Navigating the Cornell Freshman Writing Seminar Requirements
Cornell University places a strong emphasis on developing students' writing abilities from the very beginning of their academic journey. The First-Year Writing Seminar (FWS) program is a cornerstone of this commitment, designed to equip incoming students with the essential skills for success in their academic pursuits and beyond. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the FWS requirements at Cornell, covering key aspects such as enrollment, course structure, assessment, and available support resources.
The Purpose of First-Year Writing Seminars
The first-year writing seminars are topically based courses, with some common elements, taken in a student’s first year, and focused on the further development of academic writing skills. Through informal and formal writing, students will focus on the process of writing, explore writing techniques and strategies, reflect on their work, and use the revision process to develop and communicate ideas more effectively. Students will experience guided practice in critical reading.
Building a Foundation for Academic Success
The FWS serves as a shared foundation for the educational experience at Cornell College. It introduces students to key terms and concepts central to the essential abilities of writing, intercultural literacy, and quantitative reasoning, and to disciplinary/interdisciplinary explorations. Students will distinguish between opinion, reasoned judgment, and evidence to evaluate arguments and ideas. Students will be introduced to the importance of academic honesty and integrity. Students will practice writing and revision to develop and communicate ideas. Students will practice oral communication by effectively preparing for and engaging in civil academic discussions.
Core Skills Developed in FWS
The First-Year Seminar (FYS), which has a common syllabus across sections, encourages creative and critical thinking about works from a variety of disciplines and provides students with a shared foundation for their educational experience at Cornell College. Students will encounter works from a variety of academic disciplines and will practice critical reading and thinking skills.
- Writing as a Process: Students will understand writing as a process that involves multiple stages.
- Audience Awareness: Students will write appropriately for a given audience, purpose, and context.
- Argumentation and Evidence: Students will gain practice in developing and sustaining an argument with evidence.
- Source Integration: Students will evaluate, cite, and document sources appropriately.
- Revision and Feedback: Students will learn to incorporate feedback and revision.
The First Paper: Setting the Stage
The first paper you assign in a First-Year Writing Seminar provides a unique opportunity to capture student attention and interest; to set a tone for the class; and to help students experiment with the writing and thinking practices you hope will characterize student work throughout the semester (and beyond). The first paper can provide insights into what your students can and cannot do as writers; these insights may help you adjust your learning goals, lesson plans, and assignments. Finally, the first paper serves the larger diagnostic needs of the FWS program as we work to identify students who may need help securing tutoring or mentoring support or finding a FWS that is a more comfortable fit.
Read also: Immersive Pre-College Experience
Since writing should be the focus of every FWS, this first paper should begin when the semester begins. Preparation for this first paper can begin with in-class activities as early as the first class meeting. An integrated sequence of classwork and homework can move students through a quick cycle of drafting-and possibly revision-within the first few classes. Provide students with opportunities to experiment with writing practices you hope students will use in your course (and beyond). Identify students who might benefit from additional support. There are many options for what a successful first paper assignment might ask students to write. Below are a few ideas that are both small in scope and challenging. Pull a particularly interesting longer quote on your course topic, perhaps from a reading you will assign. Pick two quotes that represent competing views that relate to your course theme. Pick a photograph, a piece of art, or some other artifact that relates to your course theme. Pose a question that encourages students to analyze the image in relation to some of the key questions you hope to explore in the class. Ask students to complete a short reading that relates to your course theme. Ask them to first explain what they think the reading means. Then you could: 1. Ask a specific question they should use the reading to help answer; 2. Use the reading the analyze their own experiences with the issue; or,
Informal vs. Formal Writing
Assign formal and/or informal writing so that students are writing regularly throughout the course. Informal writing assignments (e.g., journals, blog posts, reading responses) are low-stakes, often non-graded assignments, that assist students in exploring and understanding course material. Devote class time to the writing process (which includes prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing). Writing instruction should focus on discussing assignments and rubrics, writing techniques and strategies, approaches to particular types of papers or writing problems, and students’ work-in-progress.
FWS Requirements and Enrollment
Who Needs to Take an FWS?
All students with less than 7 credits will enroll in a First-Year Seminar. In general, Cornell students are required to take two semesters of First-Year Writing Seminars. Architecture students take one seminar. Agriculture and Life Sciences students may take two first-year writing seminars or choose from among a variety of other courses to complete their requirement. Hotel students take one First-Year Writing Seminar. Most students fulfill the writing requirement in the first year. First-Year Writing Seminars fulfill College writing requirements only. No student can be registered for more than one FWS at a time.
Enrollment Restrictions and Procedures
Enrollments for First-Year Writing Seminars are strictly capped; no over-enrollments are permitted. Therefore, the Knight Institute recommends that you plan accordingly, taking your entire schedule into account. The Knight Institute will not oversee the FWS enrollment process, so we urge you to consult with your college’s Advising/Student Services Office or the University Registrar for guidance on registration.
If your FWS selection is a high priority for you, be ready to seek it immediately when your enrollment window opens, following the process set by the Office of the University Registrar. We further recommend that you prepare a prioritized list of several FWSs that fit in open time slots in your schedule, in case your top preference(s) have filled already. You will not want to waste time returning to the course roster to ponder alternatives, since these too may be filling up meanwhile.
Read also: Cornell University Semester Guide
You may not create any time-conflict or overlap between your FWS and any other classes on your schedule. You may not create an “overload” beyond the credit limit set by your college. You may not enroll in more than one First-Year Writing Seminar.
Once the pre-enrollment period ends, you cannot drop or change until the Add/Drop Period begins just before the first day of classes. Once a First-Year Writing Seminar is filled to capacity, it is unalterably closed until at least the opening of the Add-Drop process; even then, it would become “open” only if one or more enrolled students were to drop it. Please do not contact your college registrar, who has no power to lift the enrollment cap. Please do not contact the instructor, who has no control over enrollments. There are no waiting lists for First-Year Writing Seminars, no “shopping,” and no forms to sign or stamp. Add-Drop for FWSs takes place electronically only, via Student Center. See item #6 below.
Important Dates for FWS Students
Electronic Add/Drop for FWS starts Friday, August 22nd. See directions below. First-Year Writing seminars begin Monday, August 25th. The last day to add a FWS is Friday, August 5th. Electronic Add/Drop for First-Year Writing Seminars FWS Add/Drop enrollment must be done electronically through Student Center. Neither instructors nor registrars can approve additional enrollment into any First-Year Writing Seminar. Caps on enrollment cannot be lifted. There are no wait-lists or forms to sign; do not ask an instructor about adding a seminar. Instructors will not allow any student not on the roster to sit in on a First-Year Writing Seminar.
Finding Open FWS Courses During Add/Drop
To find open First-Year Writing Seminars during the Add/Drop period: Go to Student Center. At the search screen, click on “Additional Search Criteria.” Choose “FWS Session” from the “Session” field. This will show you all open FWS classes. A First-Year Writing Seminar is open ONLY if it appears in this list. Check frequently, because the list can change.
Course Load and Structure
Seminars should require at least four-and at most six-formal essays on new topics, totaling about 20 pages of polished prose. No fewer than three of the 4 - 6 required essays should go through a process of development under the instructor’s guidance (e.g.
Read also: Architecture of Donlon Hall
Alternatives for Upperclassmen
Juniors, seniors, and transfer students: A preferable alternative for you is ENGL 2880, Expository Writing, which can substitute for FWS credit.
Advanced Placement (AP) Credit
All students who score 5 on the Princeton Advanced Placement Examination in English receive 3 credits. Such credits are awarded automatically; no application to the John S. Knight Institute or the Department of Literatures in English is necessary. How these credits may be applied to first-year writing or other distribution requirements depends on the student’s college and score. All students who score 5, except Architecture majors, may apply their 3 credits toward the writing requirements of their college.
All Biological Engineering students are required to take two (2) first year writing seminars (FWS). This is a requirement of the College of Engineering. Don’t confuse the first year writing seminar requirement in ENG with the written expression requirement in CALS. For AP credits, you must follow the engineering AP credit rules. If you receive a 5 on the English Lang and Comp and the English Lit and Comp, you will only receive credit for one (1) FWS. The other credit will go towards liberal studies in the LA category.
Seeking Course Credit for Work Done Elsewhere
To have a course taken at another institution considered for possible acceptance as equivalent to a First-Year Writing Seminar, students must provide evidence that the course was offered on a college campus as part of its normal curriculum and that the work done was comparable to that in a First-Year Writing Seminar (see the guidelines above: it is not sufficient to write, say, one 30-page term paper). Courses not taken in the academic year must be at least six weeks long. Students must earn a B+ or better in the course.
In unusual situations, students beyond their first year may petition the Knight Institute to have courses taken at Cornell other than First-Year Writing Seminars fulfill the various freshman writing requirements in effect at the University. The Institute advises students about these courses on request. Requests for course substitution credit will NOT be approved after a course has been taken. The Knight Institute will provide you with a letter (you make copies) stating that a First-Year Writing Seminar taken at Cornell is the equivalent of a semester of English composition.
Support Resources for FWS Students
Knight Institute Support
The Knight Institute offers support to writers through the Cornell Writing Centers and the KNIGHT WRITERS Mentor Program, and accepts a small number of students each semester into Writing 1370/1380: Elements of Academic Writing-a lower enrollment FWS that includes weekly individual teacher/student conferences. A first FWS assignment should help instructors identify students who might benefit from additional support: in most cases this will not include having students transfer from their current FWS into Writing 1370/80. (Enrollment capacity in Elements of Academic Writing is limited.
FWS Writing Consultation
Because Cornell’s writing seminars may expect a greater range of writing abilities than many students have exposure to in high school, the Knight Institute offers a FWS Writing Consultation to give students an opportunity to discover how well current writing skills fit into what Cornell expects. Students will submit an essay and meet with a writing specialist to discuss their essay, their writing process, and their previous writing experience.
Cornell Writing Centers (CWC)
The CWC provides support for first-year writers at any stage of the writing process. It is a free resource available to all of Cornell for nearly any kind of writing project: applications, presentations, lab reports, essays, papers, and more. Tutors serve as responsive listeners and readers who can address questions about the writing process or about particular pieces of writing.
The Second-Year Seminar (SYS)
All students with less than 14 credits will enroll in a second-year seminar. Second-year seminars are topically based courses that encourage citizenship in practice by focusing on informed and creative problem-solving of real-world issues through disciplinary or multidisciplinary approaches. These courses may include community engagement and/or hands-on experiences such as field trips, service learning, simulations, performances, installations, exhibits, or lab work.
SYS Learning Objectives
Students will acquire knowledge of a contemporary or historical issue, or set of issues, facing communities, regions, nations, or the world. Students will understand the context of the issues or questions that could include time, geography, culture, impact on communities, etc. Students will use creative and critical thinking skills to identify, propose, and evaluate strategies for addressing issues/questions. Students will develop skills for collaboration with and within diverse groups of individuals including the cognitive skill of perspective-taking.. Students will develop research and information literacy skills. Students will demonstrate communication skills through the oral presentation of their findings. The SYS creates an experience in the second year that builds on the first year and provides a basis for advanced disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and experiential learning. It introduces students to issues beyond the college classroom and encourages them to think about their role as a citizens in addressing problems.
Distribution Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of 8 courses to fulfill all 10 distribution categories below. Distribution requirements can be taken S/U if they aren't being used to also fulfill a major or minor requirement.
Arts, Literature, and Culture (ALC-AS)
Courses in this area examine arts, literature, and culture in various contexts. Students gain insights into the interplay of individual or collaborative creativity and social practice, and understand the complexities of the expression of the human condition. Topics include the analysis of artworks and literary texts, and the belief systems of social groups, cultures, and civilizations; they also focus on artistic expression itself (in creative writing, performing arts, and media such as film and video).
Biological Sciences (BIO-AS)
Courses in this area focus on understanding a wide range of life forms, from single cells to plants, animals, and their ecosystems. Topics include the molecular and biochemical makeup of life, the sub-cellular, cellular and organismal structures of life, and the evolutionary relatedness of all life forms. Students learn to describe how organisms are connected to each other and to their physical environment. Many courses address how genetic information is expressed from DNA, and how this expression leads to complex function and behavior.
Ethics and the Mind (ETM-AS)
Courses in this area investigate the human mind and its capacities, ranging from cognitive faculties shared by humans and animals such as perception, to language and abstract reasoning, to the ability to form and justify ethical values. Courses investigating the mind may use the methodologies of psychology, linguistics, or philosophy. Those focusing on ethics explore ways of reflecting on questions that concern the nature of justice, the good life, or human values in general. Many courses combine these topics and methodologies.
Global Citizenship (GLC-AS)
Courses in this area examine the history, culture, politics, religion, and social relations of peoples in different parts of the world, as well as their interactions. They encourage students to think broadly about the global community and their place within it, beyond the boundaries of their particular national or cultural group, and cultivate skills of intercultural engagement that are vital to their role as global citizens. These courses introduce students to global challenges such as war and peace, social and economic inequalities, international migration, and environmental sustainability, and encourage students to think critically about international responses to these challenges.
Historical Analysis (HST-AS)
Courses in this area train students in the analysis of documentary, material, and oral evidence about social phenomena, institutions, events and ideas of the past. Students learn to evaluate and critically assess differing analyses and interpretations of former times so that they may acquire a better understanding of the origins and evolution of the present. Questions addressed in HA courses include why and under what circumstances changes have occurred in how people have interacted with one another and with the environments in which they live.
Physical Sciences (PHS-AS)
Courses satisfying this requirement provide an appreciation of how science generates and categorizes enduring knowledge of our physical world. This includes the physics, chemistry, and technology involved, of everything from light, to atoms, DNA molecules, Earth science, our Solar system, and to the Cosmos. These courses expose students to both the process and some of the substance of science. By learning the universal aspects of scientific enquiry, students will be better equipped to form opinions on scientific issues that affect the world.
Social Difference (SCD-AS)
Courses in this area examine social differences relevant to the human experience. Social categories include class, race, ethnicity, indigeneity, nationality, language, religion, gender, sexuality, and ability as objects of study. Students develop a deeper understanding of these categories and their intersections. Topics may include: how hierarchies in power and status shape social differences; how social, economic and political systems can impact the interpretation of social differences; and how differences attributed to various groups are explained.
Social Sciences (SSC-AS)
Courses in this area examine social, economic, political, psychological, demographic, linguistic, and relational processes. Topics include understanding how different social contexts, for example neighborhoods, families, markets, networks, or political organizations, shape social life. Students learn to identify, describe, and explain the causes and consequences of social phenomena using quantitative and/or qualitative evidence based on systematic observation of the social world. They also learn to link evidence to theory through rigorous and transparent reasoning, and/or reflect critically on the concepts through which people make sense of the social world.
Statistics and Data Science (SDS-AS)
Courses in this area develop data literacy, essential to be an informed citizen in today’s world. Students learn and apply statistical and computational techniques to effectively collect, visualize, analyze and interpret data, and present conclusions. Applications span a wide variety of contexts: providing a better understanding of the communities in which we live, guiding and enriching our lives, and driving forward scientific inquiry. Students gain an appreciation of how to ask the right questions, and how statistics can depend on the context, assumptions, and limitations of data.
Symbolic and Mathematical Reasoning (SMR-AS)
Courses satisfying this requirement help students develop the skills to solve problems through understanding abstract, logical relationships. Such skills include mathematical analysis of patterns and phenomena, modeling natural and technological systems, and creating algorithms essential to computation.
tags: #cornell #freshman #writing #seminar #requirements
