Writing Across the Curriculum: A Campus-

Wide Commitment

Jonathan Monroe, Cornell University

Carolyn Haynes, Miami University

Discussion Questions:

Are students at your institution required to engage in a culminating, capstone assignment that incorporates writing?

If so, does the requirement apply equally to all fields or does it vary by discipline?

Are students prepared to complete the requirement effectively? Why or why not?

2004 Faculty Survey of Student Engagement 62% of respondents noted that they do not

assign papers of more than 10 pages. 46% responded that they do not assign

papers between 5-10 pages. More faculty assign papers of fewer than 5

pages. Only 27% report that they do not assign papers of fewer than 5 pages.

Context: Cornell University

Private endowed university and public land-grant institution of New York State

20,000 students 11 undergraduate, graduate,

and professional schools 4,000 courses in 100 departments “ . . . the most educationally diverse . . . of the Ivy League” “Any person . . . any study.” —Ezra Cornell, 1865

First-Year Writing Seminars (1966—) Sophomore Seminars (2000—) Writing in the Majors (1988—) The Cornell Study of Student Writing

(2001-05) The Cornell Consortium for Writing in the

Disciplines (1998—)

First-Year Writing Seminars

150 courses per semester 30 participating departments in the

humanities and social sciences 3,000 first-year students

17 students per course 2-course requirement (only courses

required of all Cornell students) 30 pages per student per semester, including 6

original drafts and at least 3 formal revisions 1/3 faculty-taught; course leaders 2/3 graduate student taught; TW 700 required

Sophomore Seminars

30 courses annually by 2005-06; 20 currently

Elective, gateway courses to potential majors

15 students per seminar Tenure-stream faculty only Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences Discipline-specific approach with interdisciplinary

perspective Cross-disciplinary, cross-college collaboration

Writing in the Majors

30 courses annually Elective, writing-enhanced;

juniors and seniors 15 to 300 students;

“Track 2” sections limited to 20 students each

Physical and Social Sciences

Faculty-taught; graduate student TA

The Cornell Study of Student Writing

Faculty Ownership Faculty and Graduate

Student Fellows The Teaching of Writing

in First-Year Writing Seminars Writing to Learn in Sophomore Seminars

and Writing in the Majors Assessment as Faculty Development

Fundamental Questionsfor Writing in the Disciplines

What features do you consider most important to writing in your discipline?

How do these features compare with what you look for in student writing?

How diverse are your field’s writing practices?

How do your field’s expectations of student writing vary according to level, from cornerstone to capstone?

Writing in Cognitive Science: Exploring the Life of the MindMichael J. Spivey (Cognitive Studies/Psychology)

The Cornell Consortium for Writing in the Disciplines Cornell Statler Hotel

Conference facilities 2-year collaboration 5-6 schools annually 2-3 person teams

of faculty and administrators FWS, SSP, and WIM

presentations by Cornell faculty Planning sessions with participating schools

Context: Miami University Public institution in Ohio 14,500 undergraduates; 110

majors Tradition of liberal education Mostly white, traditionally

aged, upper-middle-class students

Residential community Focus on teaching &

scholarship

University Honors Program, 4 yrs ago 900 students of all majors 20 faculty Students admitted by test

scores, rank 20 courses each year One upper-class residence

hall Required: 4 courses, 3.5

GPA, capstone thesis

Challenges with Honors Program Loss of ability to recruit top students Lack of coherent, robust, staged curriculum

(Only a few faculty taught same courses.) 89% attrition rate in the Honors Program;

(Most left in senior year, due to thesis.) Poor quality theses Lack of assessment of program or student

work

Our Process of Transformation Involved 20 students (first-

year to seniors); Created an independent

study course to investigate the problems and develop solutions;

Engaged in quantitative and qualitative methods of inquiry and benchmarking;

Wrote lengthy proposal and presented it to Provost and President.

Essay-Based Application Automatic admission based on test score

ended; New essay-based application and scoring

rubric created; Applications scored by faculty and staff

reviewers, for a variety of academic and contextual indicators, including intellectual curiosity, capacity to wrestle with multiple perspectives and writing ability.

Program Learning Outcomes Construct disciplinary

knowledge; Show understanding of

diverse cultures and perspectives;

Communicate effectively orally and in writing; Reflect on one’s values, learning or work; Collaborate productively with other learners; Demonstrate responsible citizenship by putting

knowledge into practice.

Writing-Intensive Curriculum Program requirements increased to 8

courses plus 2 out-of-class learning experiences (internship, independent study, study abroad, summer research project)

Number of courses increased to 120 per year; 80% meet liberal education requirement

Set of writing-intensive core courses (US & world cultures, social science, natural science, fine arts, technology) developed.

Faculty Development Workshops Understanding Student

Development Designing Your Honors

Course Creating Effective Writing

Assignments

Developing Active Pedagogies Assessing Student Work Designing Interdisciplinary & Team-Taught

Courses

Staged Expectations for Learning 1st year: introduction to college-level

scholarship, leadership and service (close reading, critical analysis, basic research skills; shorter papers)

2nd & 3rd years: disciplinary research projects, lengthier papers, scholarly service-learning & leadership experiences

4th yr: honors thesis; public presentation of research findings; reflections on self as intellectual leader

Building a Sense of Identity

Program tenets: scholarship, leadership and service

Faculty mentoring program for first-year students

3 themed living & learning halls, focused on program tenets

Co-curricular programs which link to program tenets and gradually increase in sophistication

Writing & Research Support Creation of university-wide writing center Professional adviser who “tracks” progress Annual Undergraduate Research Forum DUOS program (grad student mentorship

program for research) created Grants for student research “Introduction to thesis” course for juniors Online “manual” for thesis advisor and student Support for prestigious scholarship applications

Program & Student Learning Assessment Rubric scoring of student application essays Student & faculty narrative evaluations of

courses (evaluation form specifically addresses writing/research assignments)

Annual, online survey and progress reports Annual focus sessions with students from all

four years; regular class observations Rubric scoring of honors theses

Four years later, we have increased Quality and diversity of

entering students; Student retention (11% to

55%); Avg. rubric score for theses

(up 2.7 pts on 24-pt scale);

Major scholarships won (awarded Truman Honor Institute in 2004);

Seniors presenting at Undergraduate Research Forum (70% increase).

Conclusion:

What questions do you have for us?

Contact Information

Dr. Jonathan Monroe, DirectorJohn S. Knight Institute for Writing in the DisciplinesCornell University; Ithaca, New York 14853jbm3@cornell.edu

Dr. Carolyn Haynes, Director

Honors & Scholars Program

Miami University; Oxford, Ohio 45056

haynesca@muohio.edu