Sept. 14, 2011
Source: Diane Kelly-Riley, Co-Director, Writing Program, 509-335-1323, dokelly@wsu.edu
Lisa Johnson Shull, Co-Director, Writing Program, 509-335-7695, lisaj@wsu.edu
Media Contact: David Clarke, communications assistant, WSU University College, 509-335-8070, david.h.clarke@email.wsu.edu
PULLMAN, Wash.—The Writing Program at Washington State University made its tenth appearance as one of the nation’s top programs, according to the “America’s Best Colleges 2012” report by U.S. News & World Report released Sept. 13, 2011. [http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings]
Named an “Academic Program to Look For” in the “Writing in the Disciplines” category, the Writing Program puts WSU in the company of 17 other universities, including Harvard, Duke, and Princeton. It is the only program from the PAC-12 to make the list.
“These colleges typically make the writing process a priority at all levels of instruction and across the curriculum,” says the ranking page online. “Students are encouraged to produce and refine various forms of writing for different audiences in different disciplines.”
“WSU provides a writing-rich curriculum that spans the entire undergraduate experience,” says Diane Kelly-Riley, co-director of the Writing Program. “In addition to the first-year writing and 400 upper-division ‘Writing in the Majors’ courses, many general education courses have substantial writing components.
“A significant number of instructional faculty at WSU participate in the Writing Program—by assigning and evaluating writing in their courses, by approving course papers for submission for students’ Junior Writing Portfolios, and by serving as raters in the WSU Writing Assessment Program.”
Writing Program co-director Lisa Johnson adds “The Writing Program is as much a faculty- support enterprise as a student-service unit. Our hope is that faculty seeking to design effective writing assignments and compatible assessment criteria will invite us to help them.”
Elements of the Writing Program, a program in the University College at WSU, have existed for more than a quarter century at the university, and took its current shape around 1991. It consists of three parts:
The WSU Writing Program has been on the list for 10 of the 11 years that the U.S. News & World Report “Academic Programs to Look For” list has been published.
“Writing in the Disciplines” is one of eight categories of academic programs that are believed to lead to student success, as identified by the magazine and education experts including staff at the Association of American Colleges and Universities.
The additional seven categories are first-year experiences, internships and co-ops, senior capstone, undergraduate research and creative projects, learning communities, study abroad, and service learning.
The WSU Learning Communities/Freshman Focus program appeared in the 2007 “Academic Programs to Look For” list; it is another program in the University College.
For more information, visit the website at WritingProgram.wsu.edu. [http://WritingProgram.wsu.edu]
WSU Writing Program Makes Tenth Appearance Among Top in the Nation in U.S. News & World Report Rankings
Source: Diane Kelly-Riley, Co-Director, Writing Program, 509-335-1323, dokelly@wsu.edu
Lisa Johnson Shull, Co-Director, Writing Program, 509-335-7695, lisaj@wsu.edu
Media Contact: David Clarke, communications assistant, WSU University College, 509-335-8070, david.h.clarke@email.wsu.edu
PULLMAN, Wash.—The Writing Program at Washington State University made its tenth appearance as one of the nation’s top programs, according to the “America’s Best Colleges 2012” report by U.S. News & World Report released Sept. 13, 2011. [http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings]
Named an “Academic Program to Look For” in the “Writing in the Disciplines” category, the Writing Program puts WSU in the company of 17 other universities, including Harvard, Duke, and Princeton. It is the only program from the PAC-12 to make the list.
“These colleges typically make the writing process a priority at all levels of instruction and across the curriculum,” says the ranking page online. “Students are encouraged to produce and refine various forms of writing for different audiences in different disciplines.”
“WSU provides a writing-rich curriculum that spans the entire undergraduate experience,” says Diane Kelly-Riley, co-director of the Writing Program. “In addition to the first-year writing and 400 upper-division ‘Writing in the Majors’ courses, many general education courses have substantial writing components.
“A significant number of instructional faculty at WSU participate in the Writing Program—by assigning and evaluating writing in their courses, by approving course papers for submission for students’ Junior Writing Portfolios, and by serving as raters in the WSU Writing Assessment Program.”
Writing Program co-director Lisa Johnson adds “The Writing Program is as much a faculty- support enterprise as a student-service unit. Our hope is that faculty seeking to design effective writing assignments and compatible assessment criteria will invite us to help them.”
Elements of the Writing Program, a program in the University College at WSU, have existed for more than a quarter century at the university, and took its current shape around 1991. It consists of three parts:
- the Writing Assessment Office (which oversees the junior Writing Portfolio requirement for WSU and administers placement tests for new students)
- the Writing Centers (which offers in-person peer tutoring services to hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students annually and participates in the Northwest eTutoring consortium to offer web-based writing tutoring)
- the Writing in the Disciplines program (which assists faculty to design effective writing assignments for their classes, and criteria for evaluation)
The WSU Writing Program has been on the list for 10 of the 11 years that the U.S. News & World Report “Academic Programs to Look For” list has been published.
“Writing in the Disciplines” is one of eight categories of academic programs that are believed to lead to student success, as identified by the magazine and education experts including staff at the Association of American Colleges and Universities.
The additional seven categories are first-year experiences, internships and co-ops, senior capstone, undergraduate research and creative projects, learning communities, study abroad, and service learning.
The WSU Learning Communities/Freshman Focus program appeared in the 2007 “Academic Programs to Look For” list; it is another program in the University College.
For more information, visit the website at WritingProgram.wsu.edu. [http://WritingProgram.wsu.edu]
