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Hi Doug,

Two things:

1. Just a reminder that we should probably consider using the orientation
week scheduled (does this start in Fall 1996 or 1997) to orient new
students to the EWT. (Test sign-ups, workshops, etc.) Formally slotting
all new students into EWT orientation at the beginning of the year could
go someway toward warding off some of the problems we've had this term
especially with oh-so-many students leaving the test till second semester,
waiting till marks are posted, getting in for one appointment, failing a
second time, waiting for results, and then being able to get in for only
one appointment again before rewriting. In one appointment, we usually
just can't fix 'em fast enough and good enough to get them out of this
infernal loop. As long as the test continues to exist, I think we need to
rethink the logistics, and exploiting the orientation week can't hurt. At
least we might get more students in for help sooner (and longer).

2. I liked your posting on the generic vs discipline-specific writing
courses. Like you, I see benefits in both approaches but on the whole
lean more heavily toward a discipline-specific approach (which
ironically is the approach that would tend to threaten the jobs of people
like me....). I wonder if that factor works subconsciously at least to
make composition "experts" want to keep a bit of a monopoly over
composition instruction. . . Anyways, I look forward to seeing the
responses you get on the list, because I think these are important
questions that don't get debated often enough.

I hope your enjoying the dying days of your sabbatical.

Cheers,

Jo-Anne