COMMITTEE: Writing Across the Curriculum

MEETING DATE: October 24, 1996

PERSON PRESIDING: Chris Ulffers

ACTIONS OF MEETING: 
Description of Action: Discussed various policies to guide 
the WAC program 

Item: WI Designation in course registration schedule
Rita reported that there continue to be discrepancies 
between this committee's list of WI courses and those 
turned in by the departments. Department chairs are still not 
universally aware that it is their responsibility to designate 
their WI courses each semester when they submit their 
schedules. The following proposals were made:


1) Include a "WI-Yes/No" column on the form that goes to 
the registrar from the departments.

2) Ask the WI instructor to remind the chair that a course is 
WI.

3) Send a memo to the chairs each semester reminding 
them 

a) which of their courses are WI and 
b) that they need to designate these courses on their 
proposed schedule. 

Completion date/Follow-up action required: Rita will 
implement the proposals. 

Item: Request of Beaufort Community College for a 
selection of their courses to be designated WI

Rita reported that their officials are looking into starting 
their own WI program. 

Completion date/Follow-up action required: None required 

Item: Policy for evaluation of WI courses for transfer 
students (Refer to memorandum: September 19, 1996 Dr. 
Buddy Zincone, Transferring ENGL 3880)

 Rita restated that the WI requirement is a graduation 
requirement and not a general education requirement.

Committee members reiterated the belief that it will not hurt 
students to take another WI course

The committee discussed the fact that in the School of 
Business the problem arises because they have only one 
WI course - ENGL 3880 - which is cross-listed under 
Business.

The committee also discussed the impracticality of our trying 
to determine whether every transfer course is WI.

The committee agreed to let our previous policy statement 
on this matter stand. 

Completion date/Follow-up action required: None. 

Item: Incentives to encourage faculty to teach WI courses

Some faculty suggested that designating a course WI can 
hurt enrollment in that course.

The committee discussed the fact that a WI course is more 
labor-intensive for the faculty than a non-WI course.

Rita repeated VC Ringeisen's remark that system-wide exit 
polls of UNC alumnae indicate that our alumnae mentioned 
that their writing skills had improved significantly while in 
pursuit of a degree.

Various incentives were proposed by the committee:

1) Make WI instructors aware of VC Ringeisen's remark 
perhaps by reporting it in Pieces of Eight along with the 
names of WI instructors

2) Set aside "Summer Teaching Stipends" for WI faculty

3) Make travel money available for faculty to attend WAC 
workshops and conferences

4) Designate some of the money collected from the Student 
Computing Fee for WI instructors

5) Encourage VC Ringeisen to write a letter of thanks to all 
WI instructors

6) Encourage VC Ringeisen to host a luncheon for all WI 
instructors

7) Encourage alumnae to develop a special teaching award 
for WI instructors 

Completion date/Follow-up action required: Rita will present 
the list of proposed incentives to VC Ringeisen. 

Description of Action: Approved NUHM 3105, NUHM 3106, 
PSYC 4000, and ANTH 4503 as WI 

Completion date/Follow-up action required: None. 

Description of Action: Tabled consideration of ANTH 2015 
for WI designation pending clarification of course 
requirements 

Completion date/Follow-up action required: Will reconsider 
proposal at next meeting.

NEXT MEETING: December 5, 1996 at 3:00

ITEMS TO BE DISCUSSED:
1) ANTH 2015

2) Professor George Bailey's comments

3) Discuss on-going review system and program 
assessment