30 University of Alaska (UA) writing faculty from across the state, including community campuses, are working to maintain best practices for student persistence and retention as they address challenges of the future.

Writing faculty from 9 campuses (Anchorage, Mat-Su, Homer, Kodiak, Fairbanks, Kuskokwim, Juneau, Ketchikan and Sitka), gathered in Anchorage to complete the goals of six thematically focused working groups, to build relationships and draft proposals to align UA courses and programs, increase student access and success, and institute the best, most effective practices to support increased retention and graduation rates. The in-person collaboration was designed to build trust and learn more about how UA writing courses serve a diverse student demographic across a vast geography.

Working Groups

• Group 1 completed a vision, values, and pedagogy statement designed to inform not only students but all other stakeholders who care about effective writing.
• Group 2 proposed a draft of revised student learning outcomes for WRTG 110, 111, and 192, as an effort to remain aligned in a meaningful way as writers adjust to the contexts of emergent communication technologies.
• Group 3 identified common principles for writing assessment and explored the development of an archive of student writing that could be used in various ways.
• Group 4 explored the vast array of dual enrollment programs across the state, categorized them under seven models identified by the Hanover group, underscored the value of strategic partnerships, and pointed to the need for a common understanding of student readiness.
• Group 5 envisioned the collaborative creation of OERCA (Open Education Resources Collection Alaska) that could be used in writing courses across the state. They had gathered a range of open educational resources, identified incentive efforts, and looked to the future need for ongoing support for the labor to create Alaska-rich resources that increase affordability for students but cannot be created for "free."
• Group 6 focused on generative artificial intelligence and academic integrity. They drafted a position paper that suggested a series of commitments and recommendations in the hopes that subject matter experts from across the system will work at various levels to establish clear and transparent policies for students who will need to navigate ethical questions and expectations across a variety of contexts.

The event not only made room for faculty to follow through on the work they started in the spring semester but opened space for faculty to explore synergy among various groups. Statewide writing faculty also had the opportunity to tour the UAA Learning Commons, a site of integrated student support and academic coaching.

Sponsors

The event was sponsored by the Faculty Alliance and the Faculty Initiative Fund, which is now accepting proposals for AY25.