Registration

The Composition Program follows the drop/withdrawal schedule set by the Registrar’s Office. WR courses also feature waitlists, which usually close at 9 a.m. on the Wednesday of week 1 of the term. Students may add writing classes up until the end of the Monday of week two via Duckweb. Students seeking to add Tuesday of week 2 through the end of that week may petition the UO Registrar to do so. Such petitions require approval from both the instructor and the Composition Program director (email: uocompositiondirectors@uoregon.edu).

Prerequisites

For 121z: There are no prerequisites for enrollment in a WR 121z course. English language learners may, but are not required to, enroll in AEIS courses prior to registering for WR 121z.

For 122z/123: Successful completion of WR 121z or an equivalent officially approved by UO is required for enrollment in WR 122z or 123. Students who enroll in a course for which they have not met the prerequisites will be notified and dropped by the English Department. Academic advisors can assist students if they have questions about placement in WR 122z or 123.

Students have the option of waiving the 121z or 122z requirement if they can demonstrate proficiency in meeting the course learning outcomes by completing a timed, written exam. The no-credit waiver exam is offered during Week 1 of Fall, Winter, and Spring terms at the UO Testing Center, with results becoming available by the end of Week 6. Students should test to waive their writing requirement one term in advance of enrollment in a writing course. The WR 122z waiver exam is available only to students who have completed or tested out of WR 121z. Students may not attempt both the WR 121z and WR 122z exam during the same quarter.

There is no waiver exam for WR 123.

See the UO Testing Center website for further details and scheduling.

Please direct any other questions to the director of the Composition Program.

Placement

Standardized test scores determine placement in the writing courses. Transfer students who have completed writing courses elsewhere should consult the Office of Admissions and Registrar for information about equivalency. In some cases, transfer courses are evaluated by the Director of Composition.

Students for whom English is the native language are placed into their first term of writing based on SAT or ACT scores:

Students for whom English is not a native language can consult The American English Institute (AEI) for more detailed information about placement in writing courses. AEI places students in oral skills, reading, and writing courses according to Accuplacer placement tests administered by the UO Testing Center during registration.  AEI offers courses in oral skills (AEIS 101 and 102), reading (AEIS 107) and writing (AEIS 110, 111 and 112) to prepare students for academic writing at the university level. We strongly recommend that students complete the AEIS courses before taking WR 121 because they introduce students to important conventions about American academic writing. Developing these skills in AEIS courses will prepare students to be more successful in Composition Program courses.

Exemptions

The following categories qualify students to be exempt from the University of Oregon writing requirement:

SAT and ACT:

Scores 710 or above on the SAT Critical Reading, 37 or above on the EBRW Reading and Writing, and 32 or above on the ACT English will be awarded an exemption from WR 121z. No credit hours are awarded for this exemption

Advanced Placement:

Scores of 3, 4, or 5 on the English Language and Composition test generate credit for WR 121z.

International Baccalaureate:

A score of 5 on the Standard Level Exam English A generates credit for WR 121z.
A score of 5 on the Higher Level Exam English A generates credit for WR 121z and 122z.

Petitions

Upon admission to the University of Oregon, all students are advised to complete the writing requirement early in their studies. The requirement consists of WR 121z and either WR 122z or WR123.

Students with transfer credit or prior college composition courses can petition for credit for part or all of the writing requirement. Publications in academic journals or professional texts may also be considered as part of the basis for adjustments to the writing requirement.

Please note that petitions are designed to assist with students’ long-term planning and should be filed as early as possible in students’ degree programs. Petition results are available 4-6 weeks after the petition is received. Petitions received in week 5 or later of Spring term or during Summer sessions will be reviewed the following Fall.

To file a petition, complete the following form: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/f4b3bb9b96fb46c5b39546ecb440b779

Read the form carefully, submit it along with the required documentation, and then send a confirmation email indicating that you have done so to engl@uoregon.edu with “Composition Requirement Petition” in the subject line. Email uocompdirectors@uoregon.edu with any questions about the petition process.

Note: Students who wish to waive the writing requirement based on their proficiency in the course learning outcomes should not submit a petition. Instead, those students should take the waiver exam, which is administered by the Testing Center in the first week of classes in fall, winter, and spring terms.

Attendance

The Composition Program’s policy is that a student’s grade will not be impacted by being absent for one week’s worth of class if they make up required work in a timely fashion. Please be sure to consult with your instructor’s syllabus for the full attendance policy, including potential penalties to your course grade for excessive absences. In-class work is central to meeting course learning objectives; therefore, students may fail the course after accruing three weeks of absences if they are unable to meet the course learning outcomes. If you have concerns about your ability to regularly attend class sessions, speak with your instructor as soon as possible.

WR courses do not have “excused” or “unexcused” absences except—as is the case for all UO classes—in the cases of:

• Religious observances
• AEC accommodations
• Required military/National Guard training
• University-sponsored events with signed documentation presented as early in the term as possible but at least a week ahead of the planned absence or need for accommodation.

Academic Misconduct Statement

The University Student Conduct Code (available at policies.uoregon.edu under Section IV, 1: Academic Misconduct, item “e”) defines academic misconduct. Students are prohibited from committing or attempting to commit any act that constitutes academic misconduct. If there is any question about whether an act constitutes academic misconduct, it is the students’ obligation to clarify the question with the instructor before committing or attempting to commit the act. Find information about plagiarism, a common form of academic misconduct.

Academic Misconduct Procedures

Incompletes

All “incompletes” must be initiated by the student no later than 5 p.m. on the last day of finals week through the online Incomplete Grade Request on the Registrar’s website. If the student doesn’t submit the form by that deadline, there’s no possibility for an incomplete to be assigned. The form is not available until after the week 7 withdrawal deadline of each term. Incompletes shall be granted when the instructor determines that the student meets each of the following five criteria:

• Has been making satisfactory progress on coursework as determined by the criteria in the syllabus;
• Has been active in the course;
• Is unable to complete a portion of the course requirements due to extenuating circumstances beyond their control that occurred after the last day to drop a class (End of Week 7 of Fall/Winter/Spring terms; variable dates for summer courses);
• Is able to independently complete the remaining requirements without attending additional classes beyond the term or receiving additional instruction; and
• Has requested an Incomplete by the published deadline (5 p.m. on the last day of finals week)

Incompletes must be approved by both the instructor and the director of the Composition Program or designee.

Access

The UO is dedicated to facilitating and supporting accessible education. At UO, more than 10% of students use the Accessible Education Center (AEC) and nationally an estimated 20% of undergraduates identify as having a disability. If you experience academic barriers and have or think you have a disability (physical or learning, apparent or non-apparent), a chronic illness, or a psychological disability, please contact the Accessible Education Center in 360 Oregon Hall, at 541-346-1155 or through email to discuss appropriate accommodations or support. The AEC offers a wide range of support services including notetaking, testing services, sign language interpretation, and adaptive technology. The details of your disability will be kept confidential with the AEC and you are not expected to share this information with others. However, you are also encouraged to see your instructors during the first week of the term to discuss approved accommodations or support needs to ensure your full access to all classroom activities.

Accommodation for Religious Observances

The university makes reasonable accommodations, upon request, for students who are unable to attend a class for religious obligations or observance reasons, in accordance with the university discrimination policy which says, “Any student who, because of religious beliefs, is unable to attend classes on a particular day shall be excused from attendance requirements and from any examination or other assignment on that day. The student shall make up the examination or other assignment missed because of the absence.” To request accommodations for a course for religious observance, visit the Office of the Registrar’s website and complete and submit to the instructor the “Student Religious Accommodation Request” form prior to the end of the second week of the term.

Sexual- and Gender-Based Violence

Any student who has experienced sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, coercion, sex or gender-based bullying, gender-based discrimination, and/or sexual harassment is encouraged to seek resources and help. Please visit Help for Victims and Survivors website or call the 24-7 hotline 541-346-SAFE (7244). Students experiencing all forms of prohibited discrimination or harassment may contact the Dean of Students Office at 541-346-3216, the non-confidential Title IX Coordinator/OICRC at 541-346-3123, and/or find information and resources at Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance website. In addition, the UO Ombuds office (541 346-6400 or ombuds@uoregon.edu) can provide confidential support and assistance. Also, instructors can reassign work partners and make other necessary accommodations.

Reporting Obligations

Most employees, including most faculty and graduate instructors, are considered assisting employees under the Prohibited Discrimination and Retaliation Policy. Assisting employees should not share disclosures of prohibited discrimination occurring to adults (those 18 or older) with the Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance (OICRC) unless the information conveyed suggests a threat to the health or safety of any person or if requested by the student. However, some faculty may have additional administrative roles that make them mandatory reporters, so it is recommended that students check a UO employee’s reporting status before sharing confidential information. For information about employees’ reporting obligations, please see Employee Reporting Obligations on the OICRC website.

All UO employees, including student employees and graduate employees, have a duty to report child abuse and neglect to the Oregon Department of Human Services or law enforcement when there is reasonable cause to believe that child abuse or neglect has occurred. A child is any person under the age of 18. The duty to report is in effect at all times, not only during work hours.