<p>To clarify something. The most fundamental element of Swarthmore’s WAC program is the process of submitting an outline or draft for review and comment followed by a revision based on that review. In a WA course, this review takes place in conference with one of the WAs assigned to the course. However, there is a larger number of W courses at Swarthmore where the professor handles the submit, review, revise sequence.</p>
<p>My daughter described several of these courses to me, where she turned in preliminary outlines and drafts, reviewed them in conference with the professor, and then revised for a final draft. This is all part of the Swarthmore WAC program. Active collaborative learning, one on one with professors and with specially trained student peers. Undergrad education doesn’t get any better than that. </p>
<p>These mechanisms and the requirement for a minumum of three W courses to graduate have evolved from nearly 20 years of faculty discussion of writing, with the professors in charge of the WA program as key players in the discussion. And, of course, the money to fund it. To have an institution place that kind of emphasis on writing is unusual.</p>
<p>See the quotes from Purdue above – one of the top Writing Insstruction PhD programs in the country and they have no WAC program for undergrads because they can’t afford it.</p>