Writing Across the Curriculum Program Annual Report
Fall 2005/Spring 2006
Prepared by Dan Melzer, University Reading and Writing Coordinator and
Writing Across the Curriculum Program Coordinator
Narrative Summary of Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Activities
Univeristy-wide Outreach
In Fall 2005/Spring 2006, WAC continued its campus-wide outreach through workshops,
a faculty development retreat, and a full-day conference. The WAC Program presented a
campus-wide workshop in the Fall, “Time-Saving Techniques for Responding to Student
Writing,” and a campus-wide workshop in the Spring, “Teaching the Research Paper.”
WAC organized the 2nd Annual Reading and Writing across the Curriculum Conference
at Sacramento State in the Spring. The conference included presenters and attendees from
across disciplines as well as local high school and community college instructors. Over
sixty instructors attended the conference, and there were twenty-five presenters from a
broad range of departments. Just before the Fall semester WAC organized a two-day
faculty development retreat, “Writing, Reading, and Critical Thinking: Improving
Student Learning in any Discipline.” There were over thirty attendees from across
disciplines. WAC continued to offer thesis writing workshops each semester, and over
seventy graduate students from a variety of departments attended the workshops and
twenty students participated in thesis writing groups. The WAC program was also
involved in improving campus writing policies through the Subcommittee for Writing
and Reading’s report on the Comprehensive Writing Program to the Faculty Senate.
WAC continued to publish a campus-wide newsletter twice each semester.
Departmental and College Outreach
The WAC program presented workshops for Communication Studies and the College of
Health and Human Services and gave classroom presentations for the Government
Department and the College of Health and Human Services. WAC provided tutoring
support through its Tutoring in the Disciplines program for Civil Engineering and the
College of Business Administration. The Tutoring in the Disciplines program provides
discipline-specific tutoring in reading and writing for a department or college: the WAC
program supports five hours of tutoring, which is matched by the department or college.
WAC generated $4,500 in departmental funding for tutoring through this program. WAC
Program Fellows (graduate and advanced undergraduate students hired to assist the WAC
program coordinator) are currently completing writing guides for the Sociology
Department and the Office of Community Collaboration.
Community Outreach
Dan Melzer, director of the WAC program, is involved in faculty development for the
Early Assessment Program (EAP). EAP is a program supported by the CSU Chancellor’s
Office whose purpose is to implement a college prep reading and writing course, along
with faculty development activities, for high school teachers across California. Melzer
also presented at the 2005 Summer Reading Institute for Academic Preparation, another
high school outreach program. Melzer is also part of a team of Sacramento State
instructors creating a non-profit community literacy center, GiantINK. GiantINK has
provided after-school tutoring at St. Hope at Sacramento High School and is currently
helping St. Hope create a literary magazine. In addition to these outreach activities,
Melzer presented a WAC workshop and scholarly talk at James Madison University and
a workshop on writing in the sciences for science instructors at Will Wood High School
in Vacaville.
Collaboration
WAC has collaborated with a number of campus units in Fall 2005/Spring 2006. WAC
collaborated with Graduate Studies to present two thesis writing workshops. WAC
collaborated with the library for a workshop on teaching the research paper. WAC
collaborated with the Writing Center to present the panel “Writing Centers and WAC:
Making Connections” at the 2006 Northern California Writing Centers Association
Conference. WAC is currently collaborating with the Office of Community Collaboration
to create writing guides and resources for service learning instructors.
Policy Initiatives
The Subcommittee for Writing and Reading spent Fall 2005/Spring 2006 fulfilling the
Faculty Senate’s charge to review Sacramento State’s Comprehensive Writing Program
and make recommendations to improve the sequencing of the program and infuse writing
more broadly across the curriculum. The Subcommittee’s report can be found at
http://www.csus.edu/acse/archive/0506/06_fsa_mar_30_A-1.doc.
(I will write more about this after the second reading before the Senate).
Research and Scholarly Presentations
WAC has expanded a pilot survey of alumni writing and Dan Melzer and Carolyn
Pickrel, the former WAC Fellow who designed the survey, are currently working on an
article based on the survey. WAC collaborated with the Writing Center to present the
panel “Writing Centers and WAC: Making Connections” at the 2006 Northern California
Writing Centers Association Conference. Members of the Subcommittee for Writing and
Reading (Dan Melzer, Hugh Wilson, Amy Heckathorn, and Fiona Glade) are presenting
the panel “From the Ground Up: A Model for Building a Faculty-Centered WAC
Program” at the Eighth National Writing Across the Curriculum Conference in Clemson,
South Carolina on May 19, 2006. This panel will provide an overview of the
development of the WAC program at Sacramento State.
Initiatives for Fall 2006/Spring 2007
In Fall 2006/Spring 2007, the WAC program will continue to provide faculty support
through successful programs like the faculty development retreat and Tutoring in the
Disciplines while also implementing recommendations from the Subcommittee for
Writing and Reading’s Comprehensive Writing Proposal. WAC will also be involved in
organizing a regional conference in Fall 2006/Spring 2007. WAC and the Writing Center
have been asked to co-host the 2007 Northern California Writing Centers Association
Conference.
Number of Faculty and Students Served, Fall 2005/Spring 2006
Number of faculty served
Faculty development workshops: 45 participants
Spring 2006 Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum Conference: 60 participants
2005 Faculty Development Retreat: 30 participants
Total number of faculty served: 135
Number of students served
Thesis writing workshops: 70 participants
Classroom presentations: 30 students
Disciplinary tutoring: 70 tutoring sessions
Total number of students served: 170
Workshops, Conferences, and Classroom Presentations
Campus-wide Workshops and Conferences
“Teaching the Research Paper.” April 12, 2006.
“Writing a Thesis.” March 3, 2006.
2nd Annual Reading and Writing across the Curriculum Conference at Sacramento State. February
17, 2006.
“Writing a Thesis.” September 23, 2005.
“Time-Saving Techniques for Responding to Student Writing.” September 21, 2005.
“2005 Writing Across the Curriculum Faculty Retreat: Writing, Reading, and Critical Thinking:
Improving Student Learning in any Discipline.” August 22 and 23, 2005.
Departmental and College-wide Workshops
“Time-Saving Techniques for Responding to Student Writing.” Communication Studies
Department. April 5, 2006.
“Writing a Thesis.” Government Department. March 23, 2006.
“Creating Effective Writing Assignments.” College of Health and Human Services. October 21,
2005.
“Writing Research Papers and Theses: Tips for Success.” College of Health and Human Services.
October 11 and 12, 2005.
Community Outreach Workshops
“Expository Reading and Writing.” Early Assessment Program. Sacramento Valley High
Schools. March 8, 2006.
“Designing Successful Writing Prompts.” Will Wood High School Science Faculty. November
30 and December 14, 2005.
“Expository Reading and Writing.” Early Assessment Program. Sacramento Valley High
Schools. November 15, 2005.
“Responding to Student Writing.” CSUS Reading Institute for Academic Preparation. October 21,
2005.
“Writing Across the Curriculum: Methods and Models for Improving Student Writing.” James
Madison University. October 7 and 8, 2005.
Operating Expenses, Fall 2005/Spring 2006
Tutoring in the Disciplines Program: $3,000
WAC Fellows: $3,000
Newsletters: $3,000
Advertising: $1,500
WAC library book purchases: $1,000
2006 Reading and Writing Conference: $2,000
Workshop food: $1,000
2005 Faculty Retreat: $2,000
Conferences/Professional Development: $4,000
Office Supplies: $1,500
Total operating expenses: $22,000