Why is KU implementing a WAC initiative when we already have two college composition courses that students must take in their degree programs? For some, the answer is simple; for others, this opens up Pandora’s box.
College composition courses are traditionally courses that have high dropout and failure rates – at any university. One reason for this is that students, like some administrators and instructors outside of the composition department, often mistake college composition as a content course. It is not. Writing is a practiced skill and one that cannot be taught in one or two courses. It is a skill where students progress in competency throughout their entire degree program; therefore, it is crucial that they are given an opportunity to practice this skill in every class they take.
As English instructors, we often hear the phrase “I hate writing” as if writing were a particular subject like engineering or law. They often think that if they can get through their composition courses then they never have to deal with writing again. They couldn’t be more mistaken. Furthermore, along with this attitude comes the myth that if they pass these courses then they must be good or college-level writers. The fact is, English professors can only do so much in 20 weeks. First, one job of English professors is to teach the fundamental skills associated with writing, such as how to form correct sentences, paragraphs, and introduce students to genres, such as various types of essays, reports, and business correspondence. Second, students are taught the other elements of writing in these courses, such as how to conduct research and integrate that information into their writing. They are also taught how to establish content in their writing, as well. This is a lot of ground to cover and to allow for ample practice in only 20 weeks. And finally, other reasons these classes have such high dropout and failure rates is because English professors are dealing with several issues that affect student writing, such as the grave dislike for writing and various levels of competency.
The varying levels of writing ability bring up another issue, which is what does it mean to pass a college composition course? Should all students pass these courses with the same level of competence? That is not even possible. English professors teaching these frontline classes must accommodate all levels of ability and help students improve their writing skills; they cannot possibly expect all students to master writing within 20 weeks. Improving writing ability may mean that students who come in with no concept of what a sentence is, much less how to form paragraphs or even write a coherent essay, may show improvement in the ability to construct complete sentences and form paragraphs, but they may still struggle with writing an entire essay. And why should these students pass? Because writing is about more than having correct grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. Certainly those elements of writing are crucial for students to learn, which, by the way, they can achieve only through constant practice; however, some of those students may have excelled at the research aspect of their essay assignments, for instance, as well as demonstrated a thorough understanding of their topic. They certainly may not earn an A in a composition class, but it is probable for them to pass.
What needs to happen then is that in every class students’ writing must be assessed and they must receive assistance with those areas of their writing that they need the most help with. This can come in the form of referrals to the Writing Center, or possibly one-on-one sessions, such as during an instructor’s office hours, to give students further guidance on how to improve their writing for that particular class or overall.
This is where the KU WAC initiative comes in. When students' writing is assessed in every course and they are offered assistance in every term, there is no way they can graduate without having ample opportunity to receive the help they need to become proficient and professional writers. The KU WAC initiative is all about offering students the practice and help they need to become professional communicators no matter their career field.
[This article was originally published in our June, 2009 issue.]
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