WRITING AND ORAL COMMUNICATION TASK FORCE
Minutes of February 6, 2003
Present: Steve Bernhardt, John Courtright, Pam Beeman, Michael Chajes, Carol
Vukelich, Jack Baroudi, Leila Lyons, Karen McCready, Erin Sicuranza, Julie Demgen
Karen has a schedule conflict this semester but will find an alternate for the task force.
Steve and John talked with Clyde Moneyhun about the impact on the Writing Center if a
Communication Center is established. The WC would likely be moved from Arts &
Science to become University-wide, possibly through Undergraduate Studies. Clyde is
drafting a concept paper. It was noted that the faculty in the Center would have to have
home departments. Eventually we might approach business and industry for sponsorship.
John advocated the 4-credit course combining E110 and oral communication. Clyde and
Robin Vagenas are asked to put together a curriculum and do an assessment, hopefully by
next fall. The course could be generic, thematic or discipline-specific.
The Center would advance pushing the course responsibility to academic departments by
acting as catalyst, providing workshops, doing outreach, assigning grad students to work
with departments. Michael suggested using the UniDel grant to try some of these things,
for example a Writing Center Fellow.
Steve sees advantages of the Center as development, outreach, and an existing facility.
There would be no new faculty lines at first but possibly a full-time Center position.
Staff would be half time WC, half-time teaching. Do we call them Professors? John
suggested “thought leaders”.
The English faculty’s reaction so far has been to protect graduate student positions. It
would make sense to convert the current supplemental contracts to full-time, as Steve
proposes.
What is needed now:
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written agreement
draft of a Pilot Project
an A&S department to take ownership
assessment
Although B&E faculty are OK with content but feel inadequate to assess writing, they
would be working with an experienced person. Michael said that his department has an
efficient assessment model for the student writing portfolios they do in Winter Session.
Jack’s concern, as always, is how to sell the idea to faculty – what’s in it for them?
Regarding the proposed portfolios, Carol pointed out that most students don’t save their
old papers. Erin suggested targeting departments that are going through accreditation.
John reiterated that this will all entail a major culture change and that the Provost will
want to see that what we do makes a difference. Pam reminded us that we will need
approval from OVPR for Human Subjects.
Steve said that Debby Andrews is interested in working on outreach. He is still interested
in expanding the Writing Fellows, and Karen thinks that it would be beneficial to recruit
them from other colleges, although that could bring up issues in compensation. Jack
asked if the WF pool is big enough, and Karen replied that applicants are always turned
away – some of them qualified, others not.
Erin requested funding for a half-time person to work with Carol on electronic portfolios.
The FIPSE proposal currently in the works would be $320,000 for 3 years and used for
faculty development.
Regarding delisting COMM 312 – it could be just one option instead of a requirement.
John and Leila will meet with Marcia Watson-Whitmyre to discuss supply and demand.