ASCRC Writing Subcommittee Minutes, 9/14/09
Members Present: B. Chin, K. Kuipers, M. Medvetz, M. Semanoff, K. Zoellner
Members Excused/Absent: G. Burns, N. Hinman, E. May
Ex-Officio Present: K. Peterson, K. Ryan
Chair Medvetz called the meeting to order at 2:15 p.m.
The minutes from 5/4/09 were amended and approved.
Communications:
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Members introduced themselves and new members were welcomed.
The Faculty Senate website was transitioned to the content management system
over the summer. Please contact Camie if you are having difficulty with
navigation.
Two courses in Communications Studies (422 & 424) were added to the transition
list. The course forms were submitted in the spring but missed the spring review.
These will be reviewed this fall.
Professor Frey from History questioned whether two upper division writing
courses could satisfy the requirement. It was suggested that a FAQ be drafted to
address this issue. Chair Medvetz will send out a draft.
Chair Medvetz would like the committee to utilize Blackboard to store documents
and have discussions. Several background documents have been posted.
Professor Hinman has a conflict with the meeting time and will try to find a
replacement.
Business Items:
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Chair Medvetz provided an overview of the agenda for the year (appended
below). He requests members to think about what the review of the UDWPA
should accomplish and a reasonable timeline with specific goals.
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The deadline for the submission of writing course forms is 9/25/09. The
committee will review courses in workgroups. Forms will be posted to the
website and assignments will be distributed electronically. The workgroups It is
unclear how many writing courses will be submitted for review this fall.
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
M. Medvets
K. Kuipers
M. Semanoff
K. Zoellner
B. Chin
K. Ryan
G. Burns
K. Webster
N. Hinman
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The committee would like to pursue standing status and will need to review its
charge. Professor Zoellner will provide the steps for amending the Faculty Senate
bylaws.
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Camie will contact the instructors of the exemplary writing courses identified
during the review to get permission to post their courses as samples.
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Members were provided with a report from the Writing Center as well as
longitudinal study of the writing program conducted by Nancy Mattina prior to
her resignation in 2007. A document that tracks the history of general education
at UM is also available on Blackboard. These documents will shape future
discussions.
The current Upper-Division Writing Expectation policy needs to be updated to
adhere to the new writing course guidelines. Chair Medvetz will revise the policy
and send the draft to committee members to consider.
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Third agenda item for the AY: identifying and establishing resources for faculty
teaching writing-intensive courses. Continue to optimize resources for students.
Members should think about specific outcomes.
Good and Welfare
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The Academic Strategic Plan is available for faculty to comment. Camie will
send the link to committee members.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:10 pm.
Agenda for the AY 2009-2010
1. Upper Division Writing Proficiency Assessment (UDWPA)
2. Faculty resources and W-designated courses
3. Writing Center (WC)
(Although conversations about 1 & 2 will include the WC, it should be a separate item so
that we can consider what the WC does and, more important, what it can be.)
[Working] Outline for a conversation about the UDWPA
1. Brief history of UDWPA
 Origin & History of UDWPA
o Call for a “proficiency-based” GE program
o Dissatisfaction with student writing
o Creation of the Provost’s Writing Committee
o Original oversight dispersed among disciplines and units
 Original Intentions
o Community-based assessment
o Foster cross-disciplinary discussions and curricular changes to improve
writing instruction
o Allow students to demonstrate reading comprehension, composition
strategies, and critical reasoning associated with academic literacy
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Current Picture
o Isolated in WC with no communal responsibility or discussion
(administrative and financial responsibility)
o Student and faculty dissatisfaction
o A costly exit exam
2. UDWPA Validation and Logistics
(Kelly Webster, Director of the WC, suggests that the above are the two parallel
conversations.)
First conversation:
UDWPA Validation: The Assessment Vehicle
 What is the purpose of the UDWPA?
o Purpose should govern design of the assessment instrument
o Is the purpose to assess preparedness for upper-division coursework?
o How do we define preparedness?
 An assessment vehicle is only valid insofar as it assesses what it intends to assess
o Does the current instrument assess preparedness? (This question assumes
we agree on a definition of preparedness)
Second conversation:
UDWPA Logistics and the WC’s Role
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Exit exam or mid-career assessment? Enforcing the 45-70 credit rule
WC Roles
o WC and student support
o WC and scoring the assessment (& budget/expenses)
o WC and administration of the assessment (& budget/expenses)
3. For the committee:
 Why assess the UDWPA?
 What will we do with the findings?