Writing Policy
College Writing Competency
The writing competency requirement is meant to insure that students have the skills necessary for the written assignments in college courses. Adequate competency, which must be demonstrated by the end of the sophomore yea r, is defined as skills at the level required to earn a C in ENW 2985: College Writing. The majority of students take the College Writing course in order to attain this competency. Students may however apply for exemption from ENW 2085 by submitting at le ast three papers for review to the Writing Program before the end of their sophomore year. At least two of these papers should demonstrate bibliographic research, and it is preferred that at least one of them has been written at Manhattanville. The writin g of all incoming students is evaluated at levels corresponding to the courses ENW 1065, 1066 or 2085. Those freshmen who place at the 1065 or 1066 levels will be automatically registered for these courses, and continue in the writing sequence until they earn a C or better in College Writing. Those who place at 2085 are encouraged, though not required, to take this course in their first semester; they must however have taken it by the end of their Sophomore year, or have successfully applied for exemption.
Students entering the College with a year or more of transfer credit are expected to demonstrate the competency by the end of their second semester at Manhattanville. Failure to satisfy the writing competency on time can result in an academic dismissal from the College. Library Skills Students must take a one-credit Library and Information Sciences course. This is usually done in conjunction with ENW 2085. Students who achieve above a set score on the standardized bibliographic skills test administered in the first class of the course may be exempted from this requirement and are allowed to withdraw from the course.