From mkfarrens@ucdavis.edu
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2004 22:25:19 -0800
From: Matthew Farrens <mkfarrens@ucdavis.edu>
To: Joe Kiskis <kiskis@solid.ucdavis.edu>
Cc: crichardson@ucdavis.edu
Subject: Re: Engineering Executive Committee & UG Council writing report 


Comments on Proposed Writing Center from
Executive Committee, College of Engineering

The College of Engineering fully recognizes the importance of being able to
write and write well.  We have been discussing ways to improve the writing
skills of our students for several years.  The Executive Committee recognizes 
that the Undergraduate Council has spent a substantial amount of time and
effort studying the problem and different possible solutions, and we are in
principle supportive of the idea of forming a writing center to facilitate the
improvement of writing skills campus-wide.

However, having said that, we had two significant concerns that we feel need to
be addressed:  

1)  Where will the money come from to fund this center?  Will there be new
funding, or will current funding be diverted from L&S?  Given the current
fiscal situation of the university, the question of whether or not we should 
invest in a central campus-writing center or just have funding transferred to 
the different colleges to allow for their departments to run their own programs 
needs to be addressed.

2)  We are seriously concerned about the academic placement of the center - 
the current proposal has this center under the jurisdiction of the office of 
the Provost.  Such an arrangement would appear to be in conflict with standing 
orders, since the Senate is supposed to create and supervise courses.  The
question that needs to be addressed is how to resolve this conflict - 
should an academic unit should be created within the provost office to oversee 
the operation of the writing center, or should it be placed in an entirely
different unit?  

Sincerely,

Matthew Farrens
Chair, Executive Committee of the College of Engineering