FAIRFAX, Va. – September 13, 2014 – For the 13th year in a row, Mason’s Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Program has been recognized for its excellence by US News & World Report rankings for Writing in the Disciplines.
Programs on the list were selected by academic officials at over 1,500 colleges and universities. In order to be selected, colleges must “make the writing process a priority at all levels of instruction and across the curriculum. Students are encouraged to produce and refine various forms of writing for different audiences in different disciplines.” Mason’s WAC Program supports over 75 “Writing Intensive” courses at the junior level, a variety of student writing initiatives, including a growing writing fellows program, and faculty development opportunities such as faculty write-ins, writing consulting, and GTA training.
Dr. Michelle LaFrance, Mason’s WAC Program Director, commented, “A program like this is successful because of the contributions of many different faculty in and across the disciplines, who value how writing helps students learn about their fields, engage course materials or key disciplinary concepts more deeply, and reflect upon the communication standards necessary for success in today’s workplace.” LaFrance noted, “We have a vital and lively ‘culture of writing’ at Mason that is the product of this deeper, campus-wide understanding that writing is thinking and that writing is the soul of learning.”
The Associate Chair of Mason’s English Department, Dr. Paul Rogers, stated, “What this means is that Mason has made the effort over the years to prioritize writing. For those of you who might not know, writing is a really big deal in this knowledge economy; it can be a difference maker in the workplace.”
Mason was recognized for its excellence in disciplinary writing programs along with other prestigious universities, such as Cornell, Duke, Harvard, and Princeton.
Debra Lattanzi Shutika, Chair of the English Department said “I’m extremely pleased that Mason’s Writing Across the Curriculum is once again recognized as a top ranked program. Writing is central to every aspect of college learning. Our students are fortunate to have the opportunity to work with our writing faculty.”
For more information about writing in the disciplines initiatives at George Mason University, please contact the Writing Across the Curriculum Program at wac@gmu.edu.
September 18, 2014