DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 345 261 CS 213 328

AUTHOR Fulwiler, TobyTITLE Writing To Reform the English Major.PUB DATE 20 Mar 92NOTE 26p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the

Conference on College Composition and Communication(43rd, Cincinnati, OH, March 19-21, 1992). Smallprint on part of one page may not be legible.

PUB TYPE Speeches/Conference Papers (150) -- Guides -Non-Classroom Use (055)

EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS *College English; Course Descriptions; *English

Departments; English Instruction; Faculty Publishing;Higher Education; Literature; Teacher Role; *WritingAcross the Curriculum

IDENTIFIERS *English Majors; English Teachers; *University ofVermont; Writing Development

ABSTRACTThis report outlines the impact of the University of

Vermont's writing-across-the-curriculum program on the development ofthe English major. Included in the report are: (1) a summary of thefaculty writing project, with a list of premises and practices; (2)descriptions of four books published collaboratively by members ofthe English department and other departments at the University ofVermont: "Programs That Work," "A Community of Voices: Reading andWriting in the Disciplines," "Reading, Writing, and the Study ofLiterature," and "Angles of Vision"; (3) a description and schematicoutline of the writing curriculum; (4) a list of guidelines forEnglish majors at Vermont; (5) a description of a newdiscussion-based introductory course focusing on reading, writing,and the study of literature; and (6) a report prepar..i for theuniversity administration explaining the benefits of the writingpro9ram. Also included in the report are a number of reproduceddocuments which are content related: an application to attend thefaculty writing workshop; the covers of the four collaborative booksconcerning the role of writing in teaching and reading and writingabout literature; a schematic of Vermont's writing program; pagesfrom the Vermont College Latalogue describing changes in courseofferings; a proposal by the Writing Committee for a new writingconcentration for English majors; and the renults of an informalsurvey of both English faculty and senior English majors about theirresponses to the changes in curriculum. (HB)

Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be madefrom the original document.

*******,8**************************************************************

WRITING TO REFORM THE ENGLISH MAJOR

Toby FulwilerThe University of Vermont

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WRITING TO REFORM THE ENGLISH MAJOR

Toby FulwilerThe University of Vermont

The following report outlines the impactof the University of Vermont's writing-across-the-curriculum program on thedevelopment of the English major. Thisreport was presented as a series ofoverhead transparencies at theConference on College Composition andCommunication (CCCC); March 20, 1992.

FACULTY WRITING PRDJECT: A SUMMARY

Beginning in February, 1984, the FACULTYWRITING PROJECT (FWP) conducted 20Introductory Workshops (two day%, off campus)for approximately 480 Vermont faculty anestaff, full and part time. These workshopsintroduced faculty to a variety ofpedagogical ideas involving a more active useof language--both oral and written--bystudents in all subject areas. They promoteda sense of faculty community, encouragedinterdisciplinary scholarship, and helpedfaculty develop their own writing. Theseworkshops continue to be offered twiceannually and are supported by the Provost'soffice.

In addition to introductory workshops,the FWP has offered a variety of "follow-up"and "advanced" workshops, ranging fromtwo-hour afternoon meetings to two-day"writing retreats" for workshop veterans towork on their own writing ("We will feed youand leave you alone"). Retreat attendancehas ranged from 18 to 30, with facultyrevising dissertations, co-writing grants.developing articles, and planning syllabi.(For a more complete account of the Vermontprogram, see Programs that Worq. Fulwiler andYoung, 199()

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A schematic outline of Vermont's WAC progr-m.

which at present includes no curricularrequirements, looks like this:

1. INTRODUCTORY WORXSROPS

2. roLLow-Up wouskova

a. Pedagogy Workshops

b. Writing Workshops

3. RESEXRCX IN WRITING

a. Effect on Specific Disciplines

b. Impact on WM Campus

4. PUBLICATION PROiECTS

a. Writers Guide Series (New Volumes)

b. Professional Journals

0. Book describing on impact at UVM

S. ARTICULATION X-12

a. Summer Instctute on Thinking and Writing

b. Advanced InAitute to Train Teacher Trainers

c. In-Service Workshops at Vermont schools

6. UvM CURRICULUM

5

We have used the same workshop model, asrepresented in this brochure, for eightyears; faculty members are admitted on avoluntary, firstcome, firstserved basis, up

.to thirty at a time; they agree to stay forthe whole two days; we supply all meals.

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Pr9gramsThat Wirk

Edited by

TOBY FULWILER, Unagnityfleirmr

and ART YOUNG, ovum unkrnii

Aboisgrtion

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4. him: Georzfr Community Collge5. The UrsisirnieyeChker6. Califirnia Sous Unismitx Chico7. Below Coiltie

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11. Gave MUM UPliPtrii:y12. The Min:sexes Pr*cr13. Tlx University ellisibigan14. The Baltimore A= Conorrium

Aftenivrel: The Enemies sf

Writ* Amy the CurriesBiblipaphy

BOYNIONMOOK PUBLISHERSHEINEMANN / POKISMOUTH, NH

Workshops generate a lot of enthusiasm; however the realities of

everyday curricular life often dampen the spirit to addinnovative uses of writing to courses. To maintain enthusiasmand continue training in WAC ideas with professors across thecurriculum, we have developed publication projects which requirecontinued commitment to research about the role of writing in

teaching. TWo recent collaborative books illustrate this point:

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PROGRAMS THAT WORKincludes collaborativelywritten chaptersdetailing the programs at14 different colleges.

A COMMUNITY OF VOICES was col-laboratively written over threeyears by 17 authors at Vermont; itis an anthology of readingsintended to introduce students infirst-year writing classes todifferent 14 different disciplines.

FacultyWriting

Project=vaunt OF 'VERMONT

1.

INTRODUCTORY WRITINGWORKSHOPS

PUBLIC SCHOOLARTICULATION

IRESEARC711- -

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ROPESSIONALAPERS

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CLASSROOM TEACHING

ADVANCED WORKSHOPS

I STUDENT WRITINGLELRNINGABILITY

CURRICULARDESIGN

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[ireihmanEnglish]

[writing alldisciplines]

[writing intha major)

This schematic was designed to help us

evaluate Vermont's program and plan further

development. The brackets at the lower left

around curricular development reflect ourphilosophy of first, educating the facultyabout the possibilities writing could playwithin the curriculum, then st.eing what

curricular changes the faculty might propose.In other words, the informal committee

of eight whghruns the WAC program did notwant to lead the charge of curricular reformnor oversee the installation -f mechani al or

one-shot writing requirements

In 1990, the faculty of the College of Artsand Sciences voted to put in place a two-tiered writing requirement: (1) a first-yearseminar for all entering students and (2) asenior seminar in each student's major.

The senior course could be put in placein most departments with little change, assimilar courses already existed.

The first-year course would be taught byfull-time faculty in the twelve disciplineswilling to offer such courses; content wouldbe approximately 1/2 that normally taught inintroductory courses: class size would belimited to 20; the course would includetraining in both writing-t.J-learn andlearning-to-write strategies (see below).

However, the new first-year course wouldnecessitate the hiring of eight additionalnew faculty; at present there is no money fornew positions.

-enrollment limited to 20 students in order to allow time

for frequent multiple4raft assignments, atudent-tescher andstudent-student conferinces, and in-depth evaluation ofstudent writing:

--emphasis on scholarship pertinent to a particular discipline;-emphasis on the process of writing, including instruction ongenerating and organizing ideas, developing drafts, andproducing final edited copy with appropriate grasser,syntax, and style;

--the use of writing as a cleans for students both to exploreand express ideas; and

--instruction in basic research methods, including libraryresearch [when appropriate]."

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IP'THE ENGLISH MAJOR

When I arrived at the University of Vermontin 1983, the junior-senior course offeringsin writing were limited to a single course(177-178) with different sections devoted tcfiction, poetry, or non-fiction (see cata-logue page below).

By 1992, the new courses had been addedto allow Junior and senior English majors totake more writing courses; courses such as171 and 172 were designed as 50/50 courses:including substantial literary content aswell as substantial practice writing in theliterary forms (see catalogue nage opposite).

VERMONT COLLEGE CATALOGUE, 1992

141 19th Century American Novel The flowering of the novel in the United States.Hawthorne. Melville, Twain, Howells, jams, and others. Biddle. Cochran. Eschht.lz.Shepherd.

144 American Poetry to World War I Major American poetr to 1917, including Poe,Whitman. Dickinson, and others. Cochran, Gutman.

14$ The Literature of Vermont An exploration of Vermont writing from the nar-ratives of the Allen brothers to the poetry and fiction of today. Normally offered in sum-mers only. Biddle.

150 Modern Short Fiction. I, H. Cochran, M. j. Dickerson, Gutman, lones.Shepherd.

151 Modern American Novel American novelists from 1915 to 1945. Biddle,Cochran, Eschholz, Gutman. Pager. Shepherd.

152 Modern Amerkan Drama Recent and contemporary, Including plays by O'Neill.Miller, and Williams. Onh.

153 Contemporary American Poetry American Poetry since 1950. Edwards, Gut-man. (Not offered 195243.)

154 Contemporary American Novel Significant American novelists since 1945.Cochran, Gutman, Shepherd.

155 Literature of Black America Poetry, fiction, and drama by black writers since theturn of the century. M. 1. Dickerson. (Not offered 1952-833

177, 178 Advanced Writing Students follow their own interests in the writing ofpoetry, fiction, and non-fiction. Permission of instructor required. Prerequisite: $3 forpoetry and fiction. 30 for noraktion. No more than six credit hours of English 177, 175Advanced Writing will count toward fulfillment of major requirements. Broughton, Ed-wards, Huddle.

291, 192 Internship May not be used to satisfy major requirements. Prerequisites:Consent of instructor, junior or senior standing. One to six hours. Biddle.

11

VERMONT COLLEGE CATALOGUE, 1 9,2

153 Contemporary American Poetry AmericanPoetry since 1950. Edwards, Gutman.

154 Contemporary American Novel SignificantAmerican novelists since 1945. Cochran, Shepherd.

155 Moisture of Black America Poetry, fiction, anddrama by black writers since the turn of the century. M. .1.

Dickerson, Magistrate. Alternate years, 1939-90.

.171 Writing Literary Criticism introddction to

theory and practice of literary criticism. Students read andwrite about literary theories representing various approachu5to selected works of literature. Hoistun, Warhol.

172 Personal Voice Intensive examination of writingfrom the first-person point of view. Theory and practice in per-

sonal writing and analysis of published writing in this mode.hermit& 50 or 53. Fulwiler.

173 The Composing Process Exploration of the pro-

CCU by which writers prod= texts. Students study their own

writing, the writing and lacctions of established authors, and

curTent research. Prerequisr7c 50 or 53. Eschholz.

177, 178 Advanced Writing Students follow their own

interests in the writing of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Per-mission of instructor required. Prerequisite: 53 for poetry andfiction, 50 for nonfiction. No more than six credit hours ofEnglish 177, 178 Advanced Writing or 179 Writer's Workshop,

will count toward fulfillment of major requirements. Brough-

ton, MI Dickerson, Fulwiler, Huddle.

179 WrItere Workshop An intensive two-week work-

shop with assignments designed to emphasize autobiographi-cal aspects of poetry and fiction writing. Summer only. Prereq.visite: 53, permission of instructor. Broughton, Engels, Huddle.

191, 192 Internship May not be used to satisfy majorrequirements. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor, junior orsenior standing. One to six hours.

193, 194 College Honors Departmental perMission re-quired. Not to exceed three hours per semester.

12

WRITING THE NEW YORKERENGLISH 202

TABLE OF CONTENTSimaist lb COMM NA

1. The Talk of the Town

2. Profiles

3. Reporter at LargeReflectionsLetter fromReport FromAnnals ofOur Far Flung Correspondent(Our Local Correspondent)On and Off the AvenueAround city NallJournals

Students will write their way through Sif& the forms or wrking

represented in The New yorker maptincTalk of the Town; Prottleg Reporters at Large;Book, Movie, Music Reviews; recur, Fiction;

Cartoong and maAre a ewer. At termsend, each student will have WTIIICfl

an entire issue. Ai terms end,the class as a whole nal

publish (MAW) onecollaborative lune.

The idea behind"WriiinilnliZEMirka is 10

provide graduatingEngroh melon

with the broadestpossible writing

experience. Byearly May students

mil have a substantialwriting portfolio to

present to futureemployers or graduate

schools.

4. The Current CinemaThe Art WorldMusical EventsJazzBooksThe TheatreDancing...

.

Xn Fashien..:PhotographyTh4 Sporting SceneA Critic at Large

S. "Poems""Short Fiction"

For the past two yearsI have offered a seniorseminar (one required of each major; 6 of-fered per semester; enrollment limited to 18)in "Writing The New Yorker" which introducedgraduating majors to new types of writingwhich required reporting, interviewing, andinvestigative local research--how else do youwrite "Talk-of-the-Town," "Profile," or"Reporter-at-Large" pieces? Other seminars

10 have been offered in "Publishing and Editing"and "The Composing Process."

.L

This year (1991-92) the department has passedstill two more upper-level writing coursesboth designated 50150--half reading and halfwriting (see below). Enrollment in thesecourses is limited to 25--compared to 18 instraight writing courses and 35 in straightliterature courses. These will appear innext year's catalogue and be offered for thefirst time in 1992-93.

Student enthusiasm for these new writingcourses has been high. Offering them,however, has meant fewer offerings in periodand survey literature courses.

REPORT-FROM UNDERGRADuATE STUDIES

The following two new courses have been approved by USC arepassed on to the department for considerations

1. 174 Reading and Writing Autobiography Study of theautobiographical literary tradition as well as practicewriting within this tradition. Prerequisite: English50 and permission of instructor. 11.3. Dickerson,Edwards.

175 The Art of Nonfiction Theory, readings, and practicein literary nonfiction, including the essay and/orliterary Journalism. Moore, Swaterlitsch.

Supporting documentation for both I. appended.

-- 11111 0116.011.. IMINNI0

ReadinOMiting,and the Studyof Literature

name Reed* mot Mans las CoderArthur W. Riddle and Toby Fulwiler

CHAPTER 1 lomat Mins 1by Fulwiler

CHAPTER 2 Respendlas to Ramon Arthur W. Biddleand Allen Shepherd

CHAPTER 3 Respooling to Polly Sidney Pepr

CHAPTER 4 Rorptudial to Dnoott Jones Bone

CHAPTER 5 Wanly &Maim ard Them James Hobson

CHAPTER 6 Wing *kiwi &say: Robyn Warhol

CHAPTER 7 Tifridng Poona! Essays Mary Jana Dickerson

CHAPTER $ imaginative Wing/ALA Ming MMus A. Si

CHAPTER 9 Eicondnbq Euay Ecroningrions Magtst

CHAPTER 10 Mfg Rama Richard Sweterilisch

Beginning in 1986, ten of us in the department, representing both

writing and literature teachersfjoined to write a book for

English majors in which we would share with them our collective

wisdom about reading and writing strategies. Tbe book, Reading.

Writing, and the Study of Literature, was a worthy project, as

Random House offered generous advances, and the resulting book

turned out well. But from the beginning, the process of writing

itmeeting regularly, workshop style, sharing drafts,

collaborating upon visionwas the prime reason for the books's

existence. In other words, the product initiated a powerful

sharing process: Doing the book helped bridge the lit/comp gap

within the department and led to other forms of sharing and

collaboration as well. (For more information, see "Community of

Scholars in Our Own Back Yard," ADE Bulletin, fall, 1989.)

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When the first book was finished,in 1988, we began a second book tokeep our collaboration alive: thistime we would write an Introductionto Literature anthology together,teaming on four distinct sections,poetry, fiction, non-fiction, anddramawith innovative writingstrategies and student textsprominently featured. And soAngles of Vision (McGraw-Hill1992) was published. Nobody willget richwe're each in for shares--but every little bit helps in anunderpaid department. Two morecollaborative books are currentlyunder contract, and several othersare now in the talking stages--oneof them a professional bookexamining writing and learning inliterature classes based uponclassroom research.

1 ti

At present the Vermont English major requires onesophomore-level survey course; four upper-levelcourses prior to 1900; and one senior seminar.There is no other pattern or coherence in thecourse offerings, and none of the professors inthe department is any longer satisfied with thissmorgasbord curriculum. In addition, newchallenges to the largely canonical offerings ofour old curriculum appear from feminist studies,post-modern literary theory, and multi-culturalsensibilities.

A few years ago, given some of thedepartmental debates that took place in the mid-1980's to pass some of the aforementioned writingcourses. I would have listed "composition studies"as a challenge to curricular literary orthodoxy.However. I believe two things have happened in ourdepartment to change that: First, attacks on theold literary canon from all sides have madecomposition studies seem fairly tame and old hat--never mind that adding student texts to thecurriculum still seems problematic. And second,the WAC program has had a slow byisteady affect onattitudes about writing within Englishdepartments.

To date, the Faculty Writing Project hasenrolled approximately half of our 35 member (fulltime) department in its workshops, so,that a muchwider variety of writing activities age going onin straight literature classes. In addition, inthe spirit of WAC, we in the department have nowco-authored (ten of us) two texiJ that bringtogether reading and writing in a harmoniousmanner (see next page). As a result, we who meeton the department Writing Committee feel lessmarginalized than central to department concerns.

In the spirit of curricular coherence weproposed "a writing concentration within theEnglish major" as an alternate to the currentformless shape of the major (see below). When wepresented the proposal to the department, insteadof a battle, we were told, "slow down: let uscatch up with you." As a result the wholecurriculum is undergoing a provocative review andrevision; we believe the Writing CommitteeProposal has been a major catalr3t in new thinkingabout the curriculum.

1.7

WNW,

4 Propoaal by The Writing Committee

English majors may develop a concentration in writing byrequesting permission from the English Department to follow analternate track through the major. Students qualifying* for thewriting concentration will meet the following requirements:

Thirty

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3

9

hours, at least 22 at the 100 level to include the folloPiing:

hours from one contiguous general survey series 21/22, 23/24,25/26, 81/82

hours of SO or 53

hours of writing courses at the 100 level, including at least3 hours from each of the following clusters:

Cluster A (salso composition/literature: enrollment 25)

171 (Writing Literary Criticism)172 (Personal Voice)173 (The Composing Process)

174 (Mew Course:1110iting Autobiography. Studentsflua

will examine the autobiographical literarytradition and practice writing within thistradition. Instructors: U. Dickerson, N.Edwards) **

175 (Nww Course: Reading and Writing Nonfiction.Students will study nonfiction as literature,examining both traditional essays and literaryjournalism. Scope will include historicdevelopment and modern trends; students willpractice writing in the forma themselves as wallas writing about the Mares. Instructors: MollyMoore, Richard Sweterlitsch)

Cluster S (full composition courses: enrollment 18)

177-78 (Advanced Writing: fiction, non-fiction, poetry)179 (Writer's workshop)

3 hours from the 201-202 seminar series (includes "Editing andPublishing," "Writing the dew Yorker,' others)

9 hours of literature courses 108-155 aid 211-262, includingat least 6 hours of literature prior to 1900.

Recommended additional courses for a concentration in writing:twentieth-century genre and literature courses to help studentsunderstand techniques sand forme in contemr,rary writing, fictionand non-fiction alike.

18

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At the request of our new department chair. theWriting Committee designed a new entrylevelcourse that, in some new curriculum, mould replaceor supplement the old required survey. Wefashioned English 2 as an alternate to Ehglish 1,a composingprocess workshop course open to alluniversity students. English 2 will be 50/50reading/writing course that would introducestudents to a genre study of literature throughthe composing process (see opposite). Earlyreception by the department has been highlyfavorable; its ultimate role and shape within thecurriculum will depend upon the shape of the newcurriculum.

Ironically, this is exactly the sort of ,

course we would have been afraid to introducetwenty years ago, when composition specialistswere trying to get literature out of the classroomso that more attention could be paid to studenttexts. We have now come full circle and believe amore integrated reading and writing course is nowpossible--where the literature component will notprovide an excuse to ignore the student writing asit often used to 0'00 0.00

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cAcusi4INTRODUCTION TO num, =moo mut m nun or sagnums(We imagine English 2 to integrate reading and writinginstruction, with substantial attention to the procmsses of doingboth. Ws imagine the course to be taught by all faculty.)

COVISNOUNCTIVElls

Reading Skills--introduce critical and analytic reading of literature--Introduce unique elements of each genre--Increase appreoiation of reading experiences '

--Expose to significant literary works

Writing Skills--introduce writing process (invention, drafting,

revision, editing, peer review)--introduce writing-to-learn strategies about literary

texts--Introduce strategies for formal writing about

literature (personal, analytic, critical,imaginative)

Academic skill.--Introduce basic research and docunentation

techniquee (Including librairywark)--Introduce expectations of liberal arts community

including critical reading, writing, and thinking--introduce thssis-based and argumentative writing--introduce oral discussion S peer group techniques

REAMS ASSIGNMENTS:

Reed a limited number of texts from various genres. (Texts couldinclude multi-gears anthologies or short collections of poems,short stories, non-fiation; or paper- back novels etc.)Recommended treatment of texte: discussion rather than leaturebased to take advantage of small class and to introduce studentsto critical oral skills.

Options include designing courses around theme., using commontexts section to section, using a single common text in allsections.

MT CRY AVAMOI

10

Immediately prior the CCCC talk (March, 1992)surveyed both English faculty and senior Englishmajors about their response to our curriculum so

far. A summary of the results follows; mostinteresting is how few faculty predict writing-related job interests of the graduating students:

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4. Describe the courses, practice., or aesiwnments that havehelped you most to develop as a vriters

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In 1989 I prepared a report of FWP activitiesfor the President. Provost and Board of Control ofthe University of Vermont, explaining the benefitsof continued funding (about $12,000 a year) forour writing-across-the-curricuium program, which Isummarized on a transparency this way:

DIMENSIONS

I. PROMOTES COMMUNITY OY SCROLAAS

II. EiPLOREO ACTIVE FACULTY PEDAGOGY

III. EMPHASISES WRITING TO MARK

XV. ENPEASISES LEARNING TO WRITE

V. ENCOURAGES PACULTY 'WRITING

Now. in 1992. I would add, cautiously, twoadditional benefits of the program though they arestill in process:

VI. WRITING REQUIREMENT FOR THE ARTS COLLEGE

VII. CURRICULAR CHANGE IN THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

MOP

2 6