2022 Exemplary WAC Program, Emerging

Program Profile—

Program: Writing Across the Curriculum at UArizona

Institution: University of Arizona

Administrative Team:

• Director of Writing Across the Curriculum, Aimee C. Mapes
• Coordinator, Writing and Learning Project and Assistant Professor of Practice, Emily Jo Schwaller
• Coordinator WAC Faculty Fellows and Lecturer, Kristen Hoggatt-Abader
• Writing Specialist, Graduate Assistant, Kathleen Kryger
• Writing Center Embedded Tutoring Coordinator, Graduate Assistant, Leah Bowshier

Year Started: January 2020

Writing Across the Curriculum at UArizona represents a coalition of support from three campus units, including the Office of General Education, the Center for Assessment, Technology, and Teaching, and the Writing Program in the department of English. WAC at UArizona centers on supporting student writers in their undergraduate study. Specifically, our goals emphasize sustained support throughout students’ academic literacy experiences in order to (a) sequence student writing opportunities across their academic careers; (b) increase student engagement through meaningful writing; and (c) contribute to student writing proficiency across a wide range of academic and professional contexts. Current campus-wide initiatives provided by WAC programming include the Writing Attribute in General Education courses and a grant-funded project called WAC Faculty Fellows. Both programs focus on evidence-based instructor training in the teaching of writing. Through workshops, faculty learning communities, and individual consultations, the WAC team helps instructors to design effective writing assignments with a backwards alignment of assessment and feedback. Providing a more robust level of support, the WAC Faculty Fellows initiative involves a year-long commitment of instructors, who learn how to promote antiracist writing pedagogy at our Hispanic Serving Institution. Additionally, these fellows receive support through embedded tutors from Think Tank Writing Center.