What are WI and SI classes?
WI (writing-intensive) and SI (speaking-intensive) classes are part of a larger learning initiative at UNCG called Communication Across the Curriculum (CAC). CAC is an effort to help you and your peers learn to use writing and speaking effectively in and out of your classes.
WI and SI courses are designed to help you develop your ability to write and speak about complex academic topics. These classes use writing and speaking assignments and activities to help you both learn the subject matter and begin to master the characteristic ways of writing and speaking in that discipline.
Unlike typical courses, where you read, listen to lectures, do some discussion, and then take an exam or write a paper, WI classes ask you to write as you read, write back to the lecture, write before and after discussions, and write as you figure out your work in the class. SI classes use speaking in the same way.
The goal is not just to have you write and speak for the sake of it (believe it or not, your professors hate busy work as much as you do). The goal is to use writing and speaking to help you master the course materials and topics and to introduce you to the different ways of writing and speaking in the academy.
