W COURSE CHECKLIST

Mansfield University's WAC Program, adopted by Faculty Senate, indicates the following elements that W courses have in common:

1. W courses involve students in regular, frequent writing, much of which the professor responds to regularly. This writing includes, but is not limited to the following: essays, summaries, abstracts, journals, logs, responses to study questions, essay examinations, case studies, and lab reports.
   
   
2. Extended writing projects are assigned in such a way that the students have an opportunity to revise them.
   
   
3. A student's mastery of the conventions of writing in a particular W course is taken into consideration when arriving at the course grade.

If you wish to offer a W course, please fill in the blanks below and respond to the checklist.

Professor's Name ____________________________ Department______________________

Semester Course Will Be Offered________________________________________________

Course Number/Section_______________________________________________________

Course Title________________________________________________________________

1. Please check all the kinds of writing below that you will use in teaching this course.

   _____research papers/long projects	_____ essays
   _____ response to reading/study questions	_____ writing as a seed for discussion
   _____ summaries	_____ in-class writing
   _____ abstracts	_____ letter writing
   _____ journals	_____ logs
   _____ essay examinations	_____ case studies
   _____ reports (lab, book, etc.)	_____ speech writing
   _____ expressive (poetry, fiction essays)	_____ writing to solve problems
   _____ collaborative writing	_____ response to how a course is going
   _____ peer response (to classmate writing, opinions)
   other _________________________________________________________________

   
   

2. How many formal writing assignments will be expected?__________
   
   
3. How frequently will students write informally in the course (in-class writing, responses, etc.)?
   

   _____ daily	_____ weekly	_____ monthly
   other ____________________________________________________________

   
   

4. How will you respond to student writing? Check all that may apply.
   

   _____ holistic scoring	_____ portfolios
   _____ analytic scoring	_____ evaluation grids
   _____ letter grade	_____ checklists
   _____ comments on final draft	_____ student-teacher conference
   _____ comment on drafts	_____ questioning, oral reading, discussion
   _____ informal evaluation ("+" or "-", "OK" or "good," etc.)
   other _________________________________________________________________

   
   

5. When revision is appropriate and beneficial to a writing project, how will you encourage revision? Check all that may apply.
   

   _____ allowing/requiring drafts	_____ student-teacher conference
   _____ guided revision	_____ editing sheets
   _____ evaluating drafts	_____ peer response workshops
   _____ recommend students use the Writing Center (SH 212)
   other _________________________________________________________________

   
   

6. A consideration of the student's writing skills makes up approximately what percentage of the overall grade?
   

   __________________________________

7. You clearly indicate to the student how writing will affect his or her grade in:
   

   _____ the syllabus (grade distribution chart, explanation, etc.)

   _____ each writing assignment

   other _________________________________________________________________

When you complete the checklist, please make a copy for your files and mail the original to Karen Guenther in 216 Pinecrest. Also, if you have any questions, please contact Karen at ext. 4662 or any member of the WIG Committee: Karen Guenther, Elizabeth Eidenier, Margaret Launius, Matthew Syrett, Kathryn Thorne, Walter Sanders, and Philippe Savoye.