ENG 6939 Fall 2024 - Neal
This course begins with the assumption that writing and the academic programs that support it should be designed in response to current theories and research in rhetoric and composition. The principal sites we will study in this course are first-year composition, writing centers, writing across the curriculum, and writing majors. We will look at questions surrounding how, where, when, and by whom writing is designed and delivered. This course will emphasize five critical areas for writing program administrators (WPAs): standardized language; online instruction; generative and assistive AI; articulation with high school writing programs such as AP, IB, and dual enrollment; and program assessment.
Through investigating theories, research, and best practices in designing writing programs, we will explore questions such as:
- How is college writing understood by students, teachers, and administrators?
- Who teaches, tutors, advises, responds to, and evaluates student writing? In what settings and contexts? And what preparation do they have in composition theories and research?
- What are the roles and relationships between and among different writing programs?
- How can college writing programs be designed to reflect current theories, research, and best practices in the discipline?
Students in this seminar will participate in a group research project that surveys and interviews WPAs above their experiences running writing programs in different institutional contexts. From this primary research as well as a variety of readings, students will be challenged to explore various challenges and opportunities within WPA work.
Requirements: This course satisfies the requirement for coursework in the following Area of Concentration: Rhetoric and Composition.