The Informer Page 6

May 1,1989

The Writing Across the Curriculum Conference

May 15-18, 1989 Capilano College
Co-sponsored by The Faculty Development
Committee and the CCFA

We are delighted with the interest and enthusiasm
expressed by many colleagues in all parts of the college
for the upcoming Writing Across the Curriculum
Conference. At the four-day workshop we hope to
build on that enthusiasm, by exchanging ideas about
practical ways in which writing can be used.

At the same time, we recognize that a number of
colleagues have well-founded reservations about
increasing the writing component of their courses. We
hope that they too will be able to join us and express
these concerns.

Panel presentations will be brief and we'll allow plenty
of time for an open exchange of opinion, both in the
large groups and in small, “break away groups.”

Here is advance notice of the schedule of meetings. As
you can see, it is a full programme.

MONDAY 15 May

9:30 Coffee
10:00 Welcome and Introduction

Small groups: Why have students write?

Larger groups: Purpose for student writing and
problems to be addressed.

12:00 A light lunch

1:00 Presentations by faculty from the University of
Puget Sound: Sequencing writing assignments
to meet course objectives.

3:00 Small groups:
Designing short sequenced assignments to meet
goals of courses in various disciplines.

TUESDAY, 16 MAY
Theme: WRITING TO LEARN

9:00 Coffee

9:30 Arguing across the curriculum: an exploration
of argument as a mode of writing which crosses
disciplinary boundaries. What makes good
arguments and valid evidence in different
fields?

Panel of Capilano College faculty, followed by
small group discussions.

12:00 A light lunch

1:00 Short assignments for disciplined thinking and
learning.

Panel of Whatcom Community College and
Capilano College faculty.

3:00 Small group discussions.

WEDNESDAY 17 May
Theme: LANGUAGE AND THE STUDENT

9:00 Coffee
9:30 Impatiens walleriana or busy Lizzie? Academic

and technical languages in relation to first and
second year students: What are our priorities
and expectations?

Language and the ESL student.
Panel of Capilano College faculty.

12:00 A light lunch
1:00

11:00

Reading for learning.
Panel of Capilano College faculty.

2:00 Making connections between speaking and

writing: the use of classroom talk.

3:00 Using audience awareness and writer’s role as

a means of clarifying writing assignments.

THURSDAY 18 MAY
Theme: LIVING WITH WRITING—THE
INSTRUCTOR’S ROLE

9:00 Coffee

9:30 Small groups: marking session, and a
discussion of what we look for in good student
writing.

10:30 Can writing work for our students without
adding to our own workload?

Panel of Writing Across the Curriculum
coordinators for Fraser Valley College, Whatcom
Community College and Western Washington
University.

12:00 A light lunch

1:00 Plans for the future: proficiency tests for
incoming students; the role of the Writing
Centre; cross-disciplinary meetings and
seminars.

4:00 Closing tea.

A questionnaire has been circulated. Please complete
it if you can and return it to the Writing Centre, in
Humanities. We are hoping to discover your writing
expectations and needs, in order to ensure that your
topics are covered. Also, please indicate possible days
of attendance in order to allow for planning the food.

I thank Rosemary Coupe, Penny Connell and
others for their work to date and look forward to
seeing many of you at this conference—for the whole
programme, if possible, or for a few sessions.

Good marking!