Writing is power. The more skilled the writer is, the greater power they wield. However, with power comes responsibility, responsibility for the effects that writing produces. That, in and of itself, should make all of us want to learn how to write skillfully. Those who write clearly, accurately, and concisely have one of the most valued and sought-after skills in our society.

As a student at UTSA, this handbook will help you see writing as both a process and a product. Learning the writing process will help you analyze your rhetorical situation to explore your own ideas and figure out how you know what you know. Developing your reading and research skills will be an important part of your writing. Combining your knowledge with the opinions, observations, and factual information so readily at your disposal is necessary to develop your own ideas and opinions. In addition, you will enhance your personal responsibility by learning how to substantiate and synthesize your ideas with the research of others.

This handbook is a guide to the different types of writing and skills you will learn over the two semesters and the courses in The Writing Program. These skills will transfer across disciplines and move you into your career. You can find different information about academic and professional genres of writing, including writing samples of each genre from former WRC students. This handbook helps prepare you to be successful in your writing course and beyond with clear expectations of the courses, the grading, and your role as a student. This text will serve as one of the books for each course, so you should purchase The Writing Program Student Handbook only once. Don’t sell it back until you have completed both courses.