WAC Week 2024 will take place November 4th through 7th. For a complete schedule, click here.

WAC Week 2023 Is in the Books—But You Can Still Join In

WAC Week was a resounding success, with more than 250 attendees at six workshops. Launched on Monday, November 6th, the workshops focused on helping faculty enhance student learning, engagement, and success. A celebration of writing across the curriculum—one of the original high impact practices—the workshops explored how faculty can use writing assignments to deepen students understanding and ability to apply course content. Topics ranged from WAC basics, such as strategies for designing assignments and responding to student writing, to the use of multimodal assignments and generative AI to the role WAC can play in promoting inclusion and social justice. An article in CSU Source provided an overview of WAC Week and the CSU WAC Program.

All workshops were presented on Zoom and are available for viewing.

WAC Course Development Grants

The WAC Course Development grants support the development of materials in courses that seek to use writing assignments and activities to support student learning and critical thinking. Support includes a stipend of $1500 for the course instructor, materials development (such as instructional materials and web-based resources), and up to 30 hours of consultation with a writing specialist. The application process is perhaps the simplest you'll ever see in a grant competition. Learn more.

Please note that the WAC Course Development Grant competition for the 2024-25 academic year is now complete and award notifications have been sent to applicants. We are currently seeking funding for our third round of competition, which will involve work in the 2025-26 academic year.

Learn About WAC at CSU

Colorado State is internationally recognized for its efforts in writing across the curriculum (WAC). Following its establishment in 1984, the WAC Program developed and launched an innovative approach to supporting the use of writing in courses at research-intensive universities. Widely adopted, this approach focuses on enhancing learning, critical thinking, and preparation for communication in the disciplines in a way that reduces the time and effort associated with integrating writing activities and assignments into a course with a combination of faculty resources and direct support for student writers. Characterized as an "integrated approach" to WAC, the approach employs consultation with faculty members and programs, assistance in the integration of writing into course curricula in ways that enhance learning rather than displacing content coverage, and support for the development of instructional materials.

Since the early 1990s, the WAC Program has worked closely with the Writing Center to provide direct support for student writing and to make available web-based resources that support students as they use writing activities and assignments to learn course content, engaging in critical thinking about disciplinary processes and frameworks, and prepare to contribute to ongoing conversations in their chosen disciplines.

The WAC Program offers the following services:

• Consulting (Individual and Small Group)
• Seminars and Workshops
• Curriculum Development Support
• Writing Center Fellow Support
• Instructional Materials Development Support

We are currently working with a limited number of faculty and programs. Please contact Mike Palmquist if you would like to explore options for supporting your course or program.

WAC Advisory Board

• Bob Affeldt, Instructor, English
• Meena Balgopal, University Distinguished Teaching Scholar, Biology
• Devon Bower, Undergraduate Student, English
• Kelly Bradbury, gtPathways Writing Integration Project Director, English
• Brendan Davidson, Graduate Student, Political Science
• Sue Doe, Executive Director, The Institute for Learning and Teaching (TILT)
• Annie Halseth, Instructor, English
• John Moore, University Distinguished Teaching Scholar, NREL
• Kristina Quynn, CSU Writes Director, Assistant Dean of the Graduate School
• Stephanie Foster, Director of Assessment, Institutional Research, Planning and Effectiveness