An Advanced Writing Requirement for Psychology Majors: Lessons for Faculty

Abstract

The Psychology Department at Saint Mary's College involves all faculty and students in the process of writing by requiring students to demonstrate an advanced writing proficiency within the major. Fulfillment of this requirement involves many paper-writing assignments that are evaluated by course instructors and outside readers. Hence, writing occupies a more important role in the major, and student writing is more consistently high in quality than before the requirement was instituted. In this article, I discuss the effects of this writing requirement on the Psychology Department's faculty and students.