Writing Program faculty teach the required 100, 200, and 300-level writing courses in academic reading and writing, courses which are also part of the State of Colorado's Guaranteed Transfer (GT Pathways) policy. All composition courses must be completed with a C- or higher to receive credit for CO-1, CO-2, and/or CO-3. This policy is consistent with the State of Colorado's GT Pathways policy: All courses must be completed with a grade of C- or higher to transfer.

The required 100-level course may be taken as a two-term sequence (Comp 125 and 126) or an accelerated one-term course (Comp 150). Successful completion with a C- or higher of either Comp 125 and 126 or Comp 150 fulfills the student's 100-level composition requirement. Comp 126 and Comp 150 are both approved GT Pathways courses that fulfill the GT Pathways CO-1 requirement.

Students may place into one of our preparatory courses, TRS 90 and/or TRS 91, which must be completed successfully with a C- or higher before the student can enroll in Comp 125/126 or Comp 150.

Beginning with the 2007-2008 academic catalog, students are also required to complete a 200-level composition course for graduation. The prerequisite for all GT-CO2 courses is a GT-CO1 with a C- or higher. Students may choose to take any one of the following courses to complete the GT Pathways CO-2 requirement:

Each of these courses is an approved GT Pathways course. Each class has a different focus, so it is important to choose the class that makes sense based on your major/minor, personal interests, and future career plans. This page describes each course in more detail and offers advice regarding the selection of an individual CO-2 course. Any CO-2 class must be completed with a grade of C- or higher to receive CO-2 credit.

Beginning with the 2009-2010 academic catalog, students may complete a 300-level composition course for graduation. Currently, Honors 350 will fulfill the GT Pathways CO-3 requirement. Despite its prefix, Honors 350 is open to any student regardless of his or her participation in the Honors Program at Fort Lewis College. Students who wish to enroll in Honors 350 must have fulfilled their CO-2 requirement and have successfully completed 30 credit hours of college-level courses. Any CO-3 class must be completed with a grade of C- or higher to receive CO-3 credit.

The Writing Program plays an active role in the summer orientation and advising program to ensure that students are well-placed for academic success. Each student's placement is based on his or her ACT English and SAT Verbal scores, Academic Index, and Reading/Writing Profiles.

Because the learning outcomes for the 100-level composition courses provide a foundation for achievement throughout a student's program at Fort Lewis College, very few students are exempted from taking 100-level composition. Students may be exempted if they meet one of the following requirements:

Beginning with the 2007-2008 academic catalog, Lib 150 is no longer a required course. Instead, research and information literacy skills are integrated into 100 and 200-level composition courses as well as into upper-division courses in the majors.

However, some students who began their enrollment at Fort Lewis College in 1995 or later and are operating under a catalog earlier than the 2007-2008 catalog will need to take a gtPathways CO2 course to satisfy their Lib 150 requirement. As of August 31, 2009, the credit-by-exam for Lib 150 is no longer be offered and students must complete a gtPathways CO2 course to get the appropriate credit.