Written Communication
We define Written Communication as the ability to develop and communicate ideas effectively in writing as appropriate to a given context, purpose, and audience.
What We Expect Our Students to Learn
Students will employ deep critical thought, effective prose style, and consideration of an audience’s expectations through the creation of essays.
Sample: Who are we looking at?
- 200 randomly-selected students with senior status, who took the CLA+ during their freshmen year.
Measure: How are we rating their performance?
- Writing Effectiveness subsection of the CLA+ scored with a 6-point rubric
Target: What score did we expect?
- 87% of students will score 3 or greater (Satisfactory)
- 47% of students will score 4 or greater (Exceeds Satisfaction)
Finding: What score did our students earn?
2024
| Measure | Findings | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Writing Effectiveness | 89% of students scored a 3 or greater | Met |
| 33% of students scored a 4 or greater | Not Met |
Action Plan - 2024
Since Writing Effective is a primary focus of English 223, we will encourage instructors to continue to provide high quality instruction. The University Writing Council is now offering several trainings for writing-intensive faculty throughout the academic year, which will support instructors in their endeavor to support students in their writing. Some of these trainings focus specifically on the best practices for teaching students to produce effective writing and are co-sponsored through the Center for Effective Teaching.
Students will demonstrate an ability to comprehend and utilize primary and secondary sources.
Sample: Who are we looking at?
- 200 randomly-selected students with senior status, who took the CLA+ during their freshmen year.
Measure: How are we rating their performance?
- Writing Mechanics subsection of the CLA+ scored with a 6-point rubric
Target: What score did we expect?
- 95% of students will score 3 or greater (Satisfactory)
- 64% of students will score 4 or greater (Exceeds Satisfaction)
Finding: What score did our students earn?
2024
| Measure | Findings | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Writing Mechanics | 94% of students scored a 3 or greater | Not Met |
| 44% of students scored a 4 or greater | Not Met |
Action Plan - 2024
The University Writing Council offers faculty training on how to effectively teach the mechanics of academic writing, and we are collaborating with the Center for Effective Teaching to provide this training. In addition, we will continue to emphasize the importance of writing mechanics in the training provided to all faculty teaching writing intensive courses.