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Writing At University (Note: For courses in creative writing, see entries under “English” (ENG), “Innis College” (INI) and “Victoria” (VIC) in this calendar)

The ability to write well-organized, clear, grammatical prose is important to your work in many courses and will improve your chances if you apply to graduate or professional schools. It will also give you an advantage in the workplace. To develop your writing skills, you can take advantage of a number of resources at the university.

Courses.
Many departments integrate instruction on writing into their courses, and some offer courses that concentrate on communication in their disciplines. Check the course listings by department. In any course, your instructors will provide guidelines for course assignments, and you may ask them to discuss written work that has been graded and returned to you.
In addition, the university offers a number of courses in writing expository prose.
ENG 100H (Effective Writing) and ENG 269Y (Writing: Purposes, Strategies, Processes) are listed under “English” in this calendar.
INI 203Y (Clear Discourse) and INI 204Y (The Academic Writing Process), INI 300Y (Strategic Writing) and INI 301Y (Rhetoric and Media) are listed under “Ennis College.”
SMC 100H (Liberal Arts and the Arts of Language) is listed under “St. Michael's College.”
TRN 190Y (Critical Reading and Critical Writing) is listed under “Trinity College”
University of Toronto at Mississauga (Erindale College) has a program in Professional Writing offering these courses:
WRI 203H (Expressive Writing), WRI 205H (Organization Communication), WRI 303H (Specialized Prose), WRI 305H (Professional Writing and Computer Communications), WRI 307H (Science and Writing), WRI 310H (Social and Professional Languages), WRI 315H (Research Perspectives in Professional Writing), and WRI 390H and WRI 391H (Independent Studies). See the Erindale College calendar at www.erin.utoronto.ca/academic/calendar or call 905: 828-3900 for more information.
A few courses are also offered free of charge for upper-year students to provide practice and instruction in specialized writing skills. They do not count for credit, but students who complete them get notes on their transcripts. For further information about timing, eligibility, and registration, ask at your college registrar and look at the Timetable. Next year, these courses are planned: WRT 300H (Writing for Scientists); WRT 302H (Writing in the Workplace); WRT 304H (Writing in the Social Sciences).

English as a Second Language:
If English is not your first language, you may wish for some specialized training. INI 202Y (The Canadian Experience) is a course about Canada for non-native speakers; see “Innis College” in this calendar. The School of Continuing Studies at U. of T. offers non-credit courses on academic writing for students learning English as a second language. Courses start at various times throughout the year. Some are offered as distance learning. See www.continuallyuoft.ca/esl/index.asp or call 978-2494 for information. Tutors in the college Writing Centres (below) can also help you improve your English skills by focussing on the writing done in any of your courses.

Writing Centres:

The Writing Centres provided free of charge at undergraduate colleges will help you develop the writing skills needed throughout your university studies. They offer both individual counselling and group workshop sessions, and some sponsor non-credit courses on writing. In the individual consultations, trained writing instructors will help you improve your ability to plan, write, and revise, using your assignments from any subject as examples. You are entitled to use the writing centre of the college where you are registered or living in residence, or the department where you are taking a course. Here is a list of facilities, including numbers to call for appointments and further information:
Erindale Academic Skills Centre, South Building, Room 2115B, 905: 828-3858

French Department Writing Labs: ask your professor or inquire at 926-2302
Innis College Writing Centre, Room 322, 978-2513
New College Writing Lab, Wilson Hall, Room 2047, 978-5l57
Philosophy Department Writing Clinic, 2l5 Huron Street, 9th Floor, 978-3314
St. Michael's College Writing Centre, Kelly Library, Room 230, 926-1300, ext. 3471
Trinity College Writing Advisory, Larkin Building, Room 214, 978-3530
University College Writing Workshop, Laidlaw Library, Room 214, 978-8090
Victoria College Writing Workshop, Old Vic, Room 208, 585-4478
Woodsworth College Writing Lab, Room 233, 978-2411
Self-help Material:

A number of campus libraries stock books about writing. Besides general handbooks on style and format, you will also find discussions of the ways to write for specific disciplines. You can also consult the Web site “Writing at the University of Toronto” at www.utoronto.ca/writing. It offers over 60 specialized files giving advice on university writing, along with links to other useful online resources, and it gives current information on writing instruction at U. of T.

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