Both the Writing Across the Curriculum Committee and the Writing Assessment Group, a cross-disciplinary committee convened in the Provost’s Office, conduct ongoing assessment of the effectiveness of our teaching with writing efforts. The results of both of these assessment processes inform faculty development work. We gather additional information about the effectiveness of WAC from responses to the questions asked on the Graduating Senior Survey.
Assessing the Writing-Intensive Requirement: Since the inception of the requirement in 1995, the WAC Committee has regularly reviewed writing-intensive (WI) syllabi to determine compliance with the Faculty Senate-mandated requirement. As our institution has grown—in student enrollments and numbers of majors we offer—the syllabi review has also been a valuable tool for ensuring that each degree program has designated a WI course and that these are listed in the catalog.
Assessing Student Writing Competence: The Writing Assessment Group, co-chaired by the WAC director and the director of the Office of Institutional Assessment, works with faculty across the university to assess student writing competence in the majors in response to state and accreditation mandates. The assessment process we have developed has been recognized as a model program by the Council of Writing Program Administrators and the National Council of Teachers of English, one which “reflects consistent principles … enacted through questions and methods that are appropriate for the institution, the department, and the program.” We are pleased to share our methods, materials, and results with all who are interested.
Students' Perceptions of Writing Experiences: The Graduating Senior Survey, administered by the Office of Institutional Assessment, includes each year a number of questions about writing. These questions, developed by the WAC Committee, are designed to help us understand how students are experiencing writing in their majors and, subsequently, to inform our programmatic efforts.