UC Santa Cruz's Academic Senate, in a unanimous vote taken at today's winter-quarter meeting, has endorsed a proposed redesign of the writing requirements UCSC students must satisfy before graduating.
The approved legislation leaves in place the two existing Composition courses that have long been part of the requirement at UCSC. But, beginning this coming fall, the general subject "W" component of the requirement will be replaced by writing-based course in students' major.
The new Disciplinary Communication, or so-called "DC," requirement:
. Must be appropriate to student's major. (The former W requirement could be satisfied by passing any so-designated "W" course.)
. Must be an upper-division course. (The former W requirement could be met by passing an upper- or lower-division "W" course.)
. Can be satisfied by taking one to three separate courses totaling at least 5 credits. (The W requirement had to be satisfied with a single 5-unit course.)
While the new designation will be attached to courses that the Senate determines focus primarily on writing, the DC will also accommodate other modes of communication (e.g., posters, oral presentations) in courses.
Jaye Padgett, chair of the senate's Committee on Educational Policy, which proposed the DC after two years of consultation with other faculty, the administration, and students, said CEP believes the changes will significantly strengthen the overall writing requirement by linking the requirement to upper-division courses in a student's field. The new designation is also intended to better serve students by providing expanded access to DC courses.
Padgett told members of the senate that the administration had already agreed to provide funding required to implement the expanded program. He said CEP and the administration believe the expanded offerings could cost $250,000 a year to implement. "Even though the budget is tough right now...let's stand up for education," Padgett said.
He said implementing the DC requirement would require:
. Reestablishment of strong peer tutoring program.
. Hiring of a faculty member dedicated to "writing in the disciplines."
. Resources to deploy Teaching Assistants where needed, and TA training
. Dedicated staff support.
Despite the campus's uncertain budget challenges, other faculty agreed that strengthening the writing skills of UCSC students was a goal worth reaching for. By a unanimous voice vote, senators in attendance supported the CEP proposal. So did students, represented at the Senate meeting by the Student Union Assembly, and the UCSC Alumni Association Council, which adopted a resolution supporting the writing-requirement changes.
Students who enrolled prior to this fall will be subject to the former writing requirements. Because the new DC component must be satisfied by an upper-division course or courses, academic departments will effectively have one year to fully implement their DC offerings, Padgett said.
