ASCRC Writing Subcommittee Minutes 4/20/06

Members Present: V. Hedquist, N. Hinman, T. Hunter, S. Justman, A. McKeown, B.Oram

Members Excused/Absent: H. Bruce, N. Mattina, M. Medvetz, D. Stolle

Ex-Officio Present: L. Carlyon, K. Ryan, A. Walker-Andrews

Chair Hedquist called the meeting to order at 9:40AM. The meeting lacked a quorum until then. One member has class until 9:30 AM.

The 4/6/06 minutes were approved.

Communications:

ASCRC does not support the addition of Kate Ryan and Nancy Mattina as voting members. It felt that this would be a conflict of interest because of their administrator status.

Unfinished Business:

Although there was a general consensus of the action taken at the 3/9/06 meeting, an official motion and vote was missing. Therefore a motion to reverse this action was made by Bill Oram resulting in a tie vote (2 in favor and 2 apposed). The chair refused to break the tie. Only members that were in attendance at the 3/9/06 meeting were allowed to vote. The motion failed, thus enforcing the previous action that removed the writing designation from PSC 300. In an effort to move the vote forward Professor Hinman offered an amendment to postpone the removal of the writing status of PSC 300 for a full academic year, during which time a review of the writing criteria will take place.  The motion to adopt the amendment had a 3 to 2 vote and the final vote was four in favor with one abstention.

New Business:

Professor Nancy Hinman was nominated and appointed as next year’s Chair.

There was a brief discussion about how writing should be incorporated into the general education program. Writing across the curriculum would involve commitment by departments to teach upper and lower division writing courses. Increasing the percentage of writing required in writing courses would be necessary to be effective. Revisions to the criteria will have to be coupled with samples of the range of writing that can be applied (not all graded), and proposals for incentives and faculty development.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:00AM.