 |
 |
To try and answer Katherine's question about U of Winnipeg's writing program: yes, in a way we try to teach writing both from a "remedial" and an interdisciplinary standpoint. For a number of years, the writing program emphasized first-year, introductory comp., and ESL courses. About two years ago, writing program faculty began setting up "linked courses" with other disciplines, meaning that the course was still a rhetoric/comp course, but the subject-matter would tie strongly into a particular course in another discipline, such as history or philsophy. In a couple of cases, the writing instructor team-taught the course with the other instructor. Starting in 1995, we'll be offering "Academic Writing" (our new name for first-year and introductory comp.), but we're now creating three different emphases for this course: humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. So the readings and types of assignments will correspond to these disciplinary areas. And we're planning to expand the number and variety of "linked courses." Currently, only students who score below 80% in high school English (and there may be 1 or 2 other restrictions there too, but I don't have that info. with me) are required to take Academic Writing. "Remedial" students who need extensive help will be streamed into our Continuing Ed. university prep course before they can take Academic Writing (UBC has a similar set-up with its Writing Centre, which seems to work very well). I would personally like to see _all_ students being required to take at least 3 cr hrs of writing in order to graduate, but there are various logistical problems (not to mention cost problems!) which would make that difficult to implement. But we're excited by the potential of the linked courses, which we are planning to make available at first-year and upper levels. While related to WAC, these courses aren't "writing intensive" but actual writing courses taught by rhet/comp faculty, with a content geared to a particular discipline. It's still early days, but so far, there is a lively interest on the part of faculty and students to have more links; we are also lucky to have the support of our dean! Cheers, Amanda ***************************************************************************** Amanda Goldrick-Jones, Writing Program University of Winnipeg ([log in to unmask]) 30 BELOW AND COUNTING. . .!