Faculty Resources

Professional Development

Summer Writing Across Curriculum Institute Fellows
The Summer Writing Institute provides full-time faculty participating in undergraduate teaching with tools and strategies to further integrate writing instruction into content-based courses.

Download The Application!

 

Faculty Document Repository

This collection of Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) faculty resources is a diverse repository of “best practice” sample writing artifacts. Faculty will find archival samples of FAMU and non-FAMU derived writing assignments with appropriate prompts, a variety of differentially-styled rubrics, as well as various tools for assessing writing proficiency.

Are you interested in helping both colleagues and students? Consider submitting your own original writing for consideration to become a part of this archive!

Submit Today!

WEC Requirements

  • 1. Include writing assignments that engage students in intellectual activities central to the course objectives.

  • 2. Have at least two graded writing assignments.

  • 3. Have at least two opportunities (informal and/or brief formal) to practice using references and general academic writing mechanics.

  • 4. Provide a schedule for writing assignments that allocates class time for discussing strategies to improve student writing.

  • 5. Require students to make substantial revision(s) of at least one graded, out-of-class writing assignment.

  • 6. Have students giving and receiving peer feedback at least once during the semester.

  • 7. Require students to attend relevant co-curricular activities as assigned.

  • 8. Writing assignments will comprise at least 20-40% of student course grade.

Written Communication Rubric

 

Score of 5 (Excellent)

•  Organization—Well-focused or creative expression of central idea (implied or explicitly stated based on genre). Problem/focus and plan are easy to understand.

•  Support—Ideas are extensively elaborated, showing evidence of critical thinking, insight, creativity. Locates, evaluates, synthesizes, and documents primary & secondary sources (as necessary).

•  Revision— Each draft folds in critical feedback from peers and/or instructor. Writer reflects upon semester's writing with ability to evaluate own work and that of community.

• Language— Intentional, purposeful use of appropriate words for the writing context.

•  Coherence—Analyzes and responds to diverse writing genres exceptionally well. Each paragraph connects effortlessly with the other with sophistication.

•  Mechanics—Little to no grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Errors do not hamper reader's comprehension of writer's message.


 

Score of 4 (Above Average)

•  Organization--Mostly focused or mostly creative expression of central idea (implied or explicitly stated based on genre). Problem/focus and plan are identifiable.

•  Support—Ideas are effectively elaborated, showing evidence of critical thinking, insight, creativity. Mostly locates, evaluates, synthesizes, and documents primary & secondary sources (as needed).

•  Revision— Each draft integrates critical feedback from peers and instructor. Writer reflects upon semester's writing with ability to evaluate own work and that of community.

• Language— Mostly Intentional, purposeful use of words for the diverse writing contexts•  Coherence--Analyzes and responds to diverse writing genres effectively

•  Mechanics— Some grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors only slightly hampers reader's comprehension of writer's message.


 

Score of 3 (Average/Competent)

•  Organization--Moderately focused or moderately creative expression of central idea (implied or explicitly stated based on genre). Problem/focus and plan are vaguely identifiable.

•  Support—Ideas are moderately, showing evidence of critical thinking, insight, creativity. Mostly locates, evaluates, synthesizes, and documents primary & secondary sources (as needed).

•  Revision— Each draft takes into consideration critical feedback from peers and instructor. Writer reflects upon semester's writing with some ability to evaluate own work and that of community.

• Language— Moderately intentional, purposeful use of words for the diverse writing contexts

•  Coherence-- Analyzes and responds to diverse writing genres moderately effectively

•  Mechanics— Some grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors moderately hampers reader's comprehension of writer's message.


 

Score of 2 (Below Average/Developing)

•  Organization--Less focused or less creative expression of central idea (implied or explicitly stated based on genre). Problem/focus and plan are unclear.

•  Support—Ideas are less elaborated, showing little evidence of critical thinking, insight, creativity. Does not consistently locate, evaluate, synthesize, or documents primary & secondary sources (as needed)

•  Revision— Each draft lacks integration of critical feedback from peers and instructor. Writer reflects on semester's writing with minimal ability to evaluate own work and that of community.

• Language— Mostly unintentional, careless use of words for the diverse writing contexts

•  Coherence-- Analyzes and responds to diverse writing genres less effectively

•  Mechanics—Grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors only slightly hampers reader's comprehension of writer's message.


 

Score of 1 (Beginning/Underdeveloped)

•  Organization--Unfocused or lacks creative expression of central idea (implied or explicitly stated based on genre). Problem/focus and plan are not identifiable.

•  Support—Ideas are not elaborated, showing no evidence of critical thinking, insight, creativity. Does not consistently locate, evaluate, synthesize, or documents primary & secondary sources (as needed).

•  Revision— Each draft, if provided, lacks integration of critical feedback from peers and/or instructor. Writer reflects on semester's writing with little to no ability to evaluate own work and that of community.

•  Language—Little to no intentional, purposeful use of words for the diverse writing contexts

•  Coherence-- Analyzes and responds to diverse writing genres ineffectively

•  Mechanics—Grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors hampers reader's comprehension of writer's message.

 

Written Communication Rubric (Pdf)

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To add a new resource or suggest a new category or subcategory, please contact Michael Thornton

Biology | ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
Florida A&M University

P:
(850) 412-5059
E:
michael.thornton@famu.edu