Program in Writing and Rhetoric: For Students

Introduction and Contact Information
Course Information 
Program Information
Is High School Preparing Students for College Writing? 

If you’re reading this, you’re probably enrolled in a course administered through the Program in Writing and Rhetoric at William Paterson University.  We recognize the importance of writing in the academic, personal, and professional lives of our students.  The University Core Curriculum encourages writing in many of the courses you will take, and the mission of our program is to help in that process, as well as help you use writing as an effective life-long learning tool.  Whether you’re enrolled in English 1100 or 1500, or planning to take one of these courses, we hope you'll find the information you're looking for on this page! 

Please don’t hesitate share your comments with us:

Dr. Chris Weaver, Director, Program in Writing and Rhetoric, Preakness Hall, (973) 720-2913 weaverc@wpunj.edu.

Amanda O'Donnell, Writing Program Coordinator, Preakness Hall 321, (973) 720-3066 odonnella2@wpunj.edu

Sandy De Jesus, Secretary, English Department, Preakness Hall 321, (973) 720-2254 dejesusa3@wpunj.edu

Course Information:

ENG-1100 College Writing

ENG-1500 Experiences in Literature

Program Information:

• Writing Center
• Attendance: Specific attendance policies are determined by individual instructors. William Paterson University requires attendance to be recorded regularly and count toward the final grade for all 1000-level courses. 
  
  
• Plagiarism and Ethical Issues: Plagiarism is the copying from a book, article, notebook, video, or other source material, whether published or unpublished, without proper credit through the use of quotation marks, footnotes, and other customary means of identifying sources, or passing off as one’s own the ideas, words, writings, programs, and experiments of another, whether such actions are intentional or unintentional. Plagiarism also includes submitting, without the consent of the professor, an assignment already tendered for academic credit in another course. Plagiarism is a serious offense with serious consequences, which may include failing the assignment, failing the course, disciplinary action, or even expulsion from the University.
  
  
• Grading: Students taking ENG 1100 College Writing must receive a C or better to pass the course. Grades lower than a C will necessitate that the course be repeated. 

Is High School Preparing Students for College Writing?
Carly Perrotta graduated WPU cum laude in May 2020. Her major was biology/pre med and she plans to apply to medical school next summer. As a first year student in ENG1100, Carly designed and ran an independent research study which examined the ways in which 11 of her New Jersey "Bulldog High School" classmates felt their high school writing instruction focused on grammar, five-paragraph essays, and preparing for writing tests-- all of failed to prepare them for the deeper and more complex writing expectations at six different colleges.