Writing Across the Curriculum

We began Appalachian's WAC Program in 2008 in University College, with Georgia Rhoades as half-time director and Sherry Alusow Hart as the first WAC consultant at one-quarter time. Erin Zimmerman, now WPA at American University Beirut, was our first graduate student RA. Rhoades invited Chris Anson to campus to conduct the first R & C/WID faculty workshops to introduce WAC and proposed a vertical writing curriculum to the Gen Ed Task Force.

The Writing Across the Curriculum Program (WAC) offers support to the vertical writing model of the General Education curriculum at Appalachian and for writing instruction at other institutions as well as writing outreach.  WAC offers faculty development for the Composition Program, First Year Seminar, and Writing in the Disciplines at the junior and capstone level and through “Don’t Cancel That Class.” WAC also encourages dialogue between writing teachers at universities and community colleges as well as community groups that foster literacy.

WAC is a space to bring together faculty from all levels, from other institutions, and from the greater community in conversation about writing and teaching writing. Investing in the premise of the vertical writing curriculum, WAC fosters in faculty and students a greater awareness of the need to transfer skills and knowledge across levels, disciplines, and experiences.