Writing Excellence Initiative
First Flight Program
Pilot Testing for Academic Departments
2013-2014
We invite applications for the Writing Excellence Initiative’s First Flight Program from departments that
are eager to begin their work on enhancing their students’ writing abilities, including their ability to
learn through writing.
During the 2013-2014 academic year, the six departments selected for the First Flight Program will pilot
test the first two phases of the Writing Excellence Initiative’s four-phase process: evaluating their
current practices and planning ways to enhance their students’ writing and learning. (The remaining
phases are piloting the plans and then implementing them fully.) By the end of the 2013-14 academic
year, participating departments will have created plans they can pilot test the following year.
Each of the six First Flight departments will enjoy the following forms of support.

$5,000 Writing Excellence Grant for 2013-2014. Departments may use their grants to advance
their efforts to improve their students’ writing, for instance by holding department retreats,
traveling to conferences, engaging consultants, and purchasing books or other resources.

Additional Grant Support in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016. First Flight departments will be eligible
for additional support as they proceed to the third and fourth phases of the Writing Excellence
Initiative’s four-phase program. These grants may also be used to present their
accomplishments on behalf of Elon at professional conferences.

Participation in the interdisciplinary First Flight Collaborative with the other pilot
departments. The Collaborative will provide departments with an opportunity to learn from one
another and to develop solutions to shared challenges collectively.

Extensive guidance and assistance from the Center for Writing Excellence. This assistance will
be tailored to the needs of each individual department.
The deadline for applications is FRIDAY, MAY 3. The simple application process is described below.
FIRST FLIGHT PILOT PROCESS
The First Flight departments will begin their preparations this summer and work on Phases 1 and 2
during the 2103-2014 academic year.
May 2013
Department chairs complete the application process. The two Collaborative Fellows (described
below) for each selected department attend the initial Collaborative meeting during finals week.
Two or more members of each selected department participate in the Elon Writing Excellence
Summer Institute, May 28-31.
Fall semester 2013
Departments define their aspirational goals for the writing abilities of their graduating students,
create a comprehensive map of the writing instruction and support they provide their majors,
gather writing currently produced by their graduating students, and plan the budget for their $5,000
grant to support their pilot work. The department’s Collaborative Fellows meet with Fellows from
other First Flight departments and with the Center for Writing Excellence to develop solutions to
common challenges, to explore the literature on effective writing instruction in the disciplines, and
to develop plans to support department colleagues in enhancing writing.
Spring semester 2014
Departments will assess the effectiveness of their current practices in achieving aspirational goals by
creating and applying rubrics to student writing they gathered in the fall. They will analyze the
results and discuss them as a department. They will plan the ways they will enhance their students’
writing abilities, using as their resources their assessment results, maps of the writing instruction
they current provide, and their research into effective writing instruction in their disciplines.
Departments will make a presentation on their activities and accomplishments to the university.
PREPARING TO APPLY
To prepare to apply for the First Flight Program, departments should do the following.

Identify the degree program(s) on which they will work. Departments that offer more than one
degree or concentration, may choose to work on only one of them, some of them, or all of
them.

Identify two faculty to serve as the department’s First Flight Collaborative Fellows. The Fellows
will play a key role in helping to guide their departments through the year. They will present
information and resources from the Collaborative to their departments, and they will bring to
the Collaborative the approaches, models, questions, and problems that emerge in their
departments. The Collaborative will hold an initial meeting during finals week in May and
another during Planning Week in August. During the 2013-2014 academic year, it will meet
approximately every other week.

Encourage faculty members to participate in the Elon Writing Excellence Summer Institute,
May 28-31. Open to all Elon faculty, this workshop will teach participants an array of practical
strategies they can use to enhance students’ writing and learning in any courses without
becoming overwhelmed by the paper load. We advocate participation by at least one member
of each First Flight department because the workshop will provide a strong foundation for the
department’s work next year. More members may participate. Participants will receive a $500
stipend if they complete two writing assignments suitable for use as models for the university.
Participants must attend all four days. Details are at www.elon.edu/wei.

Affirm that they are prepared to encounter bumps along the way. As pioneers, First Flight
departments will encounter—and develop ways of smoothing out—bumps that others likely
won’t experience later. In addition to developing their own plans, the First Flight departments
will also help the Center for Writing Excellence learn how best to best assist departments, and
they will help the university determine how best to provide departments with the support they
need to reach the goals of the Writing Excellence Initiative.
TO APPLY
As soon as possible but no later than May 3, department chairs should send an email to Paul Anderson
(with a copy to the appropriate dean) indicating interest, including the following information.
1. Department name.
2. Degree program or programs on which the department will focus in 2013-14.
3. Names of the department’s two First Flight Collaborative Fellows.
4. Names of the department member(s), if any, who will attend the Elon Writing Excellence
Summer Institute.
5. Any additional information that the department or department chairs believes to be relevant.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
Applications should be submitted as soon as possible, but no later than Friday, May 3.
QUESTIONS?
Contact PaulAnderson@elon.edu, 6646.