Re: Professional Writing as a Humanities Course

[David Coogan <coogan@charlie.cns.iit.edu>]

Gillian,

We have the same problem at IIT. The only way we get around it is to not
call the course a writing course, as in our course "Rhetoric of
Technology."  I believe this counts for Humanities/gen ed credit, even tho
it is considered part of the tech writing program.

Strange.

We do the same with creative writing. It's that word "writing" that is the
problem, not the content of the course, at least the way administrators
think of it!

Dave Coogan

>Hi,
>
>This is not really a Writing Center question, but I hope that you might be
>able to tell me how your English Departments handle this issue:
>
>Our Institution, which offers Associate Degrees in Liberal Studies and
>Career Programs, has been affiliated with another institution. As part of
>the process, we are trying to coordinate our courses and determine which
>will meet Core Curriculum requirements. Here is our problem.
>
>In the past, students could use our professional writing course, housed in
>our English Department, to meet one of their five humanities requirements.
>Our affiliate argues that professional writing is not a humanities course
>(they do not count any writing course as a humanities).
>
>I am trying to get a sense of how many institutions recognize professional
>writing as a humanities course, and the rationale for that position. Our
>meeting is one Thursday, so I would appreciate a quick response. Thanks.
>
>Gillian
>Gillian Jordan
>University College
>Bangor, Maine