidance.

Course Listing

Course Take this if ... When it's offered
WRT Proficiency Exam
Test out of 3 ECw credits You have proof of a verbal SAT of 650 or higher - if so, contact us! Fall only, within your first year of attending URI.
WRT 104: Writing to Inform and Explain
An introduction to writing in a wide range of situations, including academic and public writing You want to write clearly and effectively in many genres for many different situations Fall, spring, and summer. Face-to-face only.
WRT 105: Forms of College Writing
An introduction to writing in different disciplines You want more guidance with college-level academic writing or you aren't sure what you want to major in - try out several in this class! Fall, spring, and summer. Providence classes available. Face-to-face only.
WRT 106: Introduction to Research Writing
Guided practice in research-informed writing for many purposes You think you need additional support learning how to write "researched" papers at the college level Fall and spring, face-to-face.


Course Take this if ... When it's offered
WRT 201: Writing Argumentative and Persuasive Texts
Multiple and sustained arguments working with rhetorical appeals You have the confidence to skip over the 100-level and you want to work on critical thinking and clarity in persuasive writing Fall, spring, and summer. Providence classes available. Face-to-face only.
WRT 227: Business Communications
Project-based assignments in a business context You want to practice writing on the job and learn common business genres Fall, spring, and summer. Providence classes available. Online and face-to-face.
WRT 235: Writing in Electronic Environments
Create a range of digital writing assignments, including wikis, blogs, and web design You want to learn to write in digital environments for a wider range of audiences Fall, spring, and summer. Online and face-to-face.


Course Take this if ... When it's offered
WRT 302: Writing Culture
Create the materials that sustain a culture: menus, liner notes, exhibit brochures You want to flex your creative side with non-traditional forms of writing Fall, spring, and summer. Online and face-to-face.
WRT 303: Public Writing
Participate in the writing surrounding important and contentious public issues You are interested in public advocacy and community involvement Fall online, spring face-to-face.
WRT 304: Writing for Community Service
Take hands-on instruction in writing-on-the-job into the non-profit sector You want a professional writing class, including grant writing or you want to pursue service learning in a sustained community relationship Fall only, face-to-face.
WRT 305: Travel Writing
Compose and publish essays and other travel-related documents You want to build a publishable portfolio and you have a sense of adventure and respect for difference Fall, spring, and summer. Online and face-to-face.
WRT 333: Scientific and Technical Writing
Practice creating audience-appropriate scientific and technical documents You are majoring in Pharmacy, Engineering, or any of the sciences Fall and spring. Providence classes available.

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Learning Outcomes

All of our general education writing classes at URI have the following learning outcomes:

  1. Rhetorical Knowledge:
    • Students recognize different situations for writing and responding.
    • Students practice different types of writing appropriate to different situations, including writing from field-based and/or text-based research.
    • Students reflect on the appropriateness of their choices for the rhetorical situation.
    • Students produce texts or documents that meet the demands of the rhetorical situation in terms of focus, development, organization, coherence, and correctness.

  2. Composing, Revising, and Editing Processes:
    • Students recognize and enact writing as a multi-step process.
    • Students practice multiple rounds of invention, research, feedback, and revision.
    • Students reflect on which strategies work for them, and identify crucial components of their own writing processes.
    • Students produce a final portfolio or other final project that meets expectations for finished, polished work ready to be evaluated.

  3. Collaborative Production and Evaluation of Texts:
    • Students recognize the value of others' insights, research, and reactions.
    • Students practice finding research that deepens their understanding of a topic.
    • Students practice providing formative responses to one another on drafts-in-progress.
    • Students produce together at least one writing project or several impromptu documents or responses.

  4. Reflective Learning:
    • Students recognize the difference between the project itself, and their reflective thinking on the project.
    • Students practice integrating insights from reflections in one context to other projects.
    • Students reflect on themselves and articulate their developing identities as writers.
    • Students produce a reflective essay that introduces their final portfolio or final project, reflects on their learning, and identifies the choices and changes they made in preparing the portfolio or final project.

  5. Conventions and Craft:
    • Students recognize standards of correctness, usage, and style.
    • Students practice a range of styles, registers, and conventions.
    • Students practice editing for repeated patterns of error.
    • Students reflect on their "personal" writing style and learn strategies for expanding their repertoire.
    • Students produce a final set of work (the portfolio or other final project) that adheres to the conventions of Standard Written English and to either MLA or APA documentation styles.

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