Writing at Wheaton
Writing at Wheaton
Are you interested in getting involved with the writing community at Wheaton College? There are many opportunities to enter contests, submit to publications, and further your writing through related jobs on campus. The Writing Center encourages students of all levels and majors to explore these unique venues in order to learn and grow in their writing.
Courses
Students are required to take First-Year Writing to fulfill the WRIT requirement for Christ at the Core. Wheaton offers two First-Year Writing course options:
Option 1: ENGW103: First Year Writing (one semester, 4 hours)
Option 2: ENGW105: First-Year Writing (fall linear quad, 2 hours) +
ENGW106: First-Year Writing (spring linear quad, 2 hours)
What's the difference between ENGW103 and ENGW105 + ENGW106?
ENGW103 is a semester-long First-Year Writing course. ENGW105 + ENGW106 is a "stretch" model of First-Year Writing: together, ENGW105 + ENGW106 have the same content and learning outcomes as ENGW103, but the content is "stretched" out over a full academic year. Students take ENGW105 (2 hours) in the fall semester as a linear quad (meeting once per week) and ENGW106 in the spring semester (2 hours) as a linear quad (meeting once per week).
Which course is best for me?
Students can choose to enroll in either ENGW103 or ENGW105 + ENGW106. Students who enroll in ENGW105 + ENGW106 will work with the same professor and cohort of students over the entire academic year. The "stretch" model is well-suited to students who want more time to complete assigned readings and writing assignments, as well as for students who would benefit from year-long mentorship and community.
Students should complete this Directed Self-Placement survey to determine which course is the best fit for their learning needs.
What is Directed Self-Placement?
Directed Self-Placement is a survey designed to help you select the best First-Year Writing course for your learning needs. The survey is not an exam or test; it is a low-stakes questionnaire that will help you make an informed decision about your enrollment.
- Step One: Complete the Directed Self-Placement survey here. It takes about 10-15 minutes.
- Step Two: Review your answers.
- Step Three: Review the First-Year Writing course descriptions.
- Step Four: Enroll in the First-Year Writing course that is best for you!
First-Year Writing Course Descriptions
ENGW103: First-Year Writing (4 hours)
This one-semester course equips students to grow as writers in the Wheaton College classroom and beyond. The course is designed to prepare students to write effectively in a variety of social contexts and to improve student learning and performance in many other facets of their undergraduate education.
ENGW105: First-Year Writing (2 hours)
This course meets as a linear quad (once per week) in the fall semester. Students must complete ENGW105 (fall semester) and ENGW106 (spring semester) in order to fulfill the WRIT requirement for Christ at the Core. Together, ENGW105 and ENGW106 cover the same course content and learning outcomes as ENGW103. Students should take ENGW105 and ENGW106 in successive semesters unless permission is granted by the English department chair. ENGW105 is a prerequisite for ENGW106. Recommended for first-year students.
ENGW106: First-Year Writing (2 hours)
This course meets as a linear quad (once per week) in the spring semester. Students must complete ENGW105 (fall semester) and ENGW106 (spring semester) in order to fulfill the WRIT requirement for Christ at the Core. Together, ENGW105 and ENGW106 cover the same course content and learning outcomes as ENGW103. Students should take ENGW105 and ENGW106 in successive semesters unless permission is granted by the English department chair. ENGW105 is a prerequisite for ENGW106. Recommended for first-year students.
Publications
Kodon is Wheaton College's literary magazine. Published biannually, it features the fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art of students across campus.
The Pub is an independent, undergraduate academic journal published out of Wheaton College. Founded in 2006, the Pub is a forum for open and critical discussion outside of an academic setting.
The Wheaton Record is the official student-run newspaper of Wheaton College. Established in 1890, The Record publishes a print edition every week that is written, edited, photographed, designed and illustrated entirely by students.
Sub-Creation is an online literary journal devoted to promoting genre fiction. Once a semester, it publishes art, essays, and stories authored by the Wheaton College community. The journal's name is from J.R.R. Tolkien's famous essay "On Fairy-Stories."
Wheaton Writing: a journal of academic essays, available through Wheaton College library, features the winning essays from the Jameson First-Year Writing Contest and the Jameson Critical Essay Contest. This publication is accessible to all Wheaton College students and faculty, showcasing outstanding student writing to our campus community.
Contests
The Lowell-Grabil Creative Writing Contest celebrates and promotes creative writing at Wheaton College.
Students may submit poetry, creative nonfiction, and fiction. A first place, second place, and third place prize are awarded annually for each genre.
The Ivan J. Fahs Memorial Paper competition is an annual paper competition open to undergraduates using sociological or anthropological perspectives, methods, and theories. Dr. Fahs, in his 21 years here at Wheaton, mentored students to submit 54 prize-winning papers in competitions sponsored by professional societies in Sociology & Anthropology. In memory of his legacy of scholarship, each year the department extends prize awards to three students each in Sociology and Anthropology.
For more information, contact the Anthropology, Sociology, and Urban Studies Department at sociology.anthropology@wheaton.edu.
This essay contest recognizes outstanding research papers written from a distinctly Christian perspective by Wheaton College undergraduates in any discipline. Award winners receive substantial prizes: $1,000 for first place, $500 for second place, and $250 for third place. Award winners are published in Wheaton Writing: a journal of academic essays, which is accessible through Wheaton College library.
This essay contest recognizes outstanding essays written by students in First-Year Writing. Awards are granted in the fall and spring semesters. Award winners are announced at the First-Year Writing Student Conference (fall and spring) and receive cash prizes. Award winners are published in Wheaton Writing: a journal of academic essays, which is accessible through Wheaton College library.
Campus Jobs
For information on applying to Wheaton's literary magazine, email kodon@my.wheaton.edu.
For information on applying to The Pub, email wheatonpub@gmail.com.
To apply at the Wheaton Record, email Charles Hermesmann at charles.hermesmann@my.wheaton.edu and copy maddie.cash@my.wheaton.edu and eliana.chow@my.wheaton.edu.
Apply to be a consultant by downloading the application (see the box up and to your left on this page) and emailing it to Alison Gibson at alison.gibson@wheaton.edu.
Writing Fellows are course-embedded teaching assistants who work with faculty members to enhance writing and research instruction in the Advanced Integrative Seminar. Strong writers trained in the teaching of writing, Writing Fellows typically facilitate group workshops, hold individual peer tutoring sessions, host Write Nights, give mini-lectures on writing-related topics, and provide non-evaluative feedback on drafts of student work.
Faculty application: To apply for a Writing Fellow in your AIS course, complete this brief questionnaire.
Student application: To apply to be a Writing Fellow, email Dr. Beitler at jim.beitler@wheaton.edu. In 250-300 words, state your qualifications for the job, express your interest in the position, and identify a faculty reference.
Find other jobs for writers on Handshake through the Center for Vocation and Career.
Ellie Shackelford '20
Writing Consultant and Writing Fellow
"In my experience as a Writing Fellow and Consultant, I was challenged to bring a charitable disposition and a critical eye to the projects of my fellow students. In doing so, I became a more confident writer, reader, and editor in the classroom and in extracurricular activities and off-campus jobs. I'm grateful for the opportunity to help my peers grow and to grow myself!"
First-Year Writing Conference Showcases Student Writing
At each biannual First-Year Writing Conference, over 100 students present research papers, and over 50 students also serve as panel respondents. The conference culminates with the awards ceremony for the Jameson Critical Essay Contest and the Jameson First-Year Writing Contest.