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CompSpot (writing-program blog)

Why write? Because it's required? Yes, in a sense; but writing is also the primary channel through which professional people communicate, especially when they don't see each other every day. You will need to be able to write good papers in the classes you take here at Ole Miss, obviously; but you will also need to be able to write effectively in any professional job you land after graduation. In fact, one of the most important differences between professional and nonprofessional jobs is that in professional jobs you have to write--and the better you write, typically, the more successful you are.

Some people, forced in high school to write five-paragraph essays on topics that don't particularly interest them, say they hate to write; ironically, those same people text, facebook, or IM their friends all the time. Writing is more than five-paragraph essays! In University of Mississippi writing classes, we draw on lots of popular writing genres, like personal and job-application letters, parables and fables, blogs, profiles, travel guides, cookbooks, and gardening books, to help students find writing tasks that they truly enjoy--before helping them find ways to enjoy more academic writing tasks as well.

The first-year writing program at the University of Mississippi consists of three courses: ENGL 101, ENGL 102, and LIBA 102. Most first-year students are required to take two of these, ENGL 101 and either ENGL 102 or LIBA 102. At present LIBA 102 can be taken in the fall semester and ENGL 101 in the spring, or ENGL 101 can be taken in the fall and either ENGL 102 or LIBA 102 can be left for the spring.

It is possible for students to earn AP or CLEP credit for ENGL 101 and/or ENGL/LIBA 102, or to transfer credit for them from other institutions.

In addition, ENGL 250 (Applied Writing) is an advanced writing course designed for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Some majors (especially in the business and education schools) require ENGL 250.

First-year students in the Honors College take HON 101-102.

ENGL 101, ENGL 102, and ENGL 250 are taught primarily by English faculty and grad students (those who have taken at least 18 hours of graduate coursework and have taken a class on how to teach writing). LIBA 102 is taught by faculty in virtually every department on (and off) campus.

University of Mississippi Writing Center