New York University

Gallatin School of Individualized Study

• Literacy Project
• University Settlement ESL Literacy Program
• Writing Assistant Appointments
• Sample Rationales
• Sample Writing Seminar II Research Papers
• Gallatin Review
• Literacy Review, Part 1
• Literacy Review, Part 2
• Literacy Review, Part 3

• Email Us

Writing is at the center of the Gallatin curriculum and an important part of many students' concentrations. The Writing Program now includes more than 30 courses.

CURRICULUM

Of Gallatin's required courses, two out of three are writing courses: First-Year Writing Seminar I and II, expository writing courses, with each section organized around a different theme of the individual instructor's choice, such as "The Urban Muse," "Identity in a Multicultural World" and "The Artist in Context." After taking these foundation courses, Gallatin students may choose from a rich variety of Advanced Writing Courses in genres including fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, advocacy-writing, comedy-writing, and documentary-writing. Independent Studies with writing instructors and Internships with numerous New York City media organizations are also available.

WRITING CENTER/PEER WRITING ASSISTANTS

In the Writing Center (Room 809), upper-level Gallatin students are employed as Peer Writing Assistants, trained to serve other students as responsive readers at any stage of the writing process from brainstorming about a subject to clarifying a thesis to organizing the structure of an essay.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Faculty and Guest Lectures and Readings

The Writing Program sponsors a number of events each year, all of them free and open to the entire Gallatin community.

At Writing Teachers Reading, Gallatin writing faculty who have recently published a book read from their work.

At Writing Program Panels, Gallatin writing faculty discuss a particular genre.

At Writers in Progress, Gallatin faculty read from a scholarly or creative work-in-progress.

At Guest Lectures, well-known writers read from and discuss their writing.

THE GALLATIN REVIEW

The Writing Program is proud to publish The Gallatin Review, an annual journal of student poetry, fiction, essays, and visual art, which is edited by students under faculty supervision. Largely edited by students, The Gallatin Review solicits writing and visual art during the fall and puts the journal together for publication on Commencement Day every May. Each year, The Herbert J. Rubin Awards are given to outstanding submissions in prose, poetry, and visual art, and announced in The Gallatin Review. At present we are beginning to post past issues of The Gallatin Review on our website. Submit work.

LITERACY PROJECT

At present, the Literacy Project consists of the Literacy in Action course; writing classes for adolescents and adults; Distance Assistance; and publications.

The Literacy in Action course (co-sponsored by Gallatin's Community Learning Initiative) combines the academic study of adult literacy and English as a Second or Other Language education with supervised volunteer work at five partner institutions: University Settlement Society, Union Settlement Association, Fortune Society, 1199 Healthcare Workers Union, and the International Rescue Committee.

The Writing Classes for adolescents and adults meet weekly at partner institutions. Through Independent Studies, Gallatin students learn to teach writing while serving as student-teachers.

Distance Assistance trains Peer Writing Assistants to work with 12-to-21-year-olds at the youth center The Door, mainly by computer, and also through in-person writing workshops.

Publications of the Literacy Project include several compilations of writing by the adult and adolescent students in the writing classes.

The Literacy Review is an annual journal of writing from adult literacy programs throughout New York City. Edited by Gallatin students, the book is distributed at a celebration that includes readings by the newly published writers.