City Tech’s Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) program encourages and supports faculty in their efforts to incorporate meaningful writing in their courses.
The Writing Intensive (WI) Courses offered at City Tech are courses in which writing plays an integral part in the course curriculum. Course content is conveyed through carefully designed assignments which also serve to promote critical thinking. According the Fall 2017 Academic College Catalog (pg. 36), the following requirements have been added for all degree programs: successful completion of two writing intensive courses for the associate degree and successful completion of four writing intensive courses for the baccalaureate degree. Please see WAC’s recommendations on WI course requirements and elements of a WI syllabus.
Faculty participating in WAC’s online (or in person) certification process can expect to:
- learn how to craft a WI syllabus;
- design and assess effective writing assignments using WAC best practices;
- coach students on how to avoid plagiarism;
- and be exposed to active learning pedagogies.
Throughout the certification process, a WAC fellow partner will provide information and support. Faculty participants will also be provided with a copy of “Engaging Ideas” by John Bean to use as a reference (thanks to the Faculty Commons).
Getting started:
- Email WAC co-coordinators Rebecca Mazumdar (rmazumdar@citytech.cuny.edu) and Samar ElHitti (selhitti@citytech.cuny.edu) to be assigned a writing fellow who will help you work on revising your assignments and answer any questions you have about the certification process.
Each month:
- Watch the faculty workshop or attend in person (see the schedule page).
- If watching online, post one comment on this OpenLab site responding to the discussion prompt and respond to at least one of your colleagues’s comments.
- If attending in person, participate in discussion/activities.
- Work with your WAC fellow to complete the portfolio assignment.
In order to complete the certification process:
- By the end of the academic year, compile a portfolio of your revised materials, drawing from the monthly portfolio assignments (one informal assignment, one formal assignment, and your revised WI syllabus). See portfolio examples, cover letters and revised WI syllabi from certified faculty here.
- Include a two page cover letter reflecting on the digital certification process (guidelines) or attend the semester-end WAC colloquium (December and May) to share your experience and materials.
- Teach your WI course using your revised materials, continuing to work with a writing fellow.
See the WI Digital Certification “course outline”
Please visit WAC’s OpenLab website for more information on our program, resources, and blogs posts on WAC.
