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

The ability to think critically and 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 help you develop your writing skills, more and more the university provides a number of resourses.

Courses

Departments and programs 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 prose.

• ENG 100H1 (Effective Writing) and ENG 269Y1 (Writing: Purposes, Strategies, Processes) are listed under “English” in this calendar.
• INI 203Y1 (Clear Discourse, INI 204Y1 (The Academic Writing Process), INI 300Y1 (Strategic Writing) and INI 301Y1 (Contemporary Issues and Written Discourse) are listed under “Innis College.”
• TRN 190Y1 (Critical Reading and Critical Writing) is listed under “Trinity College”
• University of Toronto at Mississauga (UTM) has a program in Professional Writing that includes these courses:
  • WRI 203H (Expressive Writing), WRI 303H (Specialized Prose), WRI 305H1 (Professional Writing and Computer Communications), WRI 307H1 (Science and Writing), and WRI 390H1 and WRI 391H1 (Independent Studies). See the UTM Calendar or call 905-828-3900 for more information.
• Another course is offered free of charge for upper-year science students to provide practice and instruction in specialized writing skills. WRT300H1(Writing for Scientists) does not count for credit, but students who complete it get a note on their transcripts. For further information about timing, eligibility, and registration, consult the webpage at www.utoronto.ca/writing/wrt300.html
  

English as a Second Language

If English is not your first language, you may wish for some specialized training. Woodsworth College offers a
free non-credit course, WRT205H1 (Writing for ESL Students) to any undergraduate student in Arts and Science. It is listed under "Woodsworth College" in the Arts and Science Timetable. The School of Continuing Studies at U of T offers other non-credit courses for a fee. See http://www.learn.utoronto.ca or call 416-978-2494 for information. Remember also that tutors in the college Writing Centres (below) can 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 instruction. 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:

• U of T at Mississauga Academic Skills Centre, South Building, Room 2115B, 905-828-3858
  
• French Department Writing Labs: ask your professor or inquire at 416-926-2302
• Innis College Writing Centre, Room 322, 416-978-2513
• New College Writing Centre, Wilson Hall, Room 2047, 416-978-5l57
• Philosophy Department Writing Clinic, 2l5 Huron Street, 9th Floor, 416-978-3314
• St. Michael's College Writing Centre, Kelly Library, Rooms 229 and 230, 416-926-1300, press 1, ext. 3456
• Trinity College Writing Advisory, Larkin Building, Room 214, 416-978-3530
• University College Writing Workshop, Laidlaw Library, Room 214, 416-978-8090
• Victoria College Writing Workshop, various locations, 416-585-4478
• Woodsworth College Writing Lab, Room 223, 416-978-2411

Self-help Material

A number of campus libraries stock books about writing. Besides general handbooks on style and format, you will 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