Skidmore College

Standards and Expectations/
Writing--In-The-Disciplines Workshop III:

Creating Writing-In-The-Disciplines Resources

28 May-31 May 2002


Participants
Schedule
Writing Expectations
Discipline-Specific Characteristics
Designing Paper Assignments
Responding to Student Writing
Grading and Assessment Rubrics
Departmental Writing Pages
Resources
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Workshop Schedule


28 May 2002--9 am to Noon: Standards and Expectations for Writing of Beginning Skidmore College Students

Expository Writing is a Foundation Requirement of the Skidmore curriculum. But beyond the writing seminars and writing-intensive courses, what are the standards and expectations we hold in 100- and 200- level courses. How do we help students meet those expectations? How do we respond to student writing that is clearly below these expectations?

The session will include an examination of papers across-the-disciplines first-year students.

1:00 pm to 3 pm: Assessment
Expository Writing Assessment Project: In the afternoon session, we will discuss the results of the 2001 assessment of the Expository Writing Requirement. We will also look at various rubrics for assessing student writing.

29 May 2002--9 am to 3 pm: Standards and Expectations for Discipline-based Writing

Building upon the articulation of basic college literacy from Day 1, we'll shift our attention to the standards and expectations for writing students do in their discipline-based courses. By examining sample student papers from discipline-based courses, professional style manuals, and writing guides, participants will begin to develop a list of expectations for students writing in their discipline.

The session will examine the relationship between disciplinary expectations for writing and standards and expectations for basic college literacy. In addition, participants will examine the similarities and differences among the standards and expectations of the disciplines represented in the workshop and will discuss what faculty can do to help students understand and navigate these distinctions.

30 May 2002--9 am to Noon: Designing Writing Assignments

Based upon the standards and expectations for college writing participants have developed in the first two days of the workshop, this session will examine principles and guidelines for creating paper assignments that can generate the kinds of writing we expect from our students.

1 pm to 3 pm--Responding to Student Papers

We convey and reinforces our standards and expectations about student written work by through the ways we respond to student papers. This session will discuss a variety of approaches for responding to student papers effectively.

31 May 2002-9 am to Noon: Planning the Project

We will look at sample pages from vairious department web sites focused on writing. Participants will discuss what elements they plan to feature on their department's web site or in the materials they will create to share with colleagues.


ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

August 2002

Workshop participants will reconvene in August for a half-day meeting to present their completed projects and discuss and critique the products among themselves.

September

During September, workshop participants will share their writing resources with members of their departments to gain suggestions for revision and, ultimately, the department's endorsement of the information presented.