Minutes of the Writing Competency Subcommittee

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FRESNO
5241 North Maple, M/S TA 43
Fresno, California 93740-8027

Office of the Academic Senate
Ext. 8-2743

September 7, 2010

Members Present:      K. Putirka (Chair), E. Hughes, D. Nef, B. Sethuramasamyraja, S. Sivek.

Members Absent:       V. Crisco, C. Ogaja.

Visitors:                       William Covino, Henry Delcore, Jennifer Ivie, Ellen Junn.

The meeting was called to order at 11:00 a.m. by Chair Putirka in TA #117.

1. Minutes. MSC to approve the Minutes of 12/1/2009.

2. Agenda. MSC to approve the Agenda as distributed.

3. Communications and Announcements.

There were none.

4. Improving Student Writing Initiative.

Bill, Henry, Ellen and Jennifer presented results related to ISWI, the Improving Student Writing Initiative. Studies show that writing skills of students improve with a (a) increased opportunities to write, and (b) when writing is sustained through four years of college (writing skills erode, even while students are in college, if they do not continually practice). However, teaching students to write effectively is labor intensive and absorbs considerable faculty time. Technology, such as “Criterion” software, may help reduce the work load, as might faculty development where faculty learn strategies to teaching writing effectively. Surveys show that most CSU Fresno students believe that Criterion helps improve their writing and provided useful feedback. ESL students tend to use Criterion more (More submissions per assignment). Faculty generally think that Criterion is useful, but some
indicate that it does less than expected (Criterion cannot be used to “grade” writing samples).

MSC to adjourn at 12:00 p.m.

The next scheduled meeting of the Writing Competency Subcommittee will be Tuesday, September 23, 2010 at 11:00 a.m., in the Library, Room #4164.

Agenda 

1. Approval of the Minutes of 9/7/2010
2. Approval of the Agenda
3. Communications and announcements
4. Which, if any, of our writing policies are useful.
5. What should be changed (implementations, the policies, themselves, etc.)
6. Consider 1. and 2. in the context of "ISWI Brainstrom" notes.

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