Writing Programs Committee Meeting Minutes
September 23, 2014 | 1:30pm-2:30pm | LL 165
Attending.
Ex-officio: Peter Goggin, Adelheid Thieme, Rebecca Robinson, Gregg Fields, Paul Kei Matsuda, Sarah Snyder, Tonya Eick,
Elected: Katherine Heenan, Karen Dwyer, John Henry Adams, Holly Fulton-Babicke, Peter Wegner, Elizabeth Ferszt
1. Introductions and Call to Order
2. Review and Approval of minutes of April 22 2015 meeting. Matsuda moved, Fields seconded. Minutes were approved.
3. Proposal to increase L2 support for ENG 302 (see handout)
Discussion. The issue affects both 301 and 302 students and teachers, but students may perceive their needs in relation to 301/302 differently than teachers do. Students may not feel the need to master the genres of writing that 301/2 emphasize, because many of them are planning to return to their native countries where employment and business communication documents are significantly different than what is expected in the US. We need to gather data that would give us a better picture of what students’ and teachers’ needs are.
Arranging additional tutoring through the Writing Centers, and additional support for Writing Center tutors in relation to L2 writers, is a good first step while we seek more information.
Even if students don’t feel themselves struggling, the teachers need support because the increasing language issues international students are presenting create additional challenges for instructors and their curriculum.
The proposal as-is will not pass. Instead, Dr. Matsuda will hold a meeting with the Professional Writing administrative team, followed by a discussion group with concerned 301/2 teachers to learn what their needs are, and the L2 writing team will develop a research plan to determine what L2 professional writing students’ self-perceived and teacher-perceived needs are. The team would then create an action plan and report back to the Writing Programs Committee at the end of this academic year.
4. Instructor contracts for next academic year will be the same as this year. Those who have 4/4 will have 4/4 again and those who have 5/5 will have 5/5 again. Only Dean Kenney can make decisions on contract changes, so if instructors have personal reasons for needing a change they would need to speak to him directly. We will raise the question again in the Spring once we have a sense of what the Fall course schedule will require in terms of staffing.
5. Questions about the Writing Programs attendance policy, or specific student concerns regarding attendance, should be directed to Adelheid Thieme.
6. National Day on Writing (Oct. 20th) plans were discussed. Rebecca will be heading up that project this year. We are hoping for two booths depending on volunteer support.
7. Agenda-setting for Committee for the academic year and calendar of meetings.
a. Follow up on support for teachers/L2 students in 301/2
b. Other issues as they arise
c. Calendar of meetings: All Writing Programs Committee meetings will be held from 1:30-2:30pm in LL 165. The remaining calendar dates are Oct 28 2015, Nov 25 2015 (tentative), Jan 27 2016, Feb 24 2016, March 23 2016, April 27 2016.