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Pittsburg State University
1701 South Broadway
Pittsburg KS 66762
Don Judd
WAC Coordinator
English
Phone: (620) 235-4697
Kathleen De Grave
Assistant WAC Coordinator
English
Phone: (620) 235-4705
Cynthia Woodburn
Assistant WAC Coordinator
Mathematics
Phone: (620) 235-4490
Bruce Shields
WAC Graduate Assistant
English
Phone: (620) 235-4686
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Troubleshooting
Each semester 50-60 Writing to Learn sections are offered in about 20 different
disciplines, affording many more seats than are necessary to accommodate those
students who are in the WL series. However, often these seats are taken by
students who do not need the WL credit, making it hard for WL students to get
in. To remedy this situation, the registrar closes all Writing to Learn
sections for the first days of pre-enrollment, opening the classes only when it
is time for sophomores (and then freshmen) to pre-enroll. If your advisees
pre-enroll, they should be able to find a seat in a WL class.
If your advisee is a junior or senior and still needs a WL course, have the
student add the WL course once the classes open for the sophomores.
If your advisee wants a particular WL course that is closed, have him or her
get on a waiting list if one is offered. Often openings occur after
pre-enrollment as students change their schedules or as more seats and sections
are added.
Note that every summer, approximately seven WL courses are offered, in about
five different disciplines.
To ensure that freshmen and sophomores have access to the WL courses, the
registrar closes all Writing to Learn sections for the first days of
pre-enrollment, opening the classes only when it is time for sophomores (and
then freshmen) to pre-enroll. If your advisee is a junior or senior and still
needs a WL course, have the student add the WL course once the classes open for
the sophomores.
The first thing to do if your advisee hasn't taken the WL courses on time is to
find out why. If your student transferred from another school, follow the
rules for
transfer students. If your student has general education
courses left to take or some free electives, have him or her sign up for a WL
version if one exists.
In rare cases, if a student has a reasonable explanation for why he or she did
not take the WL courses on time, and if taking a WL course now would present a
significant hardship for the student, you can
request a waiver
of
the WL requirement from the dean of the college in which the student's major is
housed.
If a student feels that one or both of the Writing to Learn required courses
should be waived, he or she is to discuss the issue with the advisor.
The advisor, if he or she believes the student is correct, writes a
letter to the dean of the college in which the student is majoring.
The letter should outline the situation and give the advisor's
rationale for the request. The dean then has a few choices:
to waive the requirement outright, if the situation so merits;
to deny the waiver outright; or to set up a
contract whereby the
student does intense writing in a non-writing, upper-level course in
the major to bolster the argument that the lower level WL course should
be waived. This third option should not be routinely chosen, especially
since the WAC program works on the premise that most upper level courses
involve writing already. The purpose of Writing to Learn is to give students
practice writing in the first years of their college study.
In the case of transfer students, the 55 credit rule
applies (no WL required if the student transfers in 55 credits).
Any transfer student who comes to PSU with 45 or more hours (but
less than 55 credits) and has taken all General Education courses currently
offered as WL, has made a good faith effort to take the WL courses, and has
trouble scheduling the second WL course can opt to "test out" of the
second course (i.e., take a specially devised test, and, on passing,
be given a waiver for the second WL course).
The test-out specifically tests the student's ability to read an
article and write a short response to it, as in a Writing to Learn course.
The written response has to demonstrate a reasonable level of critical
thinking and a reasonable ability to articulate an idea on paper.
The WAC coordinator, Don Judd, can consult with you and/or the dean on
the situation. If you want to discuss your advisee's case before writing the
letter to the dean, call the WAC coordinator at ext. 4697 or send an e-mail,
djudd@pittstate.edu.
Note that the student does not contact the dean directly, but only through you, the advisor.
Also, be aware that no faculty member is required to do the extra work of
assigning writing in an upper-division course to help the student out -- it is
strictly voluntary. And again, this solution should be used very rarely.
Back to Advisor FAQs
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