Exemplary WAC Program Awards

The Exemplary WAC Program Awards series recognizes the extraordinary achievements of WAC directors and/or administrative teams to establish, maintain, and sustain programs that foster and facilitate exemplary engagement with writing across the curriculum at their institution, as well as institutional commitments to support these achievements.

Award Winning Programs

► View the 2024 Exemplary WAC Programs

► View the 2023 Exemplary WAC Programs

► View the 2022 Exemplary WAC Programs

Purpose and Overview of Awards

Three Exemplary WAC Program awards will be issued each award cycle, corresponding with the years dedicated to program building as specified below. This structure affirms that excellence occurs at all levels and honoring this excellence at different stages is important to advance writing across the curriculum at individual institutions as well as more generally as a field. Accordingly, the Exemplary WAC Program Awards series recognizes the extraordinary achievements of WAC directors and/or administrative teams to establish, maintain, and sustain programs that foster and facilitate exemplary engagement with writing across the curriculum at their institution, as well as institutional commitments to support these achievements. Such recognition can help programs build their reputations within their institutions, maintain and enhance their funding, and create momentum for writing across the curriculum. Award-winning programs will be recognized at IWAC, profiled on the WAC Clearinghouse and AWAC websites, and invited to host an AWAC workshop during the upcoming academic year. In this way, the Awards series also aims to support fledgling and future programs by identifying models and establishing a new venue for mentorship. The Awards series is sponsored by the WAC Clearinghouse and the Association for Writing Across the Curriculum. 

Awards

Award for Exemplary Emerging WAC Program (1-5 years)

Award for Exemplary Established WAC Program (6-10 years)

Award for Exemplary Enduring WAC Program (11+ years)

Eligibility

The Awards series was conceived as a way to increase recognition opportunities for WAC programs at various stages. This structure recognizes the labor and institutional commitment required to institute, maintain, and sustain exemplary WAC programs. In addition, this structure and the narrative-based application process enable the Awards to be accessible to programs across varying institutional and organizational contexts. Indeed, the application asks programs—whether newly launched, revitalized, reorganized, or developed steadily over time—to consider how they address and apply WAC Principles and Practices within their specific local context. Accordingly, the Awards highlight the ongoing work required to develop WAC programs as well as programs’ responsiveness to local needs and contextual factors.  

The Awards series is designed to recognize WAC programs broadly conceived, including programs that might be locally described as WAC, writing in the disciplines, communication across the curriculum, communication in the disciplines, or writing-enriched curricula programs. We invite any programs that work toward the broadly-shared goals identified in the Statement of WAC Principles and Practices to apply. Programs that focus on specific academic levels (such as a program designed for graduate students) or disciplines (such as a program supporting specifically business communication) or that work toward these goals without being named a “WAC program” (such as a writing center) are also eligible to apply.

Further Notes on Eligibility

Award for Exemplary Emerging WAC Program

• Programs may only receive this award once.
• At least one member of the program’s administrative team must be a member of AWAC.

Award for Exemplary Established WAC Program

• Programs may only receive this award once.
• At least one member of the program’s administrative team must be a member of AWAC.

Award for Exemplary Enduring WAC Program

• Programs that have earned this award may reapply after seven years.
• At least one member of the program’s administrative team must be a member of AWAC.

Nomination Process

The Exemplary WAC Program Awards Committee welcomes by self- and peer-nominations. All nominated programs must complete a three-part application that describes the WAC program’s administration, features, and support; reflects on its development; and examines its practices in relation to core areas of the WAC Principles and Practices. To be eligible, at least one member of the program must have an individual membership of the Association for Writing Across the Curriculum.

To nominate a peer, please submit the WAC program’s name, the name of the WAC program director, institution, e-mail contact information, and a brief justification. The Award Committee will reach out to the candidate to request supporting materials. Peer nominations are due March 1, 2024. 

Nominate a Peer Here

To self-nominate or submit supplemental materials, complete the three-part application detailed in the Nomination Form. Self nominations and supplemental materials are due May 1, 2024. 

Submit a Nomination Here

Once you create an account, you'll be able to select the specific award you are interested in (Emerging, Established, or Enduring). Part 1 of the Nomination Form needs to be entered into the textbox labeled "Nomination Summary." After you have completed this step in the process, you have two options to complete Parts 2 and 3: 

• Option A: Copy and paste your completed Parts 2 & 3 into the "Full Nomination" text box.
• Option B: Click "Continue" and follow the directions on the next screen to add files for Parts 2 & 3 to your nomination.

Review Process

Nomination materials will be reviewed by members of the Review Committee, who are committed to the ideas in the Anti-Racist Scholarly Reviewing Practices: A Heuristic for Editors, Reviewers, and Authors. 

Members of the Review Committee will individually read and rank applicants for each award. Winners will be selected through a deliberative process based on individual rankings. Review Committee members will also draft an assessment narrative to reflect on the process and recommend changes for future Awards cycles. In addition, the review committee will draft a report on the number of nominations and deliberation process for AWAC/The WAC Clearinghouse.

The Review Committee will retain five members each year. Award winners will be invited to join the Review Committee or nominate someone else to serve for a one-year term. Review Committee members from AWAC/WAC Clearinghouse will serve two-year terms. If you are interested in serving in the future, contact a member of the current Review Committee.

Awards Package

There will be three awardees each year, one for each Award (Emerging, Established, or Enduring Programs). Winning programs will receive a comprehensive awards package, including:

• Profile on WAC Clearinghouse and AWAC’s website
• Opportunity to host an AWAC workshop
• Announcement at IWAC
• Plaque to be presented at IWAC
• Institutional membership to AWAC
• Digital badge to display on the program’s website and email signature line
• Media Kit (press release, social media, email to institution’s PR folks, etc.)

Programs that apply but do not receive an award may request feedback from the committee. They may also reapply in future years.

About this Award

This award is sponsored by the Association for Writing Across the Curriculum and the WAC Clearinghouse. It was developed by the inaugural Exemplary WAC Program Awards Committee, whose members were Sara Austin, Cameron Bushnell, Jill Dahlman, Lindsey Harding, Jackie Kauza, Mary McMullen, Caitlin Martin, and Dan Melzer. The award was approved by the Editorial Board of the WAC Clearinghouse and the Executive Board of the Association for Writing Across the Curriculum in Fall 2021. 

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