University Writing Program
In 2011 the provost commissioned the University Writing Council to promote and celebrate student writing. The committee consists of the University Writing Program director, the university librarian (or designee) and six faculty members (two from arts and humanities, two from natural and behavioral sciences, two from social sciences) appointed by the provost (all voting members).
The University Writing Council:
- Promotes a university culture that fosters excellence in undergraduate writing
- Oversees the writing program awards for students and faculty members
- Reviews policies and procedures regarding undergraduate writing
- Makes recommendations to the administration and appropriate faculty committees
- Assesses university-wide writing courses (e.g., ENGL 123, ENGL 223, writing-intensive courses, senior capstone courses)
- Advises the provost on resources required to support undergraduate writing at the university
- Reports to the provost
The council consists of:
- Laine Briddell, Department of Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology
- Ryan Carpenter, Department of Mathematics
- Nicole Emmelhainz, Program Director, Department of English
- Jaime Harris, Department of Sociology, Social Work, and Anthropology
- Sharon Larson, Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures
- Olga Lipatova, Department of Psychology
- Deanna Stover, Department of English
- Alicia Willson-Metzger, Trible Library
Contact us at writingprogram.council@cnu.edu.
This award is an annual contest sponsored by the provost’s office and the Writing Program Council. The contest is open to all CNU undergraduates with winners receiving a cash prize.
This award is given to students whose commitment to undergraduate writing embodies the goals and ideals of the liberal arts tradition through the treatment of writing as a developmental process, the use of written feedback and evaluation of writing. Past recipients have demonstrated excellence in a finished product as well as improvement through the process of writing.
Deadline for application: April 12, 2024
Please submit all materials as a single PDF to writingprogram.council@cnu.edu.
Complete application packets include the following:
- 500-word statement that addresses the questions listed below.
- How do you treat writing as an ongoing process? Explain how you improve your writing through informal and formal preparatory activities, multiple drafts, iterations, and revisions.
- How do you seek to improve your writing? This may include using feedback from written comments, conferencing with instructors, peer review sessions, appointments with consultants in the Writing Center, taking writing classes, or other activities, such as participation in a writing group.
- How do you continue to develop papers and projects past the scope of a class? For example, students may develop projects for collaboration with a professor or submission for publication, present at conferences, pursue graduate school or a future career, etc.
- An evaluated paper (including drafts and revisions) that demonstrates your process of writing. This should demonstrate the stages of your writing and your ability to incorporate feedback.
- Two faculty recommendations that speak to your commitment to writing as a staged process and your growth as a writer. Recommendations do not necessarily need to be from the faculty assigning the submitted student papers. Please ask faculty to submit their recommendations separately to writingprogram.council@cnu.edu.
Please submit all materials in one PDF attachment (with the exception of recommendation letters).
This award is sponsored annually by the provost’s office and the University Writing Council. The contest is open to all CNU faculty with winners receiving a cash prize.
This award is given to a faculty member whose devotion to undergraduate writing embodies the goals and ideals of the liberal arts tradition through writing assignment design, treatment of writing as a developmental process, the use of written feedback and evaluation of writing. This effective writing pedagogy makes this faculty member an energetic champion of writing.
Deadline for application: April 5, 2024
Please submit all materials as a single PDF to writingprogram.council@cnu.edu.
Faculty wishing to be considered for this award should include the following items:
- 500-word statement that addresses the following criteria:
- Treats the teaching of writing as an ongoing process of knowledge articulation where improvement is gained through informal and formal preparatory activities, multiple drafts, iterations, and revisions.
- Offers continual and diverse opportunities for feedback from written comments, conferencing with instructor, peer review sessions and appointments with consultants in the Writing Center.
- Evaluates written assignments by clearly established criteria, using rubrics or other assessment tools. Evaluations consider audience awareness, proper contextualization of issue, salient writing style appropriate for discipline, thoughtful organization, employment of discipline-specific discourse and conventions, and an appropriate understanding of grammar and mechanics.
- Encourages and mentors students to continue developing papers and projects past the scope of a class, for example, to submit for publication, to enter graduate school, and to pursue a career.
- Two evaluated student papers from one class, including your feedback on multiple stages and revisions (with student names omitted).
- Syllabus, assignments and rubrics corresponding to submitted student papers.
- Two student recommendations that address your approach to teaching writing, including assignment creation, feedback, grading / evaluation criteria, and help beyond the class with writing. Recommendations may come from either current students or alumni of classes from the previous two years. (Recommendations do not need to be from the authors of the submitted student papers.)
Applications should only include evidence from a single course taught within the previous two academic years.
Please submit all materials in one PDF (with the exception of recommendation letters).