The Baruch College Faculty Handbook

This page last
updated on 3/6/17

Students who enter Baruch College as first-year students complete two semesters of writing courses (ENG 2100 and 2150) and a literature course that emphasizes writing. Transfer students have similar requirements.*

English Language Learner (ELL) students take specialized versions of ENG 2100 and 2150 (ENG 2100T and 2150T) that meet for six hours per week vs. four and have smaller class sizes. ELL students who do not make a 56 on the CATW (CUNY Assessment Test in Writing) take a special version of ENG 2100T combined with ENG 0153, for a total of 9 hours of class time per week.

In addition, over the course of their careers at the college, undergraduates take several CIC (communication intensive) courses, including a CIC capstone in their minor.**

* Students who have had previous college writing courses that did not transfer are eligible, at the Writing Director’s discretion, to take an exemption exam administered in the English Department.  The hour-long essay examination costs $25, payable to the Bursar.  If the student wishes to take exemption exams for both 2100 and 2150, the cost is $35.  The student taking these exams can fail, be exempt, or be exempt with credit awarded.  Two, sometimes three, professors evaluate each exam. No re-takes are allowed.

**  Students who entered Baruch before fall 2013 (except Accounting majors) complete a minor in a liberal arts discipline. Under Pathways (fall 2013 and following) most students will complete a liberal arts minor as part of their college option.

The Writing Center
The Writing Center offers free support to all students enrolled in a degree-granting program at Baruch. Its staff of professional writing consultants—all of whom hold graduate degrees in their fields and have years of experience teaching college writing—work with students to develop their writing and English language skills.

The core service is a 50-minute, one-to-one session; they also offer asynchronous feedback by email and skill-focused workshops. In a typical session, consultants work collaboratively with students to set learning and revision goals, and the student spends the bulk of the time actively writing, revising, and planning next steps. The center supports students at all stages of the writing process, including brainstorming early drafts and revising for clarity and accuracy.

Faculty members are encouraged to refer students for support. You can invite the center to your class to present an overview of services or lead a 75-minute workshop, and you can reach out to the center’s directors if you’d like someone to contact a student to encourage them to set up recurring, weekly sessions. Please don’t require your class to visit the center, though. The center does not have the resources to guarantee all students can find an appointment, and sessions tend to be more productive when students come voluntarily.

Note that consultants will not edit, proofread, or otherwise re-write student’s work. That said, they will happily help students develop their own editing and revision skills.

At the end of each session, your student has the option to send you a copy of a session record, co-authored with their consultant, that summarizes the work they’ve done. You can read more about the center’s current policies and services on the website.

Bernard L. Schwartz Communication Institute
The Institute administers communication intensive courses (CICs) and provides help to students taking CICs through the Writing Fellows affiliated with each such course.

• Location: 137 East 25th Street, 3rd floor
• Telephone: 646-312-2060; 646-312-2061 (fax)
• Website:  http://faculty.baruch.cuny.edu/blsci/main/default.asp