The Writing Program’s Spring 2026 FYW Faculty Workshop took place Wednesday January 21. Here’s a brief report.

Welcome New Faculty

We welcomed our new faculty: Corrine Gorria, and Jake Zawlacki. If you see them in the hall, please say hello.

Welcome Ian Lambrecht

We also welcomed our new EA for the Writing Program, Writing Center, and Honors: Ian Lambrecht. Come say hi to him over here in Learning Commons and welcome him to our team.

Following up on AI

While faculty are responding in different ways to challenges posed by AI, we all agree we need to rethink how we teach writing. Here is a brief recap of ideas faculty shared last Fall.

Currently, there is no “top down” policy articulated by any office on campus. English is working on a Department statement. And different groups are developing “guidelines,” which are more like best practices.

In other words, it’s down to us. In case it’s useful, we have shared examples of our policy statements, so everyone can see what others are doing. Click here for our current collection. Please add yours to the list (if you have not done so already).

February 12: Interested in an AI Brown bag with Writing Faculty in Other Disciplines (CADW)?

The Writing Program is planning a Spring brown bag on AI Februrary 12, during Torrero hours. We’ve invited faculty advanced writing in other disciplines. The format will be open discussion and idea sharing, not workshop or presentation. Would you like to come? Please respond to our survey here.

Spring 2026 Assessment

The Writing Program and Core are teaming up to assess first year student writing this semester. All FYW sections are being asked to participate.

How does this impact you? What are we asking? Other questions? Please read this handout for more information. Here’s what we’re asking from you:

• Submit student responses and one prompt for an in-class essay assignment.

• Submit student work and one prompt for any assignment in which you ask students to cite sources using an academic style guide.

• Respond to an anonymous survey (coming out later this semester).

Assistant Core Director Debbie Finocchio also shared this presentation with general information about the assessment process, including reminders of things we should include in our syllabi. Please read it.

We will send follow up emails later in the semester. Please feel free to ask questions!

Faculty Presentation: Ashley Nguyen

We’re all trying out different approaches to engage students and offer them useful feedback. Professor Ashley Nguyen shared how she incorporates regular student conferences to check-in with students at different stages of their writing process.

Her presentation touches upon strategies she uses to make students feel comfortable, yet also be active participants in their learning. Her structure helps avoid the problem of passive students, or a session from devolving into an “editing session.” Ashley makes conference attendance a part of the class grade, although conferences can take different forms (only one conference must be in-person).

Click here to see the workshop activity Ashley designed to help us play with her approach. This handout challenges us to think through a few scenarios of “what could go wrong” during conferences, and strategize about how we might redirect a session when necessary.