Calderwood Seminars in Public Writing are typically advanced-level, writing-intensive courses that engage students in a review of their majors or areas of special interest. These seminars challenge students to integrate what they have learned in other courses and to communicate this knowledge to a broad audience.

Calderwood Seminars rotate among departments and programs. Class sizes are small and enrollment, ordinarily, will be limited to juniors and seniors. The Seminars may fulfill major requirements.

The Calderwood Seminars in Public Writing are named after Stanford Calderwood, a patron of the arts and benefactor of Wellesley College. Throughout his career, Mr. Calderwood realized the value of written communication. To improve the capabilities of Wellesley College students as public writers, the Calderwood Charitable Foundation has endowed this program.

Key elements for the Calderwood Seminars in Public Writing:

• Seminars typically targeted at juniors and seniors that draw on skills learned in prior courses and that empower a student’s “voice” in her major field or area of study
• Seminars that offer a reflective overview of a major or area by covering topics central to the field or that explore a defining theme
• Seminars that emphasize public writing, rather than writing for a specialized and professional audience. Public writing—the ability to translate complex arguments and professional jargon to a broad audience—is a central feature of a liberal arts education
• Seminars that encourage a collaborative experience, with students writing frequently and rewriting their work in response to comments from classmates and professors