The Informer Page 8

February 28, 1989

FACULTY DEVELOPMENT

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WRITING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM

The first meeting to introduce Writing Across the
Curriculum was held on Tuesday, 31 January (as
announced in the Spring Programme brochure).
Some 40 faculty members attended, representing a
wide cross-section of the college: there were faculty
from each of the three major divisions, including the
Achievement Resource Centre, all three Academic
divisions and many Career programmes.

Reid Gilbert introduced the session, outlining its
aim, which was to introduce this type of “in service”
workshop, to familiarize faculty with some of the
theory of Writing Across the Curriculum, to provide
information about the implementation of WAC in
other Colleges and, in particular at Fraser Valley
College and to outline problems inherent in any
undertaking here at Capilano. Dennis Wright,
Rosemary Coupe, Ruth d’Hollander, John Potts
and Penelope Connell each spoke. Those in
attendance were then invited to ask questions or
voice comments or concerns. Although the press of
time truncated this open portion of the meeting, a
good start was made in sharing common goals and
concerns. The discussion ranged from approval of
the idea of Writing Across the Curriculum, through
practical matters of grading and course design to
more political matters of workload and the response
of students to our efforts. Each of these concerns will
become the subject of an individual workshop and a
series of these workshops will be held through the
spring term and in the joint Faculty Development
Committee/ CCFA May PD meetings. It is clear that
ongoing matters will arise from these sessions which
could affect the teaching styles or curriculum design
of faculty who opt into-the Writing Across the
Curriculum experiment, the “quiet revolution,” as it
was described. It is also clear that matters of faculty-
wide concern will arise for discussion with students
and Advisory Committees—any redesign of
curriculum or change in assessment has implications
for these groups—and, also, for negotiation with the
Administration—any increase in individual contact
with students has workload and other implications.

The essential concept which drives the notion of
Writing Across the Curriculum, and which links it to
Critical Thinking and efforts to improve reading, is
the premise that the act of writing is an act of
thinking and that the process, rather than the
product, is the goal. This means, of course, that
Writing Across the Curriculum does not only—or,
even principally—involve matters of literacy, and is
not a question of the remediation of grammar or

GILBERT

compositional skills, but is an attitude to learning.
It is in this context that the approach has real value
to disciplines where writing is not normally a
preoccupying activity.

This does not mean, however, that questions of
literacy are not authentic aspects of the process.
After all, one cannot use a technique which one
cannot control. It was also pointed out in the
workshop that each institution which has
introduced Writing Across the Curriculum has
designed a programme suitable to the specific needs
and student profile of the institution. At Capilano
College it is clear that help in basic numerical and
linguistic literacy, as well as in clear and critical
thinking, is needed by many students in all subject
areas. The programme which we are designing
should, therefore, grow from these realities. It is
the goal to provide students with the tools they
require to involve themselves in the writing, which
is to say, the thinking, process. Put this way, the
relationship of basic skills to the act of writing to its
application in any subject area becomes obvious. It
is the job of our Writing Across the Curriculum
project to translate these perceptions into practise.

If you didn’t have a chance to attend the Writing
Across the Curriculum meeting, but would like to
learn more about the idea, please speak to a
colleague from your area who did attend the
meeting, or call Penny Connell or Rosemary
Coupe through local 2957. Penny and Rosemary
are engaged in initial work in Writing Across the
Curriculum and have been attending various
Programme/Department meetings; they would be
happy to attend yours. They are also planning to
interview faculty to gain an understanding of the
needs of all areas of the college; call them if you
would like to chat. Copies of the excellent report
authored by a number of our colleagues under the
direction of Ruth d’Hollander can be had by
dropping by the Achievement Resource Centre; this
report provides a good background to the concepts of
Writing Across the Curriculum and an extensive
bibliography.

Writing Across the Curriculum is launched
at Capilano College, howbeit in a preliminary
manner. The Committee urges you to learn about
the concepts and join the discussion.

CONFERENCES:

1. Visions: Future Directions for Professional
Development—the Challenges and the Tools.
A seminar sponsored by CIEA (College-Institute
Educators’ Association of BC).