2024 Exemplary WAC Programs

Starting small, the CT State Community College Norwalk WAC Program has expanded steadily outward since its beginnings in 2021. Perhaps most noteworthy about this WAC program is the fact that, while it is based at the Norwalk campus, it has grown to serve twelve community college campuses in the CT State system. This WAC program had done an excellent job of both implementing successful programming across multiple campuses and creating more targeted programming to meet the needs of specific campuses. Operating with the assistance of WAC advocates across these campuses has required an impressive degree of collaboration.

Equally impressive are the programÆs efforts to meet the needs of a diverse student body across the twelve campuses. Efforts to promote equitable grading and linguistic diversity stood out to the committe, as well as a forward-thinking perspective on AI. It was clear that the leadership of this program is committed to supporting studentsÆ development as writers and supporting the faculty who teach students across the curriculum. Though the WAC Program at CT State Community College falls into the emerging program category, it truly feels fully formed. It stood out to the committee because of its scope, structure, stability, and impact on students and faculty alike. We are excited to see this program continue to grow.

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North Carolina State University is an exemplar of consistent excellence and a testament to the innovative capacity of a research university in supporting student writers. For more than 28 years, the Campus Writing and Speaking Program staff has not only provided on-the-ground support for promoting, assigning, and assessing student writing to faculty and instructors across 68 departments and 12 colleges, but along the way, has also played a pivotal role in articulating a high-level vision and direction for a culture of writing that permeates the university, its administration, and the many publics whom they serve.

The Awards Committee commended the remarkable degree of buy-in from faculty and administrators in CWSP, a testament to the program’s adaptability and resilience in navigating changes in personnel, university governance, and higher education contexts. Merely excellent WAC programs engage faculty partners and meet their instructional support needs. An exemplary program moves beyond this initial stage to deeply connect with programs and curricula, considering the relationships between the cognitive dimensions of disciplines, the professional expectations of the fields, and how communication expectations and practices define these activities. NC State is one of the longest-standing programs in communication and writing across the curriculum yet is also one our field’s most engaged and innovative programs, instilling confidence in its sustainability and continuing effectiveness.

While their work on campus already makes CWSP worthy of enduring program status, the CWSP staff’s contributions to research in writing and communication have resonated broadly, marking them as among the most influential in the field. Virtually every member of the selection committee could recall research presentations and papers from Chris Anson, Deanna Danniels, (or both) that profoundly shaped their own professional practice, integrating theoretical insight with the core questions of the field. Combining rhetoric and composition, communication studies, English, and writing studies expertise in a centralized but dynamic program, NC State has led the way for innovative WAC and CXC programming across the United States and worldwide. We are honored to recognize the Campus Writing and Speaking Program at North Carolina State University as a new addition to the Exemplary Enduring WAC Program award winners.

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The WAC program at Appalachian State University is most impressive, and truly stands as the epitome of an enduring WAC program that not only challenges students with its Vertical Writing Model that accompanies and ôgrows withö students all four years, but also faculty as they work with writing-intensive curriculum anchored in Writing Studies. The Program understands the needs of a diverse student body with diverse needs and focuses on how to make that student body more resilient in and through their writing.

As a committee, we were impressed with the breadth of the program, specifically the Vertical Writing Model, the free academic conference offered by WAC to local colleges and universities, and the attention to transfer students and their needs. The vastness of the Vertical Writing Model, so integrated within the General Education Curriculum, shows the eagerness of the administrators to reach students through all stages of their college experience. We appreciate the forward-thinking, data-driven approach the program offers to not only its students, but also its faculty.

Overall, WAC at AppState is an example of a truly enduring program that serves as a helpful model for other programs engaging in similar types of work. The VWM Model has grown to receive national recognition, and the WAC program at Appalachian has served as supportive colleagues to other WAC professionals embarking on similar work, showcasing their impact not only on their own campus but on our broader WAC community.

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