Undergraduate Curriculum
and
Academic Policy Committee

Study and Assess Writing Across the Curriculum Committee
The Study and Assess Writing Across the Curriculum Committee (SAWAC) is established as an Ad Hoc Committee of the Underdergraduate Curriculum and Academic Policies Committee (UCAPC).  Its charge as defined by the the Faculty President is as follows:
to conduct an in-depth assessment of WAC. In particular, this fall quarter marks the seventh year of Wright State University's "Writing Across the Curriculum" policy, having been implemented with the start of fall quarter 1996.  After a full six years of implementation, it is time to study and assess the effectiveness and impact of that program. Accordingly, UCAPC is charged with the responsibility of conducting an in-depth assessment of WAC this academic year, such assessment to be completed no later than the beginning of spring quarter 2003. Specifically, the assessment is to include both quantitative and qualitative elements, with ALL members of the university faculty, both full-time and part-time, encouraged and facilitated to offer their observations and conclusions.The assessment should include:
1. An examination of the program's impact vis-à-vis the program's stated goals;

2. An assessment of the mechanics of the program: are six writing-intensive GE courses appropriate (too little; too much; just right); are two writing-intensive courses in the major appropriate; is the separation of the course grade from the writing grade something that should be reconsidered?

3. A request to have each department chair and dean offer his/her specific analysis of WAC, including:

(a) the perceived impact that WAC in GE has had upon the writing skills of majors in his/her department; and
(b) the perceived impact that WAC in the major has had upon the writing skills of majors in his/her department. It is imperative that this study be done critically and objectively.  If WAC is the greatest thing since night baseball, then that should be substantiated to the satisfaction of the general faculty.  If, on the other hand, WAC has some severe problems, then those problems need to be identified clearly, with specific suggestions offered for remediation.
Committee Members:
Carol Loranger, COLA, Chair
Rudy Fichtenbaum, COBA
Kenneth Schatmeyer, CEHS
Carol Morgan Bennett, COLA
Richard Mercer, COSM
Leo Finkelstein, CECS
Carol Holdcraft, CONH
Joe Law, WAC Program
Jeanne Fraker, UCAPC
Christopher Leapley, SG
James Steinberg, LC
Ongoing activities of the SAWAC are incorparated into the UCAPC minutes and reports to the Faculty Senate.

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The following Final Report of the SAWAC was presented to the UCAPC at its April 21, 2003 Meeting (see UCAPC Minutes from the UCAPC Home link below) and subsequently to the Faculty Senate as New Business at the May 5, 2003 Faculty Senate Meeting (see UCAPC Reports to the Faculty Senate from the UCAPC Home link below):

Final Report of the SAWAC
An extensive Appendix (not included in the above link) consists of:
Charge to SAWAC
Report of External Review Committee
WI Syllabus Assessment Rubric
WAC Letters to Deans
WAC Letters to Chairs
WAC Letters to WI Faculty
Request for Deans'/Chairs' Assessment
List of WAC Workshops
WAC Newsletters
A Brief Guide for Faculty (booklet)
Copies of the final report and all materials in the Appendix were made available in the Faculty Office (138 Fawcett) and in the Office of the Dean of each college/school on April 29, 2003.

The Faculty Senate, under Old Business, acted on all recommendations contained in the Final Report of the SAWAC at the its June 2, 2003 Meeting. Each recommendation was presented separately and voted on by the Senate (see Minutes of the Faculty Senate at the WSU Faculty Senate Website).

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