Writing Across the Curriculum

FOR FACULTY

Below is the proposal from Environmental Sciences.  Included in their proposal was a current course syllabus and a faculty c.v.  

TO: Chair, Core Council

FROM: Travis Wagner, Environmental Science & Policy Program

RE: Proposal for Designation of ESP 203 as W

DATE: April 7, 2003

ESP 203 Environmental Communications is a required course for Environmental Science and Policy (ESP) majors but is available to non-majors. The course is three credits involving lecture, participation, and research. The course was originally designed to improve the communications skills of environmental science and policy students and recently has been modified to serve as the introductory course to ESP’s new problem-based learning curriculum.

Below, the criteria for a “W” designation for the class are addressed. A course syllabus and curriculum vitae are enclosed.

1. The course takes improvement in student writing as one of its central goals and communicates this focus to students in the syllabus.  The syllabus has a clear objective to improve the ability of students to communicate and understand communication through writing. Students spend considerable time studying and analyzing how messages are sent, received, and interpreted through writing in a variety of communication channels including journals, newspapers, advertisements, and case studies. 

2. The course is conspicuously writing intensive.  Students are required to write a variety of pieces including a brief written analysis, memorandum, television news script, case-study abstract, research proposal components, presentation outline, research paper, and a proposal for further study. In addition, technical writing quizzes are used to strengthen weaknesses.

3. The course curriculum includes explicit discussion of writing ideas.  The central theme of the course is communication. Lectures focus on the theory and practice of effective communication by constructing and analyzing good writing, technical document preparation, and the production of written, computer, and oral communications. Moreover, group projects are a key element in the course and bring students together to work on written and oral communication assignments. 

4. The course effectively promotes the habit of revised writing, as well as the skills needed to make this effort productive.  Written assignments are treated as drafts that allow students to resubmit assignments as needed. This iterative process allows students to see, examine, and address deficiencies. Starting next year, Diana Hacker’s book, A Writer’s Reference, will be adopted as a required text. To facilitate correcting and student resubmittal, I will be using the coding system presented in Hacker’s book (as suggested by Cheryl Laz). This will allow a student to not only address the comment, but to read background material on the deficiency.

5. The course acquaints students with the writing-related resources that are available to them at USM.  The current required reference book for this course is William S Pfeiffer’s Pocket Guide to Technical Writing, Second Edition (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2000). Based on a recent meeting with Cheryl Laz, it was discussed that Hacker’s Writer’s Reference is a common tool used in writing-intensive and English courses. We will be adopting Hacker’s book and any other writing reference books to foster consistency. Ideally,”writing Intensive tool package” should be developed and universally adopted. In the mean time, I will adopt this book as a required reference. In addition, a statement will be included in the syllabus that this is a writing-intensive course and thus, students are expected to posses and use the writing manual and to commit to improve their writing proficiency.

6. The course enrolls at most 25 students per section.  This course has historically been capped at between 20 to 25 students. There is no plan to increase this limit.

7. The course is taught by faculty members who have participated in activities specifically intended to prepare them for this task.  Dr. Travis Wagner has written four books, numerous articles, and has written extensively during his 14 years as an environmental professional. He also is actively engaged in research and writing. He is committed to attending relevant USM writing courses as they are offered. 

8. The faculty member teaching a “W” course and the sponsoring department agrees to participate in an ongoing effort … to …assess the effectiveness of “W” courses…  The ESP faculty endorsed this application for a “W” designation. The objectives of the W are embedded in the objectives of our program in engendering an environmentally literate and capable graduate. Our courses and approach emphasizes the development of communication skills, especially writing. It is to the benefit of all to assess the effectiveness of what we do. Emblematic of this philosophy is establishing this course, Environmental Communications, as a core requirement for all ESP majors. Environmental Communications for environmental science and policy majors is unique in the environmental field.