Writing 102 Class Website
 

Frequently Asked Questions

NOTE: Completing WRIT 102 with a B+ average is a requirement to continue in the Minor in Professional Writing. It does NOT make students eligible to pursue a Major in Writing. To do that, students must complete WRIT 100 with a B average.
 
Technical Details:
When should I declare my Minor?
I'm waitlisted. Can I still attend class?
When can I talk to my instructor?
Can the instructor comment on assignments before the due date?
Who is the coordinator of the Professional Writing Minor?
What is the coordinator's role?
If I disagree with a mark on the assignment, what should I do?
What if I disagree with my final course mark?
How do I get my grade at mid-term?
I know some students are on a PW list-serve. How can I join the list-serve?
Can I get a 1.5 credit if I decide to leave the class at Christmas?
 
In the classroom:
Is it important to come to every class?
Why is being late such a big deal?
What if I am away for an extended period?
I've already booked my return flight home for the Christmas vacation. What happens if the exam is scheduled later than my flight dates?
Can I make special arrangements for taking exam and handing in assignments if I have a disability?
Can I email my assignments as an attachment?
Can I use a laptop in class?
Why does the instructor deduct marks if I exceed word count or alter the assignment format?
 
Moving On:
Do I need a certain grade to take 200-level Professional Writing courses?
What happens if I score below a B+ grade?
Do I have to be a writing major to continue in the minor in Writing?
The poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction and drama structure courses are all electives for my PW minor program. Since they have nothing to do with journalism, how do they benefit me?
Once I graduate from the University where do students find employment with their minor?
 
The Program:
What can I do with my minor?
What is Co-op?
How can I become a co-op student?
Who should I see if I need program advising?
How can I begin the program at the 200 level if I've been working in the field for several years and feel that WRIT 102 would be too elementary?

Technical Details

When should I declare my Minor?
You declare the Minor in Professional Writing with the Academic Advisor of your Major. You cannot declare your Minor until the grade for WRIT 102 is recorded. You must achieve a grade of B+ or better in WRIT 102. You cannot register for any professional writing courses at the 200, 300 or 400 level until you have declared your Minor.
 

I'm waitlisted. Can I still attend class?
Yes, you can attend the first two weeks of classes to see how the registration is shifting.
 

When can I talk to my instructor?
To discuss your class with your instructor, please make an appointment to see him or her during office hours. Instructors put their office hours on the top of their course outlines and also post them on their office doors.
 

Can the instructor comment on assignments before the due date?
The instructor can answer any of your specific questions about your ideas or queries about the assignment. If your concerns are complicated, make an appointment during office hours. Often, instructors will also call for questions about the assignments during class time, since many students have the same queries.
 

Who is the coordinator of the Professional Writing Minor?
Sean Holman is the director of the Professional Writing Minor in Journalism and Publishing. He has many years experience in print and on-line investigative journalism.
 

What is the coordinator's role?
The PW Director's role is to supervise the PW minor and the classes operating within it. He makes decisions about how the program will be constituted and is always willing to answer students questions about the PW minor.
 

If I disagree with a mark on the assignment, what should I do?
First you make an appointment to discuss the mark with your instructor. Then, if you feel the issue is still unresolved, you make an appointment to see the PW Director.
 

What if I disagree with my final course mark?
If you are unsatisfied with your final course mark , you follow the grievance process as set out by the University and outlined in the Calendar.
 

How do I get my grade at mid-term?
Mid-Term grades are usually posted on the professor's office door.
 

I know some students are on a PW list-serve. How can I join the list-serve?
All students are eligible to join the PW listserve once they complete W102. You can either sign up yourself, or let the PW Director know and you will be added to the list.
 

Can I get a 1.5 credit if I decide to leave the class at Christmas?
No, you cannot. W102 is a full-year, that is two-semester course. If you leave at Christmas, you get no credit at all for it.
 

In The Classroom

Is it important to come to every class?
Yes, it most certainly is. Every class, through professor's lectures and students' comments and questions, results in a dialogue. There is often much useful information within such dialogues in class. Furthermore, if you are a professional covering stories, you do not skip a few meetings every so often. You go to them all, and reap information.
 

Why is being late such a big deal?
For two very important reasons: 1. It signals an unprofessional attitude to your task of being a student. 2. It is highly disruptive to both your peers and the professor. The Department of Writing has strict rules on lateness, as do most places of employment.
 

What if I am away for an extended period?
If you have a family crisis or an illness that requires prolongued absence from classes, you must inform your professor. Where possible, please obtain a medical certificate attesting to yur illness and complete an Academic Concession form available through Record Services.
 

I've already booked my return flight home for the Christmas vacation. What happens if the exam is scheduled later than my flight dates?
You have to resign yourself to missing your flight. Records Services schedules exams for all courses having a final exam. Classes with mid-term or final exams are not officially over until the exam period is over so plans should not be made until after that period.
 

Can I make special arrangements for taking exam and handing in assignments if I have a disability?
Indeed you can. If you have a disability, you are able to get a great deal of additional help. Please visit the Resource Centre for Students with a Disability and the counsellors there will assist you.
 

Can I email my assignments as an attachment?
No, most Department of Writing assignments are handed in as hard copy. If there are exceptions to this rule, your professor will inform you. For instance, students with disabilities sometimes need to use e-mail.
 

Can I use a laptop in class?
Professors will inform you of their preferences. The obvious problem is that you may be busy surfing or sending e-mail instead of taking notes on your laptops. If the latter occurs, a professor may have to ban laptop use in a classroom.
 

Why does the instructor deduct marks if I exceed word count or alter the assignment format?
Assignments are set to test certain professional skills. In journalism, following instructions and keeping to an editor's wordcount are two specific skills rewarded by employment and sometimes even increased pay.
 

Moving On

Do I need a certain grade to take 200-level Professional Writing courses?
You must obtain a B+ in Writing 102.
 

What happens if I score below a B+ grade?
You cannot continue in the program although if did successfully complete the course it may be possible to use it as an elective in your Major program. Please consult your Faculty advisor. However, if you wish to remain in the PW minor the only option is to repeat WRIT 102 and achieve the grade of B+. Please note you will not receive an additional 3 units of credit for repeating the W102 course but you will be required to pay full course fees.
 

Do I have to be a writing major to continue in the minor in Writing?
No, in fact, many students with majors in other areas such as History or Political Science or Women's Studies combine their major with a PW Minor.
 

The poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction and drama structure courses are all electives for my PW minor program. Since they have nothing to do with journalism, how do they benefit me?
Each writing course you take will improve your editing skills and your facility with language. They will expose you to different ideas and authors. But if you do not wish to take writing courses as electives, you may take other courses that interest you—such as, in history, anthropology, English or other languages—to augment your general knowledge.
 

Once I graduate from the University where do students find employment with their minor?
Our students are working for the CBC, for daily newspapers, as editors for weekly newspapers, as government speech writers and PR officers. They are working in such cultural organizations as art galleries and museums. Many of them combine writing talent with computer skills and work in business and industry.
 

The Program

What can I do with my minor?
You can combine it with a major in any subject you chose. And you can and will find gainful employment in a variety of jobs. See previous question.
 

What is Co-op?
Co-operative Education programs offer four-month, paid, work-based opportunities to learn new skills related to students' majors. Writing majors can gain experience in journalism, technical writing, book and magazine publishing, and government and business communications.
 

How can I become a co-op student?
Students must be registered as a Humanities, Fine Arts or Professional Writing Minor, and achieve at least a 5.0 GPA based on a full-course load (i.e. six units per term). Applications are accepted in the Co-op office in the first two weeks of September and January each year.
 

Who should I see if I need program advising?
If you need advising in any Faculty of Fine Arts course or your major is in one of the Fine Arts departments, see Anne Heinl in Room 119 of the Fine Arts Building. If your major is in another faculty see the advisors in the Humanities, Science and Social Science Advising Centre, University Centre.
 

How can I begin the program at the 200 level if I've been working in the field for several years and feel that WRIT 102 would be too elementary.
You may submit a portfolio by March 31 of the year you wish to pursue second-year courses. It is best to make an appointment to see the PW Director if you are thinking seeking advanced credit for either work completed or courses taken elsewhere.