What is the WIC Faculty Seminar?

The annual WIC Faculty Seminar focuses on learning best practices for teaching writing across the disciplines. Designed for faculty teaching WIC courses and faculty using writing in non-WIC courses, the seminar is appropriate for all faculty who are interested in improving student learning through writing.

How do I Join the Seminar?

Interested participants must be nominated by their unit heads or chair via email to Sarah Perrault.  Nominations for the fall seminar are accepted beginning the spring term preceding the seminar, and the deadline for Fall 2023 is Tuesday, September 26th, 2023.

What Does the Seminar Cover?

The Faculty Seminar consists of five weekly two-hour meetings, each with a different emphasis relating to teaching writing. The list below identifies both the emphasis and some key questions addressed for each meeting:

First Meeting: Defining Writing-Intensive Teaching

  • What is writing? What do revision and process have to do with writing?
  • What does it mean to teach or, for our students, to take a Writing Intensive course?
  • What are the hallmarks of a writing-intensive course?
  • What can we expect from a student who has completed Writing 121 at OSU? WR II?

SECOND Meeting: Designing Formal Writing Assignments

  • How do we integrate or sequence formal and informal writing?
  • What choices appear as we design formal assignments?
  • How do we match a formal writing assignment to the intended learning for students?

THIRD Meeting: Using Informal Writing for Critical Thinking and Learning Content

  • What is the difference between graded and ungraded writing? Why are both useful?
  • How can ungraded writing promote critical thinking and learning course content?
  • What does ungraded writing look like? How do we evaluate those activities?

Fourth Meeting: Responding to Work in Progress

  • In our own writing, when and to whom do we look for responses and feedback?
  • Who should respond to our students’ work in progress and when?
  • What do writers need to hear to make practical revision decisions?

Fifth Meeting: Evaluating Student Writing

  • What are the relationships among responding, evaluating, and grading?
  • What do we need to know about English/writing in order to grade student writing?
  • What are some different possible positions on spelling errors, punctuation errors, etc.?

Upon completing the seminar, participating faculty receive a $500 honorarium as professional development funds.

Fall 2023 Faculty Seminar Dates

The Fall 2023 Faculty Seminar dates will be announced in September 2023.