Draft WR 121 Webpage/AHelle 2-23
WR 121 in the English Department at OSU
WR 121 English Composition is required for graduating from OSU. This course provides an
essential introduction to academic writing, critical thinking, and information literacy. It meets the
Writing I requirement of the Baccalaureate Core and is a prerequisite for many courses.
The WR 121 requirement can be met by:
• WR 121 at OSU;
• WR 121 at another college or university in the Oregon University System or through
Oregon’s College Now program;
• an equivalent approved first year composition course at another college or university;
• a score of 3 or better on the AP Language & Literature or Language & Composition exam
• the WR 121 waiver exam at OSU (see below).
REGISTERING FOR WR 121
Typically WR 121 is taken in a student’s first year, with registration by alphabetical sections based
on the student’s last name: A-H, fall term; I-M, winter term; N-Z spring term.
Please note:
• sections are capped at 25 students, no exceptions;
• spaces frequently open up during the first week of a term, so students should keep trying to
register on the web;
• students may not attend a section for which they are not registered;
• waiting lists are not maintained for closed sections.
Alpha Override
Students attempting to register out of alphabetical sequence can obtain an “alpha override” as
follows:
• on the first day of the term, locate on the web registration page a section of WR 121 that is
still open;
• bring the section number/CRN to the English department office, Moreland 238, and request
the override, which will only be good for that particular section;
• receive an Alpha Override approval form from the English department;
• go online and register for that section.
Second Week Add
In week two, students may try to register for sections that have space.
• Obtain a lavender “English Department 2nd Week Add” form from the English department
office, Moreland 238.
• Go online and locate a section that is still open; ask permission from the instructor to add.
• Get the signature of the instructor as well as the composition coordinator, Sara Jameson,
[email protected] (Moreland 360).
• Deliver form with both signatures back to the English department office for Department
approval.
• Go online and register for that section.
WR 121 Waiver Exam (in effect beginning April 2, 2007)
According to OSU’s Academic Regulations for “Special Examination for Credit” (AR 23), students
may request an examination to replace OSU’s required course in WR 121. The exam is for waiver
only, not for a grade or credits.
For more details, see http://catalog.oregonstate.edu/ChapterDetail.aspx?key=75 and check AR 23
and AR 24. While open to all students, this exam is intended for strongly proficient writers who have
already mastered academic writing skills. The exam may not be taken in a term when a student is
currently registered for WR 121.
The WR 121 waiver exam has two parts: an on-demand written essay and a sample of college
writing. This is a rigorous exam that assumes college level writing at an A or B level. The exam is
graded holistically by a team of instructors based on whether it appears that the student could benefit
from taking WR 121. Students who pass the waiver exam are considered to have met the Writing I
requirement of Baccalaureate Core and are permitted to register for classes for which WR 121 is a
prerequisite.
Part 1: The on-demand written essay is a composition written within an hour’s time in response to
a reading provided and a question prompt. Students should be able to critically read and interpret a
text and generate a sophisticated academic argument from that text, incorporating and documenting
material correctly. (Note: Students registered with OSU’s Services to Students with Disabilities may
arrange for a longer exam time and use of a computer, using a software program without grammar or
spell check).
Part 2: The writing sample consists of a photocopy of one polished college paper with a
minimum of 8-10 pages plus works cited to demonstrate that the student has met the outcomes for
WR 121 in terms of critical thinking, information literacy (locating, evaluating sources, integrating
and documenting material), and crafting a skilled academic argument.
This sample must be a photocopy of the original graded paper with the instructor’s handwritten
grade of A or B clearly posted on the paper. Students must indicate the name of the course,
instructor’s name, name of the institution, and date, and must sign attesting that the work is entirely
their own.
WR 121 Waiver Exam Procedure
1. Please begin the process by obtaining a form called “Petition for Appeal as Required by Academic
Regulations” from the OSU’s Registrar’s Office and fill out. Note: The fee is $80, charged to the
student’s account.
Questions? Call Tom Watts, Assistant Registrar, at 541-737-9054
[email protected]
2. Please obtain 3 signatures required on the form:
(1) from an advisor in the student’s college
(2) from the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts; contact CLA Student Services Office;
737-0561, Gilkey 213.
(3) from the chair of the English Department, Tracy Daugherty,
[email protected].
3. Deliver the original of the signed form to the Office of the Registrar in the Kerr Administration
Building.
4. Deliver a photocopy of the signed form to the Composition Coordinator, Sara Jameson, Moreland
360, along with the writing sample described above.
5. E-mail Composition Coordinator Sara Jameson at [email protected] to schedule the
exam. The Composition Coordinator will assign an exam date/time/place. Waiver exams are
typically scheduled for once a month. Signed forms must be received a minimum of a week in
advance of the exam date.
6. Bring an 8x10 Blue Book and a pen or pencil. A dictionary and MLA manual will be provided.
7. The exam takes about one week to grade. Grades are delivered to the Registrar’s Office for
posting on students’ online transcript. The Registrar’s posting is your notification.
→Questions and Answers about meeting Writing 121 prerequisites for advanced
courses:
Q: Which advanced writing courses require WR 121 as a prerequisite?
Courses that meet WR 121 prerequisites generally fall into two categories: WR 121 transfer credit equivalents
and equivalents assigned through pre-college credits (courses or AP exams).
Writing 121 or its equivalent is a prerequisite for the following writing courses:
WR 222 English Composition
WR 323 English Composition
WR 214 Business Writing
WR 327 Scientific and Technical Writing
WR 416 Advanced Composition
Q: How do I learn whether a writing course I have taken at another university is the equivalent of WR
121 at OSU?
The Advanced Standing Report will reflect transfer credit at another institution. If you have taken a writing
course at another institution, the Advanced Standing Report will state that:
A writing course taken at another institution is the equivalent of a WR 121 credit;
OR
A writing course taken at another institution is the equivalent of a “lower-division transfer” credit
(“LDT” on the Advanced Standing Report). Lower-division credits count toward fulfillment of Bacc Core
requirements, but they are not the equivalent of WR 121.
If you are in doubt about whether a writing course taken at another institution qualifies for a WR 121
prerequisite, please contact the advisor in your home college or in University Exploratory Studies. You may
also identify whether a course taken at another university counts for a transfer credit by using the online
“Single Course Search” tool for Prospective Students (click on “Future Students”/transfer/transfer
credit/single course search/begin session, and look for the equivalent of the course number taken at another
university.)
Q: How do Advanced Placement Exams and International Baccalaureate scores count toward a WR
121 equivalent?
The following credit is granted to students entering OSU during the academic year who have submitted scores
from the College Board Advanced Placement Examinations Program:
AP English-Lit & Comp
Score of 3 = 3 credits = WR 121
Score of 4 or 5 = 6 credits = WR 121 + Eng 104
AP English-Lang & Comp
Score of 3 = 3 credits = WR 121
Score of 4 or 5 = 6 credits = WR 121 + WR 199
International Baccalaureate
Language A: English = WR 115/121 + ENG 104
Pre-College courses: College Now