Applications for the 2024-2025 CSTW WAC Outstanding Writing Instruction Award for GTAs:
Due Friday, March 7th, 2025 at 5 p.m.
Are you a graduate student who uses writing in your teaching in a meaningful way to respond to students’ needs and promote their learning in your discipline? Or have you used writing in your courses to overcome the unique challenges of this past year? Consider applying for the 2025 Writing Across the Curriculum Outstanding Writing Instruction Award.
The award recipient will receive a $200 monetary award from the Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing and public recognition as an outstanding instructor who uses writing to teach in meaningful ways to promote student learning. The application deadline is Friday, March 8th at 5 p.m. Submit your application here.
Are you eligible to apply?
- Applicants must be a graduate student during the 2024-2025 academic year.
- Applicants must also be a present or former instructor or teaching assistant/associate in a course at OSU or be able to relate past teaching experience to their current OSU position and future teaching philosophy.
- Those who have applied in the past but have not been awarded are eligible to apply.
- Honorable mention recipients are eligible to apply again.
- Past winners are ineligible to apply.
To apply, select one course you are teaching or have taught as a GTA to focus on, and submit the following (in .doc, .docx or .pdf format*) to the WAC Award Qualtrics submission form:
- A one-to-two page cover letter (single-spaced, 12pt font) that explains how you use writing to teach in meaningful ways that reflect both your teaching philosophy and a responsiveness to students’ challenges in the course you’ve selected.
- One of the following: sample assignment, activity, or lesson plan that shows how you have used writing to address a student challenge or need in that course. (You may want to include a few explanatory notes in the sample to provide more clarity for the judges to understand the context of your submission materials and components.) If you have questions about what to submit here, please contact Dr. Chris Manion. (manion.12@osu.edu).
- The syllabus from the course you selected.
*** Please title your files with your last name and first name plus file names (example: BuckeyeBrutus_syllabus) ***
Your submission will be judged on how well the materials:
- Connect writing to the instructor’s wider teaching philosophy
- Connect writing to the overall learning goals and course objectives
- Provide evidence demonstrating how the instructor uses writing to respond to students’ challenges or needs in the course
The review committee suggests considering what meaningful writing might look like in your instruction with the following questions:
- How have you used writing to innovate your students’ learning experience?
- How has writing served as an opportunity for students to learn your discipline’s practices?
- How has writing helped your students’ academic needs?
- How has incorporating writing helped make space to value your students’ experiences and skills?
The WAC team will review applications and select finalists for interviews if necessary. We will select the winner and honorable mentions by early April.
Have questions about your application? We encourage you to contact the WAC program (via Dr. Chris Manion at manion.12@osu.edu) to arrange an optional consultation before you submit your application materials. The last day for these consultations will be Friday, February 28th.
Best of luck!
Sincerely,
The WAC Team
The Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing
CSTW Writing Across the Curriculum Website
Email: osuwac@gmail.com