Who Are the Writing Associates?
Writing Associates are students from a wide variety of disciplines who have passed through an extensive interviewing process and are selected for their proven performance in writing and their eagerness to help others (faculty nominations are not uncommon). Once hired, a WA is assigned to a specific course and will work exclusively with that course for the rest of the semester. He or she will also participate weekly in required and rigorous staff meetings, which provide strategies for peer collaboration and examine complex questions. What expectations about students and student writing do you bring to a conference, and what expectations do you imagine students might have about WAs? How can you help students without stealing their "property"? Is the metaphor of ownership a useful or valid one? How can you think of the apparent chaos of student writing as something other than a "deficiency"? How do you negotiate the overlapping bases of authority embedded in your job as a WA?
What are the Benefits of the Program?
The CWP benefits faculty, students, and Writing Associates alike: 1) Faculty members feel they can emphasize high-quality writing in their courses without being pressured to teach writing themselves; 2) Students learn to participate in intellectual conversation, to formulate various critical concerns, and to think strategically about various writing situations; 3) Writing Associates find that their own writing improves considerably, that they belong to a new and diverse intellectual community of WAs, and that WA experience leads to numerous "career payoffs."
What Kind of Faculty Development Program is Offered?
Our faculty development program is extensive, consisting of visits by noted specialists in composition pedagogy, in-house faculty workshops, and individual consultations. Many written resources are also available, ranging from seminal articles in composition studies to several in-house handbooks. Our latest venture is a collection of first person narratives by faculty across the disciplines addressing the satisfactions and difficulties of integrating writing into general curriculum courses. Our faculty development program is sustained by various beliefs: 1) that our responsibility is to help faculty members articulate their own goals and intentions; 2) that our responsibility is also to help faculty translate CWP principles and activities into terms that are personally and professionally meaningful. The purpose of our faculty development program is to enhance academic community and create opportunities for professional collaboration and professional satisfaction--not to monitor classroom practice.
Who Administers the Program?
The program is formally housed in the Provost's Office (Anthony Cummings) but is administered by four members of the English Department: Patricia Donahue (Director), Bianca Falbo (Co-Director), Lisa DeTora (Assistant Director), and Beth Seetch (Coordinator).
Contact any of the program directors for further information.
We will be happy to answer questions or provide materials.
Last Updated 7/26/06