Writing Symposium

MULTILITERACIES: Modes, Media, Cultures
A Symposium Open to the DU Community

Literacy is undergoing a sea change.  Twenty-first-century technologies are creating a world of writers, with more people producing more language in more media and in more diverse cultural contexts than ever before.  Here at DU, we now see students not only writing “traditional” academic papers but creating video for DU Tube, delivering PowerPoint presentations, posting to course blogs, and studying for exams via podcast lectures.

This symposium will explore the ramifications of the multiliterate transformation.  How can we best use various modes of literacy — written, spoken, visual — in the classroom?  How can  composing in multiple media enhance learning?  What challenges and opportunities do students encounter as they communicate in a variety of cultural contexts, on and off campus?

New updated sessions titles and rooms! (click for more information)

Program Components

First-Year Writing Sequence. After new students complete a small seminar taught each fall by faculty from across the university, on a subject of their passion, they complete a two-course sequence, winter and spring, in sections of 15. The Program also provides support for writing in the first-year seminar.

Writing Center. Located in Penrose library, the Center promotes and supports effective student writing by providing consultations to undergraduates and graduate students. The Center is staffed by trained graduate students and offers scheduled and drop-in consultations, as well as other services.

Core Curriculum Writing. Students complete at least one of three required core courses in a 15-student writing-intensive section. The Core Curriculum Committee reviews proposals and approves writing intensive courses. The Writing Program provides faculty development and support for these classes.

Writing in the Disciplines. The Program offers development opportunities and support for faculty in every department, from informal consultations to extended workshops. The goal is to teach students the ways of writing vital to specific disciplines and professions by helping faculty develop efficient and effective strategies for assigning writing.
Call for Proposals for the Writing in the Majors Profile Project

Assessment and Research. Through both focused and longitudinal studies of student writing, the Program will regularly assess its effectiveness and contribute to the professional literature in rhetoric and composition studies.

Mission

The Writing Program's mission is to create a robust culture of writing on campus, developing strong student skills through multiple writing experiences guided by the best research and pedagogy. Those skills include the complex writing and rhetorical abilities needed in contemporary academic, professional, and civic life. The Program provides a national model for colleges and universities seeking exemplary practices in teaching writing. For more information, please view the 16 page portrait, the Writing Program Overview.                 --Doug Hesse, Director and Professor