The Summer Institute provides faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences with tools and strategies to integrate writing instruction approaches into content-based classes for undergraduates enrolled in College of Arts and Sciences classes.

The Institute aims to improve undergraduate writing instruction by enabling faculty members across the College to work together in a two-week Summer Institute facilitated by lecturers from Composition. In this forum, we provide faculty with tools and strategies for weaving meaningful writing tasks into their coursework. At the same time, we engage them in a process meant to yield tangible products that, over the course of several years, constitute a resource that could be shared across the University. The aim is to give undergraduate students greater opportunity to write meaningfully in the disciplines throughout their 4-year career.

The Summer Institute is based on the philosophy that writing provides a unique way of learning and knowing discipline-specific information. We ask that Fellows rethink one course they plan to teach during the following semester.

Training Materials:

Fellows will leave the Summer Institute with these materials:

• completed worksheet on how writing activities help meet program goals
• two writing assignments applicable to their classes
• peer review worksheet applicable to an assignment
• grading rubric applicable to an assignment
• outline for presenting a workshop to colleagues

Fellows will also receive the following handouts:

• various kinds of writing assignments, stone-stepping
• minimal marking techniques
• bibliography (from library)
• Blackboard (from IA)

In addition, Fellows will receive and read current literature on best writing practices.

The Summer Institute is taught using a combination of activities:

• Experience Session = short writing assignment or otherwise utilizing the tools we will then discuss; get the gears in motion
• Follow Up = questions, concerns, ideas about previous day’s work
• Think Session = discussion about the tool or ideas
• Workshop = putting ideas into practice, working with deliverables