Writing Across the Curriculum: A Campus-Wide Commitment Jonathan Monroe, Cornell University Carolyn...
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Transcript of Writing Across the Curriculum: A Campus-Wide Commitment Jonathan Monroe, Cornell University Carolyn...
Writing Across the Curriculum: A Campus-
Wide Commitment
Jonathan Monroe, Cornell University
Carolyn Haynes, Miami University
Discussion Questions:
Are students at your institution required to engage in a culminating, capstone assignment that incorporates writing?
If so, does the requirement apply equally to all fields or does it vary by discipline?
Are students prepared to complete the requirement effectively? Why or why not?
2004 Faculty Survey of Student Engagement 62% of respondents noted that they do not
assign papers of more than 10 pages. 46% responded that they do not assign
papers between 5-10 pages. More faculty assign papers of fewer than 5
pages. Only 27% report that they do not assign papers of fewer than 5 pages.
Context: Cornell University
Private endowed university and public land-grant institution of New York State
20,000 students 11 undergraduate, graduate,
and professional schools 4,000 courses in 100 departments “ . . . the most educationally diverse . . . of the Ivy League” “Any person . . . any study.” —Ezra Cornell, 1865
First-Year Writing Seminars (1966—) Sophomore Seminars (2000—) Writing in the Majors (1988—) The Cornell Study of Student Writing
(2001-05) The Cornell Consortium for Writing in the
Disciplines (1998—)
First-Year Writing Seminars
150 courses per semester 30 participating departments in the
humanities and social sciences 3,000 first-year students
17 students per course 2-course requirement (only courses
required of all Cornell students) 30 pages per student per semester, including 6
original drafts and at least 3 formal revisions 1/3 faculty-taught; course leaders 2/3 graduate student taught; TW 700 required
Sophomore Seminars
30 courses annually by 2005-06; 20 currently
Elective, gateway courses to potential majors
15 students per seminar Tenure-stream faculty only Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences Discipline-specific approach with interdisciplinary
perspective Cross-disciplinary, cross-college collaboration
Writing in the Majors
30 courses annually Elective, writing-enhanced;
juniors and seniors 15 to 300 students;
“Track 2” sections limited to 20 students each
Physical and Social Sciences
Faculty-taught; graduate student TA
The Cornell Study of Student Writing
Faculty Ownership Faculty and Graduate
Student Fellows The Teaching of Writing
in First-Year Writing Seminars Writing to Learn in Sophomore Seminars
and Writing in the Majors Assessment as Faculty Development
Fundamental Questionsfor Writing in the Disciplines
What features do you consider most important to writing in your discipline?
How do these features compare with what you look for in student writing?
How diverse are your field’s writing practices?
How do your field’s expectations of student writing vary according to level, from cornerstone to capstone?
Writing in Cognitive Science: Exploring the Life of the MindMichael J. Spivey (Cognitive Studies/Psychology)
The Cornell Consortium for Writing in the Disciplines Cornell Statler Hotel
Conference facilities 2-year collaboration 5-6 schools annually 2-3 person teams
of faculty and administrators FWS, SSP, and WIM
presentations by Cornell faculty Planning sessions with participating schools
Context: Miami University Public institution in Ohio 14,500 undergraduates; 110
majors Tradition of liberal education Mostly white, traditionally
aged, upper-middle-class students
Residential community Focus on teaching &
scholarship
University Honors Program, 4 yrs ago 900 students of all majors 20 faculty Students admitted by test
scores, rank 20 courses each year One upper-class residence
hall Required: 4 courses, 3.5
GPA, capstone thesis
Challenges with Honors Program Loss of ability to recruit top students Lack of coherent, robust, staged curriculum
(Only a few faculty taught same courses.) 89% attrition rate in the Honors Program;
(Most left in senior year, due to thesis.) Poor quality theses Lack of assessment of program or student
work
Our Process of Transformation Involved 20 students (first-
year to seniors); Created an independent
study course to investigate the problems and develop solutions;
Engaged in quantitative and qualitative methods of inquiry and benchmarking;
Wrote lengthy proposal and presented it to Provost and President.
Essay-Based Application Automatic admission based on test score
ended; New essay-based application and scoring
rubric created; Applications scored by faculty and staff
reviewers, for a variety of academic and contextual indicators, including intellectual curiosity, capacity to wrestle with multiple perspectives and writing ability.
Program Learning Outcomes Construct disciplinary
knowledge; Show understanding of
diverse cultures and perspectives;
Communicate effectively orally and in writing; Reflect on one’s values, learning or work; Collaborate productively with other learners; Demonstrate responsible citizenship by putting
knowledge into practice.
Writing-Intensive Curriculum Program requirements increased to 8
courses plus 2 out-of-class learning experiences (internship, independent study, study abroad, summer research project)
Number of courses increased to 120 per year; 80% meet liberal education requirement
Set of writing-intensive core courses (US & world cultures, social science, natural science, fine arts, technology) developed.
Faculty Development Workshops Understanding Student
Development Designing Your Honors
Course Creating Effective Writing
Assignments
Developing Active Pedagogies Assessing Student Work Designing Interdisciplinary & Team-Taught
Courses
Staged Expectations for Learning 1st year: introduction to college-level
scholarship, leadership and service (close reading, critical analysis, basic research skills; shorter papers)
2nd & 3rd years: disciplinary research projects, lengthier papers, scholarly service-learning & leadership experiences
4th yr: honors thesis; public presentation of research findings; reflections on self as intellectual leader
Building a Sense of Identity
Program tenets: scholarship, leadership and service
Faculty mentoring program for first-year students
3 themed living & learning halls, focused on program tenets
Co-curricular programs which link to program tenets and gradually increase in sophistication
Writing & Research Support Creation of university-wide writing center Professional adviser who “tracks” progress Annual Undergraduate Research Forum DUOS program (grad student mentorship
program for research) created Grants for student research “Introduction to thesis” course for juniors Online “manual” for thesis advisor and student Support for prestigious scholarship applications
Program & Student Learning Assessment Rubric scoring of student application essays Student & faculty narrative evaluations of
courses (evaluation form specifically addresses writing/research assignments)
Annual, online survey and progress reports Annual focus sessions with students from all
four years; regular class observations Rubric scoring of honors theses
Four years later, we have increased Quality and diversity of
entering students; Student retention (11% to
55%); Avg. rubric score for theses
(up 2.7 pts on 24-pt scale);
Major scholarships won (awarded Truman Honor Institute in 2004);
Seniors presenting at Undergraduate Research Forum (70% increase).
Conclusion:
What questions do you have for us?
Contact Information
Dr. Jonathan Monroe, DirectorJohn S. Knight Institute for Writing in the DisciplinesCornell University; Ithaca, New York [email protected]
Dr. Carolyn Haynes, Director
Honors & Scholars Program
Miami University; Oxford, Ohio 45056