The Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Program
The WAC program was established at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1990. The WAC program comprises an initiative to assist both faculty and teaching assistants with the teaching of writing across a wide range of academic disciplines. There are separate seminars and activities that have been tailored for each group, though some also bring faculty and TAs together. Since its inception almost 500 faculty members and over 700 TAs from 10 different colleges and 60 different departments have attended the formal WAC seminars.
WAC Resources
The Center WAC Resources page provides links to materials addressing questions pertinent to teaching writing at the University. Many offer pedagogical approaches and response suggestions to effectively use writing in the classroom.
WAC Introductory Seminars
Each year the Center offers WAC introductory training seminars for both faculty and TAs. There are two seminars offered for TAs: a two-day seminar in August, and a two-day seminar in January, in each case just before classes start. The faculty seminar is held for three days the first week of the summer 1 term in May. Participants receive a small stipend for attending. To see the schedule of seminar dates, please consult the Center calendar. If you are interested in attending a WAC introductory seminar, please contact Teresa Bertram at tbertram@illinois.edu or 333-3251 to register.
Refiguring Writing in Large Lecture Classes Initiative
In response to increasing class sizes, including those classes that have traditionally had a substantial writing component, as of fall 2003 the Center has begun offering workshops to consider ways in which writing can and cannot be used effectively to enhance teaching and learning in large classes. Topics addressed have included reconsidering the purpose of writing, alternative methods of response, and different types of grading. To see the schedule of workshop dates, please consult the Center calendar. If you are interested in attending, please contact Teresa Bertram at tbertram@illinois.edu or 333-3251 to register. Also see the WAC Resources page for more information.
Program Goals
The goals for the WAC program are:
- To introduce faculty and TAs across campus to teaching strategies growing out of the WAC literature during the past 18 years or so.
- To develop and maintain an ongoing WAC dissemination program for faculty and TAs.
- To attract faculty and TAs from every college and department on campus to the formal seminars, informal workshops, and individual consultations.
- To develop and give workshops tailored to individual departments on campus.
- To develop an effective evaluation component for the WAC Program.
- To provide consultations for online teaching to selected faculty.
- To help the campus design and maintain effective mechanisms for approving and recertifying advanced composition courses.
- To create throughout the campus a collegial atmosphere and community for discussing issues related to writing and learning.
- To contribute substantially to the larger national WAC community.
WAC-L
The Center maintains an international listserv, WAC-L, devoted to issues in writing across the curriculum and cross-curricular writing. If you are interested in subscribing to the listserv, please contact Teresa Bertram at tbertram@illinois.edu.