Institute for Writing and Rhetoric

Director: James E. Dobson

Professors: J. A. Compton; Associate Professors: D. K. Drummond; Senior Lecturers: J. P. Binkoski, S. B. Chaney, W. M. Craig, S. Grushina, C. S. Lewis, D. J. Moody, B. O'Connor, R. W. Obbard, S. B. Smith, A. C. Taylor, A.C. Wetsel, R. Young; Lecturers: F. M. A'Ness, J. W. Barger, E. G. Carabatsos, R. B. Clark, P. D. Deutsch, C. Drain, M. Y. Godley, J. A. Godley, C. Lannon, E. B. Rockmore, K. F. Riley, E. C. Tremmel, L. York.

The Institute for Writing and Rhetoric is home to Dartmouth's Writing Program, which provides and oversees the first-year writing courses (WRIT 2 - WRIT 3, WRIT 5, and the First-Year Seminars). Speech at Dartmouth offers courses under the SPEE subject code. The Institute for Writing and Rhetoric also includes peer-tutorial programs that support students in their writing and research activities.

To view Speech courses, click here. 

To view Writing courses, click here. 

First-Year Writing and First-Year Seminar Requirements

All first-year students are required to fulfill Dartmouth’s First-Year Writing and First-Year Seminar requirements. Through these writing courses, the College offers entering students a valuable opportunity to develop the thinking and writing abilities that characterize intellectual work in the academy and in educated public discourse.

First-Year Writing Requirement

The First-Year Writing requirement at Dartmouth is satisfied by taking WRIT 5, WRIT 2-3, or Humanities 1 (HUM 1).

The WRIT 5, WRIT 2-3, and HUM 1 courses do not serve in partial satisfaction of the General Education Requirements (Distributive or World Culture Requirements). WRIT 2-3 is a two-term, two-credit course offered in fall and winter taken in place of WRIT 5. Students must successfully complete both terms of WRIT 2-3 to fulfill the First-Year Writing requirement.

First-Year Seminar Requirement

The First-Year Seminar requirement is satisfied by taking a First-Year Seminar or Humanities 2 (HUM 2).

First-Year Seminars do not satisfy General Education requirements (Distributive or World Culture Requirements). First-Year Seminars are open only to first-year students. First-year students are permitted to enroll in a second seminar within the limit of sixteen students per course after all students who have not yet met the requirement have had a chance to elect a seminar.

Students should keep in mind three scheduling guidelines regarding First-Year Seminars:

1) Successful completion of WRIT 5 (or an equivalent) is a prerequisite for enrollment in a First-Year Seminar (or HUM 2).
2) The First-Year Seminar (or Humanities 2) must be taken during the first year, in the term immediately following completion of WRIT 5 (or its approved equivalents).
3) A student is not eligible to take part in an off-campus program until the First-Year Seminar (or HUM 2) is completed.

Individual section descriptions for WRIT 5 and course descriptions for First-Year Seminars are posted prior to registration for a given term. Links to these descriptions can be found on the Registrar's website at the bottom of this page: http://www.dartmouth.edu/reg/registration/

For more information about the first-year writing and first-year seminar requirements and placement and enrollment policies for WRIT 2-3, WRIT 5, and First-Year Seminar, visit: http://writing-speech.dartmouth.edu/curriculum/placement-and-enrollment-policies