WAC Requirements at WSU

WAC Guidelines Adopted at WSU

Approved by Undergraduate Curriculum & Academic Policy Committee 2/20/95 Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) at Wright State University is a comprehensive program extending writing throughout each student's undergraduate career. The Writing Across the Curriculum program consists of two parts--Writing in General Education and Writing in the Major--and serves the following purposes:

• To improve students' writing proficiency -- their ability to develop ideas and transmit information for an appropriate audience in an organized, coherent fashion while writing with appropriate style and correct grammar, usage, punctuation and spelling. 
• To encourage students to use writing as a learning tool to explore and structure ideas, to articulate thoughts and questions, and to discover what they know and do not know, thereby empowering students to use writing as a tool of discovery, self-discipline, and thought. 
• To demonstrate for students the ways in which writing is integral to all disciplines, essential to the learning and conveying of knowledge in all fields.  

Writing in General Education 

1. All undergraduate students who first enroll at the University Fall Quarter 1996 or thereafter must complete four writing intensive (WI) general education courses, or allowable substitutions, in addition to the two required courses in freshman composition; transfer students will complete the WAC/GE requirement in proportion to the amount of the general education program they have completed when they enter the University (see WAC implementation for further details). 
2. Each WI section of a GE course will include writing assignments totaling approximately 1500 words which will be evaluated for content, form, style, correctness, and overall writing proficiency and give students the opportunity for revision and improvement. Assignments may take many forms and include a mix of formal writing (e.g., a number of short papers evaluated in both draft and final form, a long assignment broken into smaller parts, thus allowing for multiple drafts, feedback, and revisions,) and informal writing (e.g., journals, logs, short responses to lectures, essay examinations). All writing will count as part of students' performance in the course. Responsibility for ensuring that these course requirements are met rests with the colleges offering the courses and the Writing Across the Curriculum Oversight Committee.  
3. WI sections are offered in required GE substitution courses, as well as in standard GE courses. In instances where the required substitutions are a sequence of two or three courses, only one of the courses in the sequence need be writing intensive. 
4. As with "Writing in the Major," students must pass the "writing intensive" portion of a GE course with the equivalent of a C grade or better in order to fulfill the university requirement for the program. Grading for the WI portion of a course is pass/no entry. Students are encouraged to complete all four Writing Intensive courses (as well as English 101 and 102) or to have demonstrated writing proficiency as described in #5 below by the time they have attained junior status. 
5. Students who do not successfully complete the WI portion of four GE courses (excluding English 101 and 102) may satisfy the requirements for writing proficiency in GE in any one of the following three ways: 
1. pass the WI portion of at least two GE courses and earn a grade of C or better in an approved advanced writing course.  
2. pass the WI portion of at least two GE courses and prepare an acceptable portfolio that includes writing on demand.  
3. earn a grade of C or better in an approved advanced writing course and prepare an acceptable portfolio that includes writing on demand. 

6. Copies of the plan for assessing Writing in General Education are available in the office of the WAC Coordinator. 

The combination of four writing intensive courses in GE and two writing intensive courses in the major means that the Writing Across the Curriculum Program at WSU requires each undergraduate student to complete a minimum of six writing intensive courses in addition to their required freshman composition courses.

*pass = the equivalent of a C grade or better

NOTE: With the implementation of the revised GE program in Fall Quarter 2003, GE writing intensive courses will be available in a number of areas, including (but not limited to) the following: Great Books: Literature, Philosophy, Religion; SOC 200; some sections of EC 200; Comparative Studies (CST/CSE) and Regional Studies (RST/RSE); College Component courses; a science course. Students completing the 1987 General Education program may count writing intensive courses in the 2003 GE program toward fulfilling their writing intensive requirements.

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Writing in the Major 

Beginning Fall Quarter 1996, all incoming first-year students and transfer students must successfully complete two Writing Intensive courses in their major field in order to graduate. Successful completion of Area One General Education writing courses (ENG 101 and 102) is a prerequisite for all Writing Intensive courses in the major.

Writing Intensive sections of current courses

Any course in a major program may be designated "Writing Intensive" by the unit offering the course. Writing Intensive courses will have at least 4500 words (18 double-spaced pages) of writing, at least half of which will be evaluated formally and all of which will count as part of students' performance in the course. 

Writing Intensive courses must meet criteria established and monitored by the Writing Across the Curriculum Oversight Committee. Responsibility for ensuring that WI course requirements are met rests with the department offering the course, the college, and the WAC Oversight Committee.

Guidelines and examples of how the writing requirement may be met are available from the Writing Across the Curriculum Coordinator. Additional assistance is provided by the University Writing Center. 

To permit flexibility in scheduling and staffing, units may designate certain sections of a course as Writing Intensive during any quarter. Course sections designated Writing Intensive will be identified in the quarterly class schedule.

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Independent Writing Project

Under exceptional circumstances, a paper of at least 2500 words written under the direction of a faculty member in the student's major field will be accepted for Writing Intensive credit. This option may count as no more than one Writing Intensive course and must be approved by the chair of the student's major department. Students are expected to fulfill the rest of the minimum requirement by completing one or more regular WI courses.

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Writing Intensive Course Grading and Assessment

Course Grading

Writing Intensive credits are entered separately from course grades on student transcripts as PASS/NO ENTRY. In order to receive a PASS, students must complete the writing component of a WI course with a grade of C or better. Students who do not pass the writing component of a WI course but receive a D or better for the course grade need not repeat that course, unless it is required by the major. They must, however, pass the writing components of two WI courses to fulfill the requirement.

Assessment

Copies of the plan for assessing Writing in the Major are available in the office of the WAC Coordinator. 

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Implementation of Writing Across the Curriculum

Implementing Writing in General Education

1. Each designated Writing Intensive (WI) course in the major and in general education is identified as such in the quarterly class schedule.  
2. For record-keeping purposes and to allow maximum scheduling flexibility, each designated WI course is assigned a 0-credit "lab" to represent the writing component of the course. The lab is graded pass/no entry (P/no entry). The Registrar adds the lab to the course after the drop date has passed, thereby removing the need for students to register for both the course and the lab and preventing them from dropping the writing component of a course while retaining the course itself, or vice versa. Likewise, removal of credit for the course grade will also remove credit for the writing component.

Each writing section generates 2 grade sheets, one for the course grade, one for the WI grade (P/no entry). Both grades will appear on the student's transcript and permanent record (unless a student fails the writing component of a course, in which case there will be no entry).

3. Students taking WI courses within the general education program or within the major can 1) pass both the course and the WI component; 2) pass the course and fail the WI component; or 3) pass the WI component of the course but fail the course itself.  

A student who does not successfully complete the WI portion of four GE courses (excluding English 101 and 102) may satisfy the requirements for writing proficiency in GE in any of the following three ways: 

pass the WI portion of at least two GE courses and earn a grade of C or better in an approved advanced writing course.

pass the WI portion of at least two GE courses and prepare an acceptable portfolio that includes writing on demand.

earn a grade of C or better in an approved advanced writing course and prepare an acceptable portfolio that includes writing on demand. 

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Implementing Writing in the Major

To fulfill the Writing in the Major requirement only, a student may take the "Independent Writing Project" available within the program or a designated writing intensive independent reading course. This option is not available to students fulfilling the Writing in GE requirement. Each department designates the appropriate course needed to complete the requirement. Students may use the "Independent Writing Project" or the designated writing intensive independent reading course to fulfill only one of the two-course requirement.

A student who passes the WI portion of a course but fails the course itself may receive credit for fulfilling the writing requirement but may/will still need to repeat the course to fulfill the major or general education requirement.

A student who drops a writing intensive course automatically drops the "lab" attached to the course. In other words, it will not be possible to drop a course and retain the WI component of the course.

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Implementing Writing for Transfer and Returning Students

1. Transfer students who have completed the transfer module that is part of the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Policy will be considered as having met the Writing in GE requirements. Transfer students who have completed at least 75% (40 hours) of the transfer module may meet the Writing in GE requirement by completing one writing intensive course. Transfer students who have completed less that 75% (40 hours) of the transfer module must complete the University's general education requirements, including the Writing in GE requirement, as follows:  

50%-74% (28-39 hours) of general education completed - successfully complete two WI courses, in addition to English 101 and 102. 

25%-49% (14-27 hours) of general education completed - successfully complete three WI courses, in addition to English 101 and 102. 

Fewer than 25% or 14 hours of general education completed - successfully complete all four designated WI courses, in addition to English 101 and 102. 

When students who still need writing intensive credit in General Education courses already have credit for the General Education courses designated as writing intensive at WSU, those students may apply credit from other designated writing intensive courses to meet that requirement. Those courses may be in General Education (e.g., a second writing intensive science course) or, when available, a third writing intensive course in the major. No writing intensive course in the major will be counted toward both General Education and writing in the major requirements.

Transfer students who do not successfully complete the WAC requirements above may satisfy the requirements for writing proficiency in GE by completing the appropriate substitution described under 5 a.b.c. under "Writing in General Education." 

Transfer students must complete the two-course writing requirement in the major.

2. Returning students who have not been enrolled at the university for four or more consecutive quarters and who have not completed general education requirements, must complete the Writing in General Education requirements as follows:  

at least 75% (40-55 hours) of general education completed - successfully complete one WI course, in addition to ENG 101 and 102. 

50%-74% (28-39 hours) of general education completed - successfully complete two WI courses, in addition to ENG 101 and 102. 

25%-49% (14-27 hours) of general education completed - successfully complete three WI courses, in addition to ENG 101 and 102. 

less than 25% (fewer than 14 hours) of general education completed - successfully complete all four writing intensive courses, in addition to ENG 101 and 102. 

When returning students who still need writing intensive credit in General Education have already taken earlier versions of General Education courses now designated as writing intensive, those students may apply credit from other designated writing intensive courses to meet that requirement. Those courses may be in General Education (e.g., a second writing intensive science course) or, when available, a third writing intensive course in the major. No writing intensive course in the major will be counted toward both General Education and writing in the major requirements. 

Returning students who do not successfully complete the requirements above may satisfy the requirements for writing proficiency in GE by completing the appropriate substitution described under 5 a.b.c. under "Writing in General Education."

Returning students must complete the two-course writing requirement in the major. .In the event a returning student has completed earlier, non-WI versions of courses now offered as the department's WI courses and no further WI courses in the major are available, the student will complete the independent writing project to cover one of the courses; the requirement for the second course can be waived with the approval of the department.

WSU graduates returning to earn another undergraduate degree must complete the Writing in the Major requirements.

Students pursuing a dual major may have the writing requirements for one major waived at the discretion of that department/college.

Each college/unit is responsible for monitoring the progress of its majors in completing the university Writing Across the Curriculum requirements.

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Oversight and Faculty Development

1. The Writing Across the Curriculum Committee is a standing subcommittee of the Undergraduate Curriculum and Academic Policy Committee (UCAPC), and the chair of that committee also serves as a non-voting member of the (UCAPC). The Writing Across the Curriculum Oversight Committee has oversight responsibility for writing in both GE and in the Major. The committee includes the following members: one faculty member from each undergraduate college who teaches or has taught Writing Intensive courses; the Director of the University Writing Center; the Director of Writing Programs (or department designee), Department of English Language and Literatures; a representative from the English as a Second Language (ESL) program; a representative for the General Education Oversight/Assessment Committee; and a student member.

The Writing Across the Curriculum Oversight Committee is charged with recommending action and policy to the Undergraduate Curriculum and Academic Policy Committee for Writing Across the Curriculum requirements. The WAC Oversight Committee has the responsibility for the following areas: Writing in General Education requirements; Writing in the Major requirements; approval of criteria for Independent Writing Projects; monitoring and assessment of Writing Across the Curriculum, including Independent Writing Projects, Writing Intensive Courses, and WAC faculty development programs and activities.

2. The WAC Coordinator is responsible for devising and offering ongoing faculty development programs, many of which are developed in conjunction with the University Writing Center and the Center for Teaching and Learning.  

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WAC Portfolios in General Education  

The WAC Document provides three options for students who do not successfully complete the WI portion of the four GE courses. Two of those options include preparing an acceptable portfolio that includes writing on demand. The following guidelines describe the procedures for submitting that portfolio and the requirements for its contents.

The writing in the portfolio will be evaluated for content, form, style, and correctness by a panel of readers drawn from the Writing Across the Curriculum Oversight Committee. Students seeking to meet the WAC requirements by this means may submit only one portfolio. The portfolio must be submitted no later than the second week of the quarter in which portfolio credit is sought.

Procedures

1. Once the student and the student's adviser have determined that the student needs to submit a portfolio, the student should pick up an application form for portfolio assessment in the office of the WAC Coordinator. The completed form must be signed by the student and the student's adviser and submitted with the portfolio. Any portfolio without it will not be processed.  
2. The student should assemble the portfolio described below and include all necessary documentation.  
3. When the portfolio is submitted, the student and WAC Coordinator will schedule the supervised "writing on demand" portion of the portfolio (described below).  
4. After the student has completed the supervised writing, the portfolio will be read by three members of the Writing Across the Curriculum Oversight Committee. If two of the three readers find the portfolio acceptable, portfolio credit will be awarded.  

The WAC Coordinator will notify both the student and the student's adviser in writing of the committee's decision.

Portfolio Contents

The portfolio must include the following items:

1. the portfolio assessment application form signed by the student and the student's adviser. Included in this form is a statement attesting that all work included in the portfolio is the student's own. Any student who submits work other than his or her own will fail the portfolio assessment and be referred to the Office of Student Affairs for disciplinary action.  
2. 15-25 pages (3750-6250 words) of writing, roughly 3/4 of which must have been written for at least two different courses at Wright State. Papers from first-year composition courses may not be included in the portfolio. All pieces should be the copies originally submitted in the courses, with comments and grades; clean copies must be certified by the course instructor to have been turned in for the course.  
3. a 3-5 page introductory essay that describes the circumstances under which each portfolio piece was written (the nature of the assignment, the course for which it was written, the instructor's name, department, and campus phone number); describes each piece's strengths; describes each piece's shortcomings and what the writer would do to improve the piece. 
4. a piece of expository writing produced during a two-hour session supervised by the WAC Coordinator's office, on a topic to be given at the start of the session. (Readings for the candidate to study may be given out ahead of time, however.)  

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Acknowledgments 

The Writing Across the Curriculum program was developed by a number of individuals over a period of seal years. The proposal approved by General Faculty on November 14, 1995, included the following acknowledgements:

The University Undergraduate Committee and Academic Policy Committee wishes to thank Lillie Howard, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and Academic Affairs, for her assistance to us and her many efforts to bring Writing Across the Curriculum to fruition.

We also wish to acknowledge the many individuals who prepared earlier drafts of this proposal:

Acknowledgments for 1991/1992 Proposal

Richard Bullock, Director of Writing Programs, Department of English Language and Literatures, in the formulation of this proposal, as well as the assistance of other members of the ad hoc Committee on Writing Across the Curriculum: Deans Perry Moore, James Brandeberry, Jane Swart, Don Carlson, and Richard Millman; Associate Deans William Rickert, Charles Willis, and Rishi Kumar; Chairers Peter Bracher, Herb Brown, and Ed Rutter; and faculty members Leo Finkelstein, Harry Lipsitt, Jim Schwartz, and Marjorie Pappas; and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Lillie Howard. We also acknowledge the assistance and participation of Rudy Fichtenbaum, Vice President of the Faculty (1990-1991), Susan Praeger, Chair, University Curriculum Committee, Gerald Meike and Richard Mercer.

Acknowledgments for 1994 Proposal

The 1994 Ad Hoc Committee for Writing Across the Curriculum -- Greg Bernhardt, Tom Sav, Edgar Rutter, Barbara O'Brien, Harry Lipsitt, William Rickert, Lillie Howard, Gail Fred -- as well as the support of Provost Will Hutzel and all of the Deans. We also acknowledge the invaluable assistance of Richard Bullock, Chris Hall, Henry Limouze, and other members of the Writing faculty in the Department of English Language and Literatures; of President of the Faculty, James Sayer; Jeanne Fraker, Toby Pinkerton (student), and all other members of the University Undergraduate Curriculum and Academic Policy Committee; and the general University Faculty.

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This page last updated Tuesday, October 18, 2005, 15:34 by WAC staff (TLS). 
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