ASCRC Writing Committee Minutes, 12/3/12
TODD 203
Members Present: G. Burns, B. Chin, C. Corr, J. Drew, J. Glendening, J. Melcher D. Raiford, R.
Sattler, M. Stark, M. Triana, G. Wiex
Ex-Officio Members Present: C. Coder K. Ryan, K. Webster
Members Absent/Excused: J. Moore, F. Rosenzweig
Guest: A. Walker-Andrews
The meeting was called to order at 10:10 p.m.
The minutes from 11/28 were amended and approved.
Business Items:

The committee discussed the challenges with using an analytic rubric for large scale
assessment. Members who used the analytic rubric shared the difficulties. It is extremely time
intensive and requires very close attention to individual characteristics. It would be helpful to
have the writing assignment. Members found that they tended to read holistically anyway.
Analytic rubrics are helpful in providing specific feedback to students on the strengths and
weaknesses on a specific paper, but would not be sustainable on a large scale. It is likely that
faculty members would not devote the time necessary for training and scoring papers using an
analytic rubric and the success of the project is contingent on writing instructor involvement.
The committee should keep in mind what type of data is needed for the program to be useful.
The assessment should find patterns of weaknesses. A holistic analysis asks bigger questions
and the rater reliability is higher. The descriptors must be specific for each score point.
Associate Provost Walker-Andrews commented that it is up to the committee to decide which
type of rubric to use, but cautions not do duplicate the mistake made with the UDWPA. She
imagines the same type of concerns were expressed that focused efforts on one exam scored
holistically. The reason for the pilot is to find a better way for assessment that provides a
mechanism for improved instruction and that shows improved student performance.
Director Ryan drafted a holistic rubric from the writing program learning outcomes modeled
after the ACT and MUSWA.
Members were asked to evaluate some of the same papers using the holistic rubric documenting
the strengths and weaknesses of the rubric compared to the analytic rubric. Members should
make a list of topics they would make comments on if returning the paper to the student. A few
of the new papers collected with assignments should also be evaluated with the holistic rubric.
Please send your scores and comments to Camie for processing prior to the first meeting in the
spring so the committee can see the distribution of the scores and discuss possible revisions to
the holistic scoring rubric.

The pending upper-division writing courses appended below were approved. BIO 415 still
requires follow-up. Management requests a one-time-only writing status for two sections of
BGEN 200 (291) offered this spring. Normally approved courses are not effective until the
following fall. ASCRC may consider requests for exceptions.

Changes to the form and the drop down rubric will need to be considered. Camie will meet
with Director Webster over the break to make the revisions. Director Webster will be on leave
for part of spring semester.

Camie will work on putting the survey into a system for delivery to Department Chairs in
January.

The Committee approved the proposed new Writing Program labels (Writing to Learn -WL and
Writing in the Discipline-WD) presented by Directors Webster and Ryan. These labels are
more descriptive, better differentiate the requirements and are less confusing.

The Committee discussed the possibility of a spring workshop on Information Literacy. The
Library already provides information instruction either by integrated instruction or guest
lectures (teaching approximately 10,000 students in 500 courses). Professor Stark will provide
the committee with the instruction report. She will contact Professor Samson, the Library
Instruction Coordinator about collaborating on a spring workshop.

The committee will be meeting on February 4th, March 4th, April 8th, and May 6th. The retreat
is scheduled on April 12th at Montana Island Lodge if the Lake is not frozen and the Keep if it
is. A save the date invitation will be sent soon. After the retreat the Committee will need to
submit a report on the Pilot Project to ASCRC and Associate Provost Walker-Andrews.
Good and Welfare

Professor Weix has a class currently listed in the schedule as an upper-division writing course
that no longer has the designation. She is willing to teach it as a writing course but will need
the committee’s approval. The course is currently under enrolled so may not actually happen.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:00 p.m.
Upper- Division Writing Courses
LIT 300
LIT 304
LIT 316
LIT 327
LIT 342
LIT 343
LIT 353
LIT 376
LIT 494
Introduction to Literary Criticism
US Writers of Color
Topics in Postcolonial Theory
Shakespeare
Montana Writers
African American Literature
Milton
Literature and Other Disciplines
Capstone Seminar in Literature