Institute for Writing and Rhetoric

Director: James E. Dobson

Professors J. A. Compton; Associate Professors D. K. Drummond; Senior Lecturers J. P. Binkoski, A. E. Bumpus, S. B. Chaney, W. M. Craig, S. Grushina, C. S. Lewis, D. J. Moody, R. W. Obbard, S. B. Smith, A. C. Taylor, Lecturers F. M. A'Ness, E. G. Carabatsos, S. K. Carter, R. B. Clark, P. D. Deutsch, C. Drain, M. Y. Godley, J. A. Godley, A. Kremer, C. Lannon, E. B. Rockmore, E. C. Tremmel.

The Institute for Writing and Rhetoric courses include the first-year writing courses (WRIT 2 - WRIT 3, WRIT 5, and the First-Year Seminars) and courses in Speech. 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 the first-year 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 Writing 5, Writing 2-3, or Humanities 1 (HUM 1).

The Writing 5, Writing 2-3, and Humanities 1 courses do not serve in partial satisfaction of the General Education Requirements (Distributive or World Culture Requirements). Writing 2-3 is a two-term, two-credit course offered in fall and winter taken in place of Writing 5. Students must successfully complete both terms of Writing 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 Writing 5 (or an equivalent) is a prerequisite for enrollment in a First-Year Seminar (or Humanities 2).
2) The First-Year Seminar (or Humanities 2) must be taken during the first year, in the term immediately following completion of Writing 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 Humanities 2) is completed.

Individual section descriptions for Writing 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 Writing 2-3, Writing 5, and First-year Seminar, visit: http://writing-speech.dartmouth.edu/curriculum/placement-and-enrollment-policies

Speech

Speech courses are open to all students, across majors and class years, and do not have prerequisites. Speech courses offer students the opportunity to engage in advanced study and practice of communication/rhetoric, with special emphasis on spoken/oral communication, including dialogue, across contexts (e.g., health, law), issues, and epistemologies.