Academic Senate Policy #S06-14

UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE ON WRITTEN ENGLISH PROFICIENCY (CWEP) CHARGE

(Formerly Policy #S03-14)

Many committees and programs at SFSU participate in activities designed to support the written proficiency of our students. CWEP, however, deliberates on the way in which the campus as a whole pursues the writing proficiency of its students and serves as a "clearing house" for all-University literacy efforts. CWEP is also responsible for promoting the participation of all SFSU faculty in achieving this goal.

Since CWEP proposes, reviews and provides recommendations regarding policy and procedures on writing proficiency, it is important that it maintain communication and consult as appropriate with standing academic and administrative committees, departments, programs, colleges, and the Academic Affairs officers and the academic deans. Similarly, when any subset of the aforementioned bodies is considering modifications to practice or policy affecting the written proficiency of students, it will be expected to consult with CWEP in a timely fashion prior to approval.

The Dean of Undergraduate Studies and/or the Dean of the Graduate Studies (or their designees to CWEP), as appropriate, will be responsible for ensuring that this consultation takes place, most especially when it affects implementation of campus-wide writing-proficiency policies. Proposed changes to such policies should be developed with broad consultation as described above before submission to the Academic Senate.

The specific functions of CWEP include the following:

1. Recommend appropriate actions to implement University policy on undergraduate written English proficiency. Recommendations regarding the undergraduate written English proficiency requirements will be made to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies and to official policy-making bodies in accordance with established university policies and procedures and practices;

2. Recommend appropriate actions to implement University policy on graduate written English proficiency. Recommendations regarding the graduate written English proficiency requirements will be made to the Dean of the Graduate Studies and to official policy-making bodies in accordance with established University policies, procedures and practices;

3. Serve as consultant on undergraduate and graduate written English proficiency to appropriate standing academic policy committees (e.g., APC, CRAC, EPC, GEC or successor bodies) and to the Vice President for Academic Affairs or his/her designee;

4. Serve as consultant in the implementation of undergraduate and graduate written English proficiency to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies, the Dean of the Graduate Studies and the Vice President for Academic Affairs or his/her designee;

5. Serve as a subject-matter resource and liaison to faculty members and/or department/program chairs who seek assistance in developing writing components in their programs. The committee, on its own or jointly, may sponsor and consult on the following kinds of activities to strengthen, enhance, and improve student writing proficiency across the curriculum in both undergraduate and graduate programs:

• Workshops focusing on such topics as grading, holistic evaluation, pedagogical strategies, and other competency areas to enhance the overall quality of instruction in courses having a substantial written English component.

• Workshops for instructors interested in improving the quality of student writing across the curriculum;

• Workshops on cultural and linguistic diversity;

• Development and distribution of guidelines and materials to assist faculty members in enhancing both the content and pedagogy of written communication in English.

6. Evaluate proposals and make suggestions for improvement of disciplinary writing components, including assessment procedures, upon written request from program faculty. Copies of CWEP’s written recommendations will be submitted to the appropriate department chair, college dean and the Dean of Undergraduate Studies and/or the Dean of the Graduate Studies;

7. Submit an annual report to the Academic Senate summarizing committee activities.

Recommendations for changes in policy shall be submitted to the appropriate standing academic policy committees (e.g., EPC, APC, CRAC, GEC or successor bodies) and to the Vice President for Academic Affairs or her/his designee. Recommendations for routine procedural modifications shall be submitted to the Vice President for Academic Affairs or her/his designee.

COMMITTEE COMPOSITION

CWEP will consist of the following members:

Voting Members:

• The Writing Across the Curriculum/Writing in the Disciplines Coordinator;

• The Composition Coordinator (or designee);

• The Coordinator of Composition for Multilingual Students (or designee);

• One faculty member from the English Department, elected according to its established procedures;

• Eight faculty members, one representing each College, elected by their respective Colleges through established procedures;

• One undergraduate and one graduate student selected by the Associated Students;

• One tenured English or ESL Department faculty member invited by the committee from one of the major feeder community colleges, for a one-year renewable term, who will serve as the community college liaison to the committee; and

• The Coordinator of the Learning Assistance Center (or designee).

Non-Voting Members:

• The Dean of Undergraduate Studies or designee;

• The Dean of Graduate Studies or designee;

• One member of the Academic Senate Educational Policies Council (EPC);

• One representative from the Library who has expertise in information competence, selected according to the Library’s established procedures;

• A student services professional who is in direct contact with students and has experience with student issues related to writing, elected by the Student Services Professional electorate;

• One member of the Academic Affairs staff to be appointed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and to serve as staff to the committee;

• The GET Coordinator (or designee);

• The JEPET Coordinator (or designee);

• The Reading Coordinator (or designee).

Each of the nine elected faculty members will serve for a three-year term, with the initial members drawing straws for 3 one-year terms, 3 two-year terms, and 3 three-year terms. In the event that a member of the committee is replaced before the expiration of her/his term, the replacement shall serve out the remainder of the term, so that the nine elected committee members shall continue to have staggered terms. The Associated Students members may stand for re-election or re-appointment for one successive term only. The committee shall elect one of its members as Chair for a one-year term at the first meeting following spring elections and the seating of new members.

***Approved by the Academic Senate at its meeting on May 2, 2006***