English faculty members Chris Riseley, Matt Usner, Robin Havenick and Jane Walker undertook a trial of a new program during fall term, Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) in Writing, which can shorten students' path through the developmental writing sequence by two terms and save students $400. ALP Writing is an innovative program that allows students who have tested into WR 95 to take WR 121, along with WR 115, to develop their skills and complete WR 121 in their first term. Each instructor taught 10 under-prepared WR 121 students in their traditional class, along with the second WR 115 class designed to give one-on-one instruction. Normally the completion rate is 29 percent for under-prepared students in writing. The ALP program is hoping to double that completion rate to around 60 percent. While they cannot know the exact pass rates until final grades for the term have been posted, they are confident that they will meet that goal. Institutional Research will conduct an annual review process to compare the numbers of developmental students who succeeded in ALP with students who took the traditional writing sequence route, and will examine the success of students through the next highest writing class. Data gathered will be used to help track student success and completion, and will become part of Achieving the Dream data.
About 20 faculty and staff designed holiday cards to be sent to wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. Many people also stopped by at the DAC, SL&L and The Commuter offices to sign one of the 104 cards, which were sent to the center last week.
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| Seated, left to right, Marci Johnston, Leta Howell, Lynne Cox and Michelle Slay. Standing, left to right, Kimberly Kopplien, Tammi Drury, Joy Hobbs, Megan Pickens-Lloyd and Patti Ball. |
