The Writing in the Disciplines Faculty Seminar is one of the Writing Institute's most important programs for supporting writing instruction across the Dietrich School. Faculty from across the three divisions of Arts and Sciences — Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences — come together over the course of a semester to think carefully about how writing works in their disciplines and their classrooms. The seminar is offered in conjunction with the Center for Teaching and Learning, and participants work with both Cory Holding of the Writing Institute and an instructional designer from CTL to develop their courses.
The seminar is a space for collegial exchange as much as professional development. Participants present their own course materials to the group in collaborative workshops, discuss teaching methods and strategies, and consult individually on course and assignment design. Many faculty have found it a valuable opportunity to connect with colleagues they might not otherwise encounter — and to see their own disciplinary writing practices in a new light.
Fellowship
Faculty participants receive a $1,500 fellowship to support their sustained engagement with the seminar. Fellowships are granted by the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies. To receive the stipend, faculty must be under contract with the University of Pittsburgh.
Invitations to apply are emailed to Dietrich School faculty by the office of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, typically in August and December.
What the Seminar Covers
Seminar sessions typically address the following topics:
- Writing to Learn: Formal and Informal Writing Assignments
- Across the Semester: Assignments in Sequence
- Responding to Student Writing: From Draft to Revision
- Responding to Student Writing: Approaches to Grammar and Style
- In the Classroom: Activities that Support Writing
Recent Participants
Recent seminar participants come from a wide range of departments, including Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Classics, Communication and Rhetoric, East Asian Languages and Literatures, English, French and Italian Languages and Literatures, Geology and Environmental Science, History, History of Art and Architecture, Music, Neuroscience, Religious Studies, Sociology, and Studio Arts.
Questions about the seminar? Contact the Writing Institute at writinst@pitt.edu.