Advanced Writing Committee

CAMPUS SERVICE

• The Advanced Writing Committee supports student writing and critical thinking from first-year to advanced writing courses through campus-wide writing across the curriculum (WAC) collaboration and data-driven assessment. Our courses introduce Stout students to critical thinking and writing applicable to a wide range of disciplines and careers: English 247 (Critical Writing), English 320 (Technical and Professional Writing), and English 410 (Scientific Communication).

DEPARTMENTAL SERVICE

• The Committee establishes guidelines for review, revision, and initiation of advanced writing courses, and advises the Department Chair in such matters.

  • ​​​​​​​English 247 (Critical Writing): In this course, we demonstrate critical thinking (i.e., "reasonable reflective thinking focused on what to do or believe," Ennis, 1989) through critical writing (i.e., composing texts that present critical thinking to specific audiences, for specific purposes, with attention to form and rhetorical situation).

  • English 320 (Technical and Professional Writing): In this course, we explore workplace communication and key professional and technical genres adaptable to a wide variety of academic and vocational disciplines.

  • English 410 (Scientific Communication): In this course, we practice science communication for experts, laypeople, and the general public.

LOOKING TO INCORPORATE WAC THEORY?

SEE THE TWO VISUALS BELOW--AND CONTACT US FOR IDEAS FOR INCORPORATING WRITING INTO YOUR PROGRAMS: 

Resources

Ennis, R. H. (1989). Critical thinking and subject specificity: Clarification and needed research. Educational Researcher, 18(3), 4-10.  https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X018003004​​​​​​​

Eodice, M., Geller, A. E., & Lerner, N. (2017). The meaningful writing project: Learning, teaching, and writing in higher education. Utah State University Press.

Eodice, M., Geller, A. E., & Lerner, N. (2019). The power of personal connection for undergraduate student writers. Research in the Teaching of English, 53(4), 320-339.

Hanauer, D. I. (2012). Meaningful literacy: Writing poetry in the language classroom. Language Teaching, 45(1), 105-115.  https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444810000522​​​​​​​ 

Kiefer, K., Palmquist, M., Carbone, N., Cox, M., & Melzer, D. (2000-2021). An introduction to writing across the curriculum. The WAC Clearinghouse. https://wac.colostate.edu/resources/wac/intro​​​​​​​

Nicholes, J. (2020). Science fiction prototyping’s features and impact on college students’ perceptions of writing: An applied literariness study. Scientific Study of Literature, 10(1), 128-164.  https://doi.org/10.1075/ssol.20002.nic