Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a WAC Fellow and how do I get a fellow?
A: WAC Fellows are advanced doctoral students from the CUNY Graduate Center and consult faculty on WI syllabus and assignment design. While fellows can provide workshops in your classes and occasionally tutor your students, they cannot be teaching assistants for your class. Contact the WAC coordinator if you would like to have a fellow work with you.
Q: I’m not an English professor. I can’t/don’t have time to teach my students grammar/punctuation/spelling.
A: Writing Intensive courses are not only about grammar/punctuation/spelling. And many of our students can benefit from incorporating writing beyond English courses. Please contact us and we can offer strategies on minimizing grammar errors.
Q: I don’t have time in class to assign writing exercises. I have too much material to cover as it is.
A: Please contact us and we can design writing activities or assignments that will not take away your “content” time.
Q: I already have enough grading as it is. I can’t take on any more.
A: Please contact us and we would be more than happy to offer tips on minimizing your grading time while maximizing student performance.
Q: This is a(n) [X] course. There’s no place for writing.
A: Writing does not always have to be a “product” in your course. You can incorporate writing in your course to help students learn difficult concepts better.
Q: I already teach Writing Intensive—I assign a 12-page research paper at the end.
A: We highly encourage you to incorporate writing throughout the course rather than assigning one high stakes writing assignment at the of the course. Please contact us and we can discuss strategies to scaffold the assignment and incorporate low-stakes assignments in your course.