Mission Statement
The Writing Program at Western Illinois University recognizes writing as the interaction of a complex of processes—rhetorical, cognitive, social, and intuitive—that develop through social acquisition, formal training, and reflective practice.
We believe that writing is teachable. We also believe that writing experience fosters the educational aims of personal growth and empowerment, academic achievement, and participation in public and disciplinary discourse. We recognize that writing is contextual rather than monolithic. Complex skills that enable achievement in some writing situations may not necessarily carry over to other writing situations, and novice writers cannot be expected to master the conventions of all the writing situations they may encounter.
Consequently, the writing program has identified as central to its mission the development of specific kinds of writing situations that address our educational aims. Among these are: writing that is useful toward learning and discovering; writing that is source- and computer-assisted; and writing that articulates an informed position or persona toward a current event or issue, philosophical or moral value, personal experience or observation, or topic of importance to the multi-discipline of English studies.
We believe that writing instruction in these writing situations develops the ability to write about various kinds of texts and topics in such a way that students’ own writing articulates and embodies the multiple dimensions of the complex acts of critical reading and thinking.
To accomplish this mission, we also hold that:
- We seek to base our practice on our understanding of contemporary writing theory.
- Rather than impose a single theory on the program, faculty, and students, we incorporate elements of expressivist theory, cognitive development theory, social constructivist theory, and reader response theory, among others.
- We approach the writing process not as a single series of steps to train our students to follow, but rather as a complex, recursive, contextual, and individually determined practice.
- We believe that writing with computers is important, not just because students will be able to make practical use of computer skills, but because computer-mediated writing has a significant influence on both the writing process and on our understanding of how writing works.
- Our pedagogy is student-centered, as we seek to allow students to develop and grow as writers and thinkers.
Adopted by the Writing Committee, 1994-95, as part of the WPA program review.
