Each semester, the Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Program coordinates a series of writing intensive courses offered by departments from across the SUNY College at Old Westbury campus. The courses boast small class sizes and a focus on writing that helps to engage students in learning, cultivate writing and thinking abilities, and support academic and career goals. The program also provides writing intensive instructor training, makes available writing resources for students, and offers writing across the curriculum resources to all faculty members at the college.
We also publish a journal of student writing called SPECTRUM: Writings across the Curriculum at SUNY College at Old Westbury. Our first volume can be accessed by clicking on the “Writing Journal” tab.
To see a schedule of courses, click on the Course Offerings tab.
Writing intensive courses are designed to give students T L C :
Thinking: Writing is a form of thinking and working out thoughts about a topic. Writing opportunities throughout the semester provide a forum for critical thinking about course material.
Learning: Writing is a form of learning. Writing throughout the semester can increase mastery of subject matter because writing offers additional exposure to the material. Students have the chance to write about–in addition to hear or read about–the course material.
Connecting: Writing is a main mode of interfacing with others, especially in our current world of electronic communications. Writing every week cultivates writing ability and gives students practice in connecting more effectively with others in a variety of settings and in specific disciplines.
What types of writing are involved?
Writing Across the Curriculum principles call for instructors to use writing in two interconnected ways in their courses:
- writing to learn: using writing as a forum for students to work out issues, to make abstract concepts more concrete, and to internalize information from lectures, discussions, and readings.
- writing to communicate: using writing to give students sustained practice in effective communication strategies for a general audience and for writing in a specific discipline.
The types of writing assignments in a Writing Across the Curriculum class range from informal, low-stakes writing opportunities—such as a ten minute in-class response to or summary of a classroom lecture or an out-of-class Angel discussion post—to more formal, higher stakes assignments that often involve a drafting and revision process—such as essays, research papers, lab reports, or summaries of research articles. The frequency of writing matters, so best practices call for some type of writing each week.
What is the WAC Program?
The Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC ) Program first offered courses in Spring 2012. For more information about our courses, click here: Writing Intensive Course Info. Also feel free to contact Dr. Jacqueline Emery, Coordinator of the Writing Across the Curriculum Program. email: emeryj@oldwestbury.edu; phone: 516 628 5638.
Acknowledgements:
Header Image courtesy of [duron123] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
This website was developed, designed, and maintained with assistance from Prof. Daniel Dissinger and Dr. Karen Lynn Jorgensen. Many thanks to them!