To: Bruce Madewell, Chair, Davis Division of the Academic Senate
    Peter Rodman, Chair, Faculty of the College of Letters and Science
    Matthew Farrens, Chair, Faculty of the College of Engineering
    James Quinn, Chair, Faculty of the College of Agricultural and 
                        Environmental Sciences
    Bruce Jaffee, Chair, Committee on Courses of Instruction
    Kevin Hoover, Chair, Committee on Elections Rules and Jurisdiction
    Angela Cheer, Chair, Committee on Academic Planning and Budget Review

From: Joe Kiskis, Chair, Undergraduate Council
Subject: Proposal for a University Writing Program

April 11, 2004

I write to request your comments on the Proposal for a University Writing
Program, which is the major element in a plan to improve instruction and
student achievement in writing. Following earlier writing reports, the
recommendations from two Chancellor's Fall Conferences, and a charge to
the Undergraduate Council from the Chair of the Davis Division of the
Academic Senate, a substantial number of faculty and administrators have
collaborated to identify a form for the program that is well-suited to our
campus. I hope that you will join with them in endorsing this proposal. I
believe that it has the greatest chance of success if we can achieve both
Senate and administrative consensus on the major elements of the proposal
before the end of this quarter. Thus I will appreciate hearing from you by 
May 12, 2004.

This proposal has arisen out of a long history of discussions of writing
instruction at UC Davis. There have been numerous reports on writing and
previous recommendations for improvements. Although the discussions extend
back for many years, I will mention just the relatively recent past to
establish the background for this proposal. The "Zender Report,"  was
issued in January, 2001. By the summer of 2002, it had not led to changes
at the college level, and the newly formed Undergraduate Council was
charged by the Davis Division Senate Chair to examine writing instruction
at UC Davis. Both the 2001 and 2003 Chancellor's Fall Conferences produced
recommendations that writing instruction should be improved through
coordinated, campuswide efforts. During the 2002-2003 academic year, the
Council studied the issues and offered its report, Writing at UC Davis, in
June of 2003.  It contained a number of recommendations including the
establishment of an independent University Writing Center. Since then,
there have been many discussions and comments on the recommendations in
the report. These discussions have included the faculties and deans of the
undergraduate colleges, the Senate Executive Council, and the Department
of English. In response to comments on the organization and administration
of the writing center, we have developed this more detailed proposal for a
University Writing Program (UWP). It was drafted by the chair of the
Department of English, the director of the present writing program, and
the chair of the Undergraduate Council. It incorporates elements of both
the UG Council report and the administrative changes initiated by Dean
Langland and realized this year through the writing program director and
the writing program board. The proposal has the support of the
Undergraduate Council, the writing program director, the writing program
lecturers, the Dean of HArCS, and the Vice Provost for Undergraduate
Studies. I believe that additional college faculty and Senate support will
be matched by a willingness on the part of the administration to
collaborate with the faculty in establishing the program.  Thus we have an
opportunity to achieve something that will significantly improve
undergraduate instruction at UC Davis.

On our campus, a majority of the upper and lower division composition
courses are currently offered through the Department of English. Recent
English TPPRC reports have encouraged the Department to give attention to
its role and that of both its Senate and Federation faculty in the
campuswide goal to provide high quality writing courses. Indeed, in
formulating the Undergraduate Council writing report last year, we
benefited from substantial input from members of the Department of
English. They were instrumental in developing the Council consensus that
achieving the goal of high writing proficiency in our graduating students
will require a complete writing program including lower and upper division
courses, a writing in the disciplines program, support for writing
intensive courses across the campus, and evaluation of student outcomes.
They also made the case that the responsibility of achieving campus
writing goals for every UC Davis student through such a program is more
than a single department can reasonably be expected to shoulder. The
Undergraduate Council writing report, which included the recommendation
for an independent writing program, was issued in June of 2003 and was
sent to the Department of English by early July of 2003. The present
proposal for a UWP, which was co-written by the chair of the Department of
English, the director of the current writing program, and the chair of the
Undergraduate Council was distributed to the Department on February 19,
2004. The formal memo of transmittal followed on February 24, 2004.
 
While the Department of English faculty have had extensive discussions of
the associated issues and the proposal itself, they have not prepared a
formal response. Based on a discussion with the chairman, I understand
that the department is in general agreement with the organization and
administration of the UWP described in the proposal. There is also
agreement on moving the upper division composition courses (ENL 101, 102,
and 104) into the UWP. There is a consensus that ENL 3 should (as
described in the proposal) stay in the Department.

In addition, the chair of the Department of English, the director of the
current writing program, the Dean of HArCS, the Vice Provost for
Undergraduate Studies, and the Provost, are ready to move forward on
implementing the proposal on a schedule that would have all elements of it
in place by July 1, 2005. Searches for a UWP director and a second faculty
member could begin very soon. The University Writing Board could be in
place by July 1, 2004. It would work with an interim UWP director, college
faculties, and Senate committees to guide the searches, course
transitions, and initial enhancements to upper division composition
instruction during academic year 2004-2005. By July 1, 2005, the
transition will be complete. At that point, the upper division writing
courses and ENL 1 (with is associated pedagogy courses 390 and 392) will
have moved into the UWP. There will also be a new director and another
faculty member in place.

It is crucial that the Academic Senate, including the college
faculties, play their appropriate role in considering and implementing
this plan for a new University Writing Program.  Toward the goal of
reaching a campus decision on the proposal (or a modified form of it)
during this academic year, it is time to distribute the proposal for wider
comment.

The present proposal differs from the recommendations in the June 2003
Undergraduate Council writing report in two substantial ways. Many who
reviewed the report indicated a preference for basing the program in a
college rather than the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate
Studies. Thus the new version proposes to house the program in HArCS. The
new proposal also differs from the report in adding ladder faculty
associated with the program. This element has its origin in discussions
between Dean Langland and Provost Hinshaw. Their willingness to enhance a
new program in this way is a clear and strong indicator of administrative
support for a new writing program. Senate faculty associated with the
program will add scholarly strength and will improve long term stability.
In addition, the Chancellor has stated a commitment to using the Clark
Kerr Presidential Chair to supplement the position of the director of the
writing program.

The general structure of the proposed writing program is within the
organizational spectrum of programs found at other research universities.  
However, the faculty positions and the Kerr Chair would bring immediate
national recognition of our uniquely attractive and ambitious effort. This
year, the program director used Presidential Chair funds to host visits by
nationally recognized composition experts. In their reports, they agreed
that UC Davis is well positioned to take the next steps to establish an
independent writing program. In another associated report, an Office of
Resource Management and Planning task force analyzed the resource
implications of a new program. Additionally it is especially heartening to
read in a SARI report that students attach the same very high importance
to effective writing as do the many faculty and administrators who have
been working on this proposal for a UWP that will strengthen instruction
is this crucial area.

I hope that you will endorse the goals and the main elements of the
proposal. I will appreciate receiving your comments or suggestions for
improvement by May, 12. Since some of the details are likely to be
adjusted as a possible implementation moves forward, your comments on the
general provisions for the program will be most valuable at this time. If
it would facilitate your discussion, I will be happy to meet with you to
go over the proposal in more detail.

The proposal and supporting documents can be accessed on the website at
http://www.physics.ucdavis.edu/kiskis/ug_council/uwp.html. I will be 
adding additional information to the site during the next few days. Also 
the proposal is attached to this email. 

With strong college faculty and Senate committee support, we can start
the changes the will lead us to an exemplary writing program for the
benefit of our students.