Student Resources
Lower-Division Writing Courses
Students can fulfill the lower-division writing requirement in a number of ways: by transfering in credit from another four-year institution or community college or by successfully completing the English Composition sequence, the Humanities Core Course, or the First-Year Integrated Program sequence. Information about courses and writing requirements for these courses and sequences can be found on their program websites.
Writing Awards
Each year, the Office of the Campus Writing Coordinator sponors awards for Best Writing in the Disciplines, Best Multimedia Text, and Best Writing Portfolio. We co-host a special ceremony with the English Composition Program, usually in May. Stay tuned for more details about how to apply. We usually announce the contest in the late Winter term.
Upper-Division Writing Courses
All students at UCI must complete the lower-division writing requirement and take an upper-division writing course, usually in their major course of study. For more information about the "W" course in your discipline, contact your school advisor, or see the list of UDW courses here.
Writing Assistance @ UCI
UCI offers a variety of programs to help you with your writing. The two most important at this time are the Writing & Library Research Peer Tutors and the Learning & Academic Resource Center (LARC). Contact either to find out more about their services.
Plagiarism
You've probably heard a lot about plagiarism before, but it's always good to remember when writing why plagiarism is such a "big deal" in writing courses in particular and throughout your college experience in general. Basically, academics and scholars, as well as public intellectuals and commentators, are deeply invested in making, producing, and disseminating a variety of knowledges and ways of knowing. Naturally, they talk to one another about the knowledges and ways of thinking they are developing, and they recognize that building knowledge is a COLLABORATIVE endeavor--one in which many people contribute their time, effort, thinking, knowledge, and skills. Giving PROPER CREDIT to those who have "thought before" us is thus very important. Failing to give such credit--that is, failing to acknowledge how developing learning and knowledge is a collaborative event--is tantamount to intellectual theft. Check out these resources to help you understand and avoid plagiarism:
Avoiding Plagiarism
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/
The Writing Lab and the OWL, Purdue UniversityPlagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml
Designed by Indiana University Writing Tutorial ServicesUnderstanding Plagiarism
http://www.indiana.edu/~tedfrick/plagiarism/
Set up by School of Education, Indiana University, Bloomington, this site
includes quiz to test understanding and examples of how to recognize plagiarism (including a flow chart!)Plagiarism
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/plagiarism.html
Offered by The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillThe Meaning and Prevention of Plagiarism
http://cai.ucdavis.edu/plagiarism.html
Sponsored by the Academic Integrity Project, University of California, DavisHow to Avoid Plagiarism
http://www.northwestern.edu/uacc/plagiar.html
Sponsored by the Undergraduate Academic Conduct Committee, Northwestern University, this site provides examples for proper attributionHow to Avoid Plagiarism: An Information Literacy Tutorial (videos and tutorial)
http://library.camden.rutgers.edu/EducationalModule/Plagiarism/
Set up by The Reference Department of the Paul Robeson Library, Rutgers University