• Contact Deborah Core, TCAC Director, to inform her that you plan to submit a proposal and to discuss any course-design support that you may need. This support may be in the form of (1) one-to-one consultations with Dr. Core or a member of the TCAC advisory board or (2) through small-group forums or workshops offered by the Teaching & Learning Center (if appropriate).
• Prepare a proposal that includes the following elements:
• A one-page cover letter that describes the course and explains how the course will meet the writing-intensive course criteria (listed on page 2);
• A detailed syllabus that clearly supports the writing-intensive course criteria;
• Sample assignment guidelines that clearly support the course criteria;
• An explanation of how assignments are aligned with the critical thinking and written communication rubrics that will be used to assess the TCAC program (available at http://www.gened.eku.edu/faculty/assessment/);                        
• A brief (one-to-two sentence) signed statement from your department chair, endorsing your proposal and acknowledging the need for reassigned time (or like compensation).
• Send the proposal to Deborah Core, CA 467, or by e-mail, deborah.core@eku.edu. Your proposal will be forwarded to the TCAC Advisory Board for discussion and a decision regarding whether the course meets the stated criteria.

Funding

Faculty whose courses (or sections of those courses) are approved for WI designation, and who satisfy the professional-development requirements listed on page 2, will receive:
 

• a course-development stipend of $1,500;
• a professional-development stipend of $1,500 to attend relevant professional conferences/workshops, acquire books and instructional materials, etc;
• a one-course reduction in teaching load (or the equivalent, as determined by department chair), during the first semester that the writing-intensive course is taught;
• either a one-course reduction in teaching load or $2,500, as overload, for every two sections taught after the initial offering of the course.

Professional-Development Requirements

To receive funding and re-assigned time, faculty members will be expected to attend a minimum of three professional-development sessions: a pre-proposal informational session, a half-day assessment workshop during the spring semester, and a full-day instructional-support workshop in early August. They also will be expected to participate in on-going assessment of the critical-thinking and written-communication aspects of the TCAC program.

Proposal Deadline

Proposals will be accepted according to the following schedule:

• October 13th for  November approval
• November 14th for December approval
• December 12th for January approval
• January 16th for February approval
• February 13th for March approval.

The TCAC Advisory Board can support funding for 50 proposals. In making its decisions, the Board will try to achieve representation of as many colleges and departments as possible. Alternatives to traditional course-delivery methods (such as on-line instruction) are acceptable.

For More Information: Contact Deborah Core at 622-2098 or deborah.core@eku.edu.

Writing-Intensive Course Criteria

With respect to writing, courses eligible for program certification would meet the following general requirements:

• Writing is integral to course design (that is, the writing works to promote and evaluate learning of course content).
• Writing supports the QEP objective of enhanced critical and creative thinking. In addition to gathering, summarizing, and reporting information, then, students will engage in the sorts of writing that inspire critical and creative thinking (e.g., application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation or critique of information and/or ideas).
• Writing assignments are consistent with the values and practices of the discipline represented by the course and invite students to practice the multiple forms or genres of writing that occur in that discipline (e.g., process reports/analyses, literature reviews, position papers, abstracts).
• Students are given opportunities to receive in-process feedback (e.g., via student-instructor conferences, peer review, instructor comments) on substantive writing issues (e.g., issues of purpose, audience, idea development, accuracy, tone, clarity of presentation) and to revise and edit their work to better meet the learning objectives of particular writing assignments.
• Typically, 200-level courses will dedicate a minimum of 30% of the course grade to individually authored written work; 300-level courses will dedicate a minimum of 40% to individually authored written work.
• While at least half of the writing for the course should be formal (e.g., out-of-class papers with well-defined, discipline-appropriate purposes and audiences that have gone through a process of drafting, revising, and editing), informal writing is helpful and encouraged. Informal writing includes, but is not limited to, in-class essay exams, journals, and reading responses.
• For courses offered at the 300 level, at least one formal written assignment should incorporate the results of discipline-specific inquiry/research.