University of Toronto

Frequently Asked Questions and General Information

What are the broad goals of the Writing and Rhetoric Program?

1. To introduce students to the disciplines of writing and rhetoric.
2. To teach students that communication shapes and is shaped by social forces.
3. To offer students a powerful educational tool designed to complement specialist and major programs.
4. To enhance student experience through small-class instruction.

 

What are the learning goals of the Writing and Rhetoric Program?

Students learn the following:

1. To write and think critically.
2. To use written discourse to communicate effectively and persuasively.
3. To analyze non-fiction prose.
4. To identify weaknesses in argument.
5. To recognize modes of reasoning.
6. To identify and gather evidence.
7. To develop, organize, and present research-based arguments.
8. To approach writing as a form of design.
9. To develop an array of skills useful in the following:
   • U of T's majors and specialists,
   • the professional workplace, and/or
   • graduate or professional school.
10. To use the persuasive power of rhetoric ethically and in the service of the broader community.

 

What are the entrance requirements for the Writing and Rhetoric Program?

• 4 completed credits (any discipline)

 

What are the program completion requirements?

• Minor (BA): Four full-course equivalents from the list of program course offerings. See the program web site or pamphlet for a complete list of multidisciplinary course offerings: http://www.utoronto.ca/innis/wr/
• Students may choose all 4 full-course equivalents from among INI writing and rhetoric courses.
• Students may instead take at least 2.5 of the 4 credits from among the INI writing and rhetoric courses. (Note: no program student may take fewer than 2.5 INI credits.)
• Students who take 2.5 INI credits will complete the minor by taking 1.5 credits from among the courses in the program course lists A, B, and C (see Entrance/Program Requirements on the program web site). (These lists include INI Writing and Rhetoric courses.) The lists are meant only to organize courses in terms of themes; the lists are not intended to impose restrictions on choice. In other words, students may choose all of their 1.5 credits from list A, or all of the 1.5 from list B or C, or some courses from each group.
• At least one of the four full-course equivalents taken for the minor must be at the 300 or 400 level.

 

What are the course codes for Innis's writing courses?

INI 103H, Writing Essays; INI 104H, Writing Reports; INI 203Y, Foundations of Written Discourse; INI 204Y, The Academic Writing Process; INI 300H, Strategic Writing for Business and the Professions; INI 302H, Business Writing for Commerce Students; INI 301H, Rhetoric and the Print Media; INI 304H, Critical Thinking and Inquiry in Written Communication; INI 305H, Word and Image in Modern Writing; INI 311Y, Seminar in Creative Writing; INI 409H, Editing; INI 410H, Scholarly Editing and Publishing; JEI 206H, Writing English Essays.

 

What are the other U of T courses that count toward the Writing and Rhetoric Program?

See the Writing and Rhetoric web site for that list: http://www.utoronto.ca/innis/wr Are courses that are not on this list acceptable? Often, yes. Email the Writing and Rhetoric Program director for permission to count courses not on the "other courses" list. Be sure to attach a course outline to your email inquiry. Any course counted toward the minor must reflect the themes of the program. All students in the program must, however, complete at least 2.5 INI Writing and Rhetoric courses. No exceptions.

 

Can I count transfer credit from another university toward the 4 completed credits required to enter the program?

Yes, often transfer credit is accepted toward program admission requirements. Any student wishing to use transfer credit must speak to the Writing and Rhetoric Program administrative assistant, Tony Pi.

Please note:

• Students who receive transfer credit may use not more than one H credit toward Writing and Rhetoric program requirements. Only transfer credit coded INI or JEI may be used to replace one H credit toward the 2.5 INI course credits requirement.

 

How do I enrol in the Writing and Rhetoric Program?

Enrol through ROSI starting in early April of each year. The deadline for enrolling in a type 1 program is late September. Only students who enrol early will have priority in some INI courses during the course registration period.

 

What are the academic backgrounds of program students?

Students come from across the disciplines: commerce, computer science, economics, English, life sciences, philosophy, political science, psychology, etc. Note: Most students who enter the Writing and Rhetoric Program have high CGPAs.

 

How can students use this minor?

• Combine it with a major/specialist in another discipline to demonstrate communication skills.
• Pursue postsecondary degrees in rhetoric, professional writing, law, medicine, communications, management, creative writing, journalism, and media studies, to name several possibilities.
• Use the theory and skills learned in the program in the professional workplace.

 

Do Writing and Rhetoric Program students have priority enrolment in INI writing courses?

Yes, but in a selection of the following courses only: INI 203Y, 204Y, 300H, 301H, 304H, 305H, and JEI 206H. The selection changes slightly from year to year. Only students who enrol in the first program enrolment period will have priority during the course registration period. Note that English literature and Writing and Rhetoric Program students have priority in JEI 206H, Writing English Essays.

 

May I enrol in Innis College Writing and Rhetoric courses if I am not a program student?

Yes, you may, if you have the course prerequisites. Innis's courses fill very quickly. A "P" indicator is on several (but not all) INI Writing and Rhetoric courses. This "P" indicator reserves some of our courses for program students. The "P" falls away in early August of each year. At that point, any student who has the prerequisites may enrol in the courses.

 

Do you keep waiting lists for INI writing courses?

Yes, ROSI will maintain waiting lists.

 

What are the prerequisites for Writing and Rhetoric courses?

With a few exceptions, they are the same as the prerequisites for the program:

• 4 completed credits (any discipline)

Note: INI 409H and 410H are balloted courses. INI 103H & 104H have no prerequisites.

 

What happens if I manage to enrol in INI Writing and Rhetoric courses without the prerequisites?

Several prerequisite checks are conducted by Arts & Science. Students are removed from courses for which they do not have the prerequisites.

 

If my writing skills are very weak, should I take Writing and Rhetoric courses?

INI courses are non-remedial. These courses teach writing and rhetoric as disciplines or academic fields. Students in the program generally have quite good writing skills before they enrol. The course assignments are demanding, and marks are deducted for compositional errors in all courses.

 

Does the Writing and Rhetoric Program offer scholarships?

The Writing and Rhetoric Program offers several awards to Innis College students: the Mark Weisdorf and Lorraine Diane Bell Scholarship, Principal's Award for Admission to College Programs, the Geoffrey Payzant Memorial Award for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Study, and the David King Memorial Scholarship. Most of these awards are offered on a rotating basis with other Innis College programs.