Minutes of the Writing Competency Subcommittee

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FRESNO
5240 North Jackson Avenue, M/S UC 43
Fresno, California 93740-8023
Office of the Academic Senate
Ext. 8-2743 Fax: 278-5745

November 8, 2007

Members Present: R. Hansen (Chair), I. Basurto, K. Clement, D. Hart, D. Nef.

Members Absent: T. Miller, K. Mountcastle, L. Zelezny, M. Harris-Gums (student).

Visitors: None.

The meeting was called to order at by Chair Hansen at 11:00 a.m. in the University Center, Room #203.

  1. Minutes. MSC to approve the Minutes of 10/11/2007.
  2. Agenda. MSC to approve the Agenda as distributed.
  3. Communications and Announcements.
    None.
  4. Discussion and Revision of Upper Division Writing (W) Standards.
    MSC to approve the revised Writing Course Requirements and
    forward to the Academic Policies & Procedures Committee for
    review.
  5. Discussion of Upper Division Writing Exam and Grades in Writing
    Courses.
    1. Dr. Nef read a report by Dr. Hendrix, English, who recognizes
      discrepancies between testing results and grading in W courses.
      Dr. Hendrix expressed concern for the wide range of disparate
      curricula and pedagogy currently in driving unarticulated W
      courses and warned . . . “the committee needs to think long
      and hard . . . in terms of how consistency across the board for W
      courses will be established, monitored, and enforced.”
    2. The committee discussed the need for a WAC coordinator to
      manage any articulation of W courses.
    3. Dr. Nef reminded the committee that Writing Competency
      Subcommittee is charged with “establishing standards for writing
      competency expected of students at different stages in completion
      of the University’s writing requirements, including a time table for
      complying with those requirements.”
    4. Members discussed calling for a thorough review of all W courses
      on campus.
  6. Discussion of Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Position.
    1. Call for review of Provost’s decision not to run a tenure track
      search for a Writing Across the Curriculum coordinator on our
      campus.
    2. Discussion targeted the need for University support in the teaching
      of writing, professional development for university instructors not
      trained in writing instruction, university-wide discussion and
      development of writing practices supporting the University’s vision
      of graduates living in the New California.
    3. Members expressed concern about hiring a non-expert for this
      position.

MSC to adjourn. (12:00 p.m.)

The next scheduled meeting of the Writing Competency Subcommittee will be in the Spring 2008 semester. An Agenda will be distributed prior to the meeting.

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