ASCRC Writing Subcommittee Minutes 3/9/07
Members Present: K. Kuipers, M. Medvetz, E. Reimer,
Members Excused/Absent: J. Carter, I. Crummy, N. Hinman, C. Jacobson, A. Harrison, D. Micus, J. Scott, A. Walker-Andrews
Ex-Officio Present: N. Mattina, K. Ryan
Communications:
Chair Hinman was out sick and there was not a quorum.
The committee briefly discussed the issue with Anthropology's addition of several courses to the upper-division writing requirement without the courses being reviewed. The committee suggested that because it was an ASCRC oversight and the writing committee is a subcommittee of ASCRC, it should make the determination.
Members agreed to vote on the response to the Kaimin editorial electronically. The response was printed in the Kaimin, Friday, 3/16/07.
Unfinished Business:
The committee discussed several revisions to the requirements for lower-division and upper-division writing courses based on ASCRC comments (language below).
Next the committee will need to create sample syllabi/ guide to informal writing and discuss strategies to phase in implementation.
The meeting was adjourned at 2:00 p.m.
Requirements for Lower-Division Writing Courses
- Limit enrollment to 25 students per instructor or grader
- Identify course outcomes in the syllabus
- Provide students with detailed written instructions, including criteria for evaluation, for all formal writing assignments
- Require students to write frequently for a range of audiences, purposes, and genres
- o Formal or informal
- o Graded or ungraded
- o In-class or out-of-class
- Provide feedback on students' writing and give students the opportunity to revise and resubmit at least one formal writing assignment
- Require each student individually to compose at least 16 pages of writing for assessment over the course of the semester
75% of students effort involves writing- Base a significant portion (at least 50% of a 3 credit course or equivalent hours) of the course grade
is based on student performance on writing assignments
Requirements for Upper-Division Writing Courses
- Limit enrollment to 25 students per instructor or grader
- Identify course outcomes in the syllabus
- Provide students with detailed written instructions, including criteria for evaluation, for all formal writing assignments
- Require students to write frequently for a range of audiences, purposes, and genres
- o Formal or informal
- o Graded or ungraded
- o In-class or out-of-class
- Provide feedback on students' writing and give students the opportunity to revise and resubmit at least one formal writing assignment
- Require each student to individually compose at least 20 pages of writing for assessment over the course of the semester
Ensure an appropriate proportion of students effort in class involves writing- Base a significant portion (at least 50% of a 3 credit course or equivalent hours) of the course grade on student performance on writing assignments
