A new Speaking Across the Curriculum initiative may be implemented if approved by the Council on Academic Affairs Thursday.

The initiative resembles the recently implemented Writing Across the Curriculum Initiative, but with a speaking emphasis.

According to the proposal, speaking competency will be assessed in the general education requirements of SPC 1310/1390 and senior seminars. In addition, at least three departmental major courses will be required to include speaking components.

Accompanied with these additions, the faculty that teach these courses will be offered opportunities to attend workshops on evaluation of speaking competence. The initiative, created by the Council on Assessment of Student Learning, will facilitate the creation of a Speaking Across the Curriculum Committee to establish the identification of speaking components.

The proposal was pulled from CAA’s agenda in mid-March because of financing concerns.

“Obviously, the recommendation will impact the resources of the College of Arts & Humanities in a significant way, and so we ask a bit of time to study the issue and discuss it,” said Jeffrey Lynch, associate dean of the College of Arts & Humanities, in an email to CAA at the time of the withdrawal.

CAA will also be considering a new creative writing course and the revision of the creative writing minor.

The new course, Creative Writing: Nonfiction, will focus exclusively on the essay form of writing.

The course will involve extensive reading, aimed at developing a critical vocabulary and background knowledge of the genre that will be integrated with extensive writing and workshop discussions, according to the proposal.

The course will first be offered in the spring semester of 2002, if approved by the CAA.

The creative minor revisions include the addition of the new creative writing course and a change in required 4000 level courses. Currently only one 4000 level course is required. The change would increase that requirement to two courses.