Chapter 3. Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC)

As with Socially Conscious Pedagogy and Universal Design for Learning, Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) has its roots in the political project of expanding access to higher education for minoritized populations. WAC invites pedagogues to rethink the value and emphasis on traditional, privileged modes of expression, such as high-stakes term papers, exams, and in-class “blue book” tests and essays. This section briefly describes the history of WAC at CUNY and lays out its defining principles. Elements of WAC pedagogy can be found throughout this handbook, including freewriting, low-stakes writing, minimal marking, rubrics, and instructor and peer feedback.

WAC at CUNY

Because colleges and universities have historically assumed a mastery of writing at the college level upon admission (e.g., the five-paragraph essay, formal English grammar), they have often ignored writing instruction and further privileged students who enter college from backgrounds that gave them those skills. Since opening its doors to all students in 1969 (known as “open admission”), CUNY colleges have sought to balance access with the pursuit of academic excellence. While the two are not at odds with each other, many have thought them to be. Some of the most iconic figures in CUNY history—Mina P. Shaughnessy, Adrienne Rich, Audre Lorde, and Toni Cade Bambara (among many others)—were also central figures in developing basic writing instruction at CUNY. They sought to facilitate meaningful writing experiences with students whose primary and secondary education experiences had not adequately prepared them to construct academic prose at the college level. Indeed, writing instruction can be seen as providing access to students marginalized by traditional approaches to the college curriculum.

Many of CUNY’s Graduate Teaching Fellows will be placed in WAC programs across the colleges in their fifth year. In WAC programs, Graduate Teaching Fellows have the opportunity to think through writing pedagogy in more depth and across disciplines. However, it is never too early to consider what role writing can play in your course and in your students’ learning.

WAC has tried to carry on the legacy of balancing access and excellence at CUNY by promoting critical thinking and clear expression of thought through writing in classes in all departments, rather than just English programs. Some undergraduate courses are designated as W (writing intensive) courses. Even if you are not teaching a W course, you should consider writing as a tool in the design your course. In order to support students in developing writing proficiencies, you can dive into the rich body of scholarship on teaching writing (some texts are listed below), which emphasizes the process of writing instead of just the final product.