University Writing Committee

The University Writing Committee (UWC), a standing committee of the Academic Senate, seeks to build and maintain a robust culture of writing at CSUDH that supports and advances the mission, vision, and goals of the University while it positively impacts students, faculty, and staff.

The UWC provides vision, leadership, and expertise in the building of a culture of writing within the University. The UWC serves as a recommending body to the Academic Senate on matters related to university-wide writing policies and practices.

The UWC offers consultation and recommendations to University entities tasked with the oversight, development, and review of: student writing requirements and standards; student learning outcomes assessment; and program assessment in the area of student writing in accord with CSUDH policies for such procedures and national and system-wide standards.

The UWC initiates and/or reviews proposals pertaining to the following system- and University-wide student writing requirements and standards: the Writing Intensive Program (WI); the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement Program (GWAR); and the Writing Across the Curriculum Program (WAC), and submits its recommendations to the Academic Senate for review and approval.

The UWC implements and oversees policies governing system- and University-wide student writing requirements and standards approved by the Academic Senate. The UWC conducts periodic review of University-wide policies and practices concerning student writing requirements and standards in accord with CSUDH policies for such procedures and national and system-wide standards and reports its findings to the Academic Senate.

The UWC has the following responsibilities pertaining to Writing Intensive Courses:

initiating and/or reviewing all policy proposals pertaining to WI courses and submitting recommendations to the Academic Senate for review and approval;
implementing and overseeing policies governing WI course requirements and standards;
administering the elements of the WI Program and assessing their effectiveness;
approving WI courses by agreement between program faculty and the Committee including determining if adequate resources are available to support the course;
offering guidance in creating writing intensive courses, including assistance with assignments, grading templates, etc.
assisting the department in requesting funds to offer a course as WI if the program and the Committee agree that the academic interests of the University would be served by giving a course the WI designation.
conducting periodic direct assessment of approved WI courses to assure writing intensive course guidelines are met; and it be further

The University Writing Committee (UWC) and the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) Coordinator are responsible for administering all the elements of the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement and assessing their effectiveness. The UWC has the following responsibilities pertaining to GWAR:

initiating and/or reviewing all policy proposals pertaining to GWAR and submitting formal recommendations to the Academic Senate for review and approval;
implementing and overseeing policies governing GWAR requirements and standards;
administering and assessing the elements of the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement; and be it further

The UWC has the following responsibilities pertaining to Writing Across the Curriculum:

initiating and/or reviewing all policy proposals pertaining to the WAC Program and submitting formal recommendations to the Academic Senate for review and approval;
implementing and overseeing policies governing WAC Program requirements and standards;
administering and assessing the elements of the WAC Program; and it be further

The membership shall be comprised as follows:

One faculty member from each of the following Colleges elected by the faculty of those colleges:
Arts and Humanities (excluding English Department faculty)
Business Administration and Public Policy
Education
Health, Human Services and Nursing
Natural and Behavioral Sciences
One faculty member, with ESL competency, elected by the Academic Senate.
One member of Associated Students Incorporated with undergraduate standing elected by ASI Leadership.
One member of Associated Students Incorporated with graduate standing elected by ASI Leadership.
The Director of the University Advisement and Testing Center.
The Chair, or designee, of the Educational Policies Committee of the Senate.
The Chair, or designee, of the General Education Committee.
The Chair, or designee, of the University Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment Committee.
One faculty member of the Graduate Council, elected by the faculty of the Council.
One faculty member from the English Department elected by the department faculty.
The Coordinator of the Writing Adjunct program in IDS.
The Composition Coordinator of the English Department.
The Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement Coordinator
The Writing Across the Curriculum Coordinator, who shall serve as the Chair of the committee
Dean of Undergraduate Studies

Service on the committee of the elected members shall be in staggered two-year terms with the terms of newly-added members to be determined by lot at the initial UWC meeting. The Chair of the Committee reports on the Committee’s activities to the Academic Senate during its regularly scheduled meetings at the request of the Chair of the Academic Senate. That the decisions of the UWC are normally final, but under extraordinary circumstances they may be referred by the Academic Senate to the Executive Committee for adjudication.

GWAR-Certifying Courses

For questions regarding the campus curriculum review process and the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement, please contact the Office of Academic Programs at academicprograms@csudh.edu.

Contact:

Siskanna Naynaha
snaynaha@csudh.edu
(310) 243-3359

Meeting dates:

UWC meets on the 1st Monday and 3rd Wednesday of every month from 10 am - 12 noon.

Members 2023-2024

Siskanna Naynaha, Committee Chair, Director of Writing Across the Curriculum
vacant, CBAPP Representative
Rui Sun, Interim Director of Assessment
Mike Karlin, COE Representative
Jim Hill, Chair of EPC
Sumino Otsuji, GWAR Coordinator
Jennifer Brandt, CAH Representative
Kathryn E. Theiss, CNBS Representative
Iris A’Hirataro, CHHSN Representative
Ryan Khoo, Director of the Toro Learning & Testing Center
Sherwin Sales, Director of the Writing Center
Kim Costino (ex officio), Dean of Undergraduate Studies
vacant, Student Representative
Miriam Hernandez, Multilingual Representative
Rosio Moreno, Administrative Support

University Writing