DRW Digital Archive

Items

• E 346K Committee Report, 6 March 1986
  This report from the E 346K committee explains that E 346K has been removed from the course catalogue and that E 309 will be offered under three headings: Topics in Writing, Writing Process, and Thinking and Writing (309K, 309L, and 309M). Students can enroll in 309 in their first year. Plans for additional writing classes, the Writing Lab, and for E 316, E 325M, E 360M, and E 379C are mentioned in the report. Finally, the report says that other departments have been asked to develop discipline-specific writing classes.
• Association of Graduate Students of English Minutes, 7 March 1986
  The minutes of a meeting of the AGSE. In attendance: Reber, McDonaugh, Halasek, Van Vocht, Campbell, McDonald, Wren, Paterson, and Fowler. Among other topics, the committee discussed selecting an outstanding teacher for recognition, and announced that Bertelson will be new director of "Freshman Composition."
• Association of Graduate Students of English Meeting Minutes, 21 March 1986
  Minutes of the AGSE. Present are MacDonald, Balester, Penticoff, Fracasso, Campbell, Fracasso, Billingsley, Wren, and Fowler. Among the topics discussed are: getting a computer for Fred Kemp that will be used to produce a bibliography project; changes to the FEPC and Bertelson’s appointment as Director of Freshman English; and the University Council’s decisions regarding E 346K.
• The Association of Graduate Students of English Letter to _The Daily Texan_, 24 February 1986
  Referencing a 21 February 1986 article that discusses new English requirements, Valerie Balester, the AGSE Chair, says the courses described in the article are not familiar to those in the first-year writing office (Ruszkiewicz, Frost, Daniell, and Light German cc-ed).
• Sutherland Memo to Ruszkiewicz, 20 January 1986
  Sutherland explains that he needs to think about next year’s budget before making a decision about Light German’s appointment as a specialist. He mentions a meeting with Tom Cable and requests information about German's schedule and duties.
• Sutherland Letter to Ruszkiewicz Regarding E 306, 10 March 1986
  Sutherland, Chair of English, reports to Ruszkiewicz that Bertelson will be the next Director of Freshman English, and Slatin, Kearns and Hedrick will be added to the FEPC to help in the transition and preparation of E 306 for the coming year. Sutherland also identifies the next issues that this committee must address.
• Stephen Witte Review of "Composition Problem"
  Stephen Witte's effort at a comprehensive review of the "composition problem." Details history of curriculum, administrative concerns, and proposed solutions.
• Summary of Administration
  Outlines administrative duties in a proposed writing unit. Very similar to Hairston's proposal to King 16 May 1985. Likely an early draft of this proposal.
• Major Selling Points of Our Plan
  Selling points for creating a DRC/DRW type of unit. Possibly authored by Ruszkiewicz
• Svinicki Letter About E 306 and E 346K, 14 October 1985
  Memo from Svinicki to the Writing Program Chairmen addressing university consideration of new E 306 and E 346K courses.
• Sledd Letter About Gribben, 10 October 1986
  A letter sent to William Livingston (UT Vice President), William Cunningham (UT President), William Sutherland (Chair English), and Gerhard Fonken (UT Provost) defending James Sledd against allegations made by Alan Gribben and recently published in the _Daily Texan_. Sledd says Gribben accused him of provoking a fight in two letters to the English Department Executive Committee: Oct 1 and Sept 28(?). Kinneavy told Sledd that the Executive Committee recently discussed Gribben’s accusations. Sledd says Kurt Heinzelman put copies of Gribben’s letters in Sledd’s mailbox, and directly quotes a portion of this indirect correspondence. Sledd describes other letters that he's written about these accusations to the English faculty and to others, such as Dean Robert King and Vice Provost Gerhard Fonken. Sledd describes several letters that he's written about the incident and worries about the damage these accusations might do to Tom Halliburton and Bob Wren.
• University Council Recommendations on Evaluation of Teaching Effectiveness,
  28 page report outlining proposed changes to the evaluation of teaching effectiveness.
• Projected Composition Offerings 1986-87
  A one-page table of composition courses to be offered in the next academic year. The table compares these projected offerings to 1982-3 (the last year before new writing program went into effect). The table finally lists staffing needs to cover these courses.
• Rhetoric Faculty Letter to Robert King, 16 May 1985
  Rhetoric faculty letter to dean King advocating for creation of a division of rhetoric.
• A Comprehensive Solution to the English Department's "Composition Problem" by Stephen Witte
  Steve Witte's proposal to solve the "composition problem," written with the help of the Rhetoric Interest Group and produced in response to Dean Robert King's request for a solution from within the English Department. Also contains a brief hand-written note by Witte.
• Selling Points for Division of Writing Proposal
  Describes pros of creating a division of writing within the Department of English
• Summary of Administration for DRC/DRW
  Several pages of notes on the administrative structure of a proposed, autonomous unit to oversee the writing curriculum in the Department of English.
• Devising a Division
  Barton, Chris. "Devising a Division." Alcalde January/February 1994, pp. 22-24. A feature article on the DRC, mentioning new initiatives (UWC, CWRL, promise of textbook), and reporting enthusiasm from participating faculty. Ruszkiewicz, Faigley, Trimble, Kruppa, and Friend (AD in the UWC) are quoted.
• Campus Briefs may/June 2000
  "Campus Briefs." _Alcalde_ May/June 2000, p. 15 Announcement that the prefix for all courses offered by the DRC would no longer be E but rather RHE.
• New Division to Foster Undergraduate Writing
  "New Division to Foster Writing." _Alcalde_ January/February 1993, p. 27. This brief article mentions the establishment of the new Division and the 11-member committee advising King on its creation.
• New Education Initiative Provides One-on-One Assistance to University Students Seeking Improved Writing Skills
  Neff, Nancy. "New Education Initiative Provides One-on-One Assistance to University Students Seeking Improved Writing Skills." _OnCampus_ 25 October 1993, pp. 1-2. An article about the newly opened Undergraduate Writing Center in Parlin 102. The DRC, the DWRL, and the SWC initiative are also discussed. Faigley, Kimball, and Slatin are quoted.
• University Council Debates Creation of New Division of Rhetoric and Composition in College of Liberal Arts
  Lengthy description of the debate over the DRC at a University Council meeting. Although the DRC by and large receives support from those outside the English Department, English faculty members object to the opaque procedure around the division's establishment. They argue for a suspension of the DRC's 1 June 1993 start date in order for an investigative committee to be convened. King defends his actions, stresses that the debated proposal is open to amendments, and emphasizes that the decision to establish the DRC is final. Kelley, Paul. "University Council Debates Creation of New Division of Rhetoric and Composition in College of Liberal Arts." OnCampus, 26 October 1992, pp. 2-3 & 6-7
• Cunningham Announces Decisions on Recommendations Proposed by Committee on the Undergraduate Experience
  President Cunningham responds to the recommendations made by the Committee on the Undergraduate Experience. Notably, he announces that Provost Fonken is working with Dean King to investigate the possibility of a Division of Rhetoric and Composition.
• University Establishes New Division for Teaching Writing, Composition
  University coverage of the announcement of the creation of the Division of Rhetoric and Composition. Neff, Nancy. "University Establishes New Division for Teaching Writing, Composition." OnCampus, 8 September 1992, pp. 1-2
• Faculty Senate Votes to Create Committee
  After what is called "heated debate," the Faculty Senate votes to create its own committee to investigate undergraduate writing. This committee would be in addition to the College of Liberal Arts' committee on the same topic. Fleming, Christy. "Faculty Senate Votes to Create Committee." Daily Texan, 3 November 1992, p. 6.