Celebrating a Successful U of A Week on Writing
The talk-back board at the Main Library shows weird, funny, and practical places writing shows up in students' lives
From October 20-22, 2025, WAC and its campus partners hosted three days of events that went beyond the classroom to explore where writing happens, why it matters, and how we can assess it more equitably.
National Day on Writing® is an annual event on October 20th created by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). The event aims to celebrate writing and its importance in our society today. From October 20-22, the U of A community came together to recognize the value of writing in all our lives.
To join this national celebration, along with our partners in the U of A Libraries, Office of General Education, the THINK TANK Writing Center, and the Writing Program (English Department), this year's National Day on Writing celebration expanded to a full "Week on Writing." We had three days of events for both students and instructors in different formats.
Celebrating Student Writing (and Pizza!)
The week kicked off with the National Day on Writing Pizza Party in the Main Library. The event was a lively success, with around 60 students stopping in for pizza and community. We also captured some student engagement on our talk-back board, where students shared all the unexpected ways and places writing is part of their lives.
Some of the responses from the board read:
- "Art Exposure at Tucson Meet Yourself
- "Starbucks cups"
- "Bucket List"
- "Psych Research Proposal"
- "Break up Text"
- "At work"
- "My Leg"
What Makes Writing Meaningful? 499 Students Told Us.
On Tuesday, October 21, 15 attendees joined the "Lunch & Learn on Meaningful Writing at U of A". The session was led by Dr. Emily Jo Schwaller, drawing on research results from her CUES Research Project in collaboration with Dr. Aimee Mapes, Dr. Ahn Dang, and WAC GA Thais Rodrigues Cons.
The session aimed to discuss findings from a survey of 499 U of A students that explored the question: "How do U of A students and instructors define and experience meaningful writing?". The data showed students value:
- Connections to personal and professional goals.
- Agency, like the ability to choose their own topics and genres.
- Reflection and research across all disciplines.
- Relationships and feedback from instructors and peers.
One student's response captured some of the core themes that were discussed in the event:
The most meaningful writing experience I have had was writing about my personal cultural experiences. This writing was meaningful because of how it made me examine parts of life that may have felt insignificant before. (Biochemestry Major, Sophomore)
Participants then engaged in discussions and a hands-on activity, collaborating to revise existing assignment prompts and drawing inspiration from examples like Dr. Pimentel's (College of Science) reflection on positionality.
Dr. Emily Jo presents at the Lunch and Learn event.
Showcasing Antiracist Assessment in Action
On Wednesday, October 22, 20 attendees gathered on Zoom for the Faculty Fellow Showcase: Insights on Assessing Student Writing. The session featured 2024-25 WAC Faculty Fellow Dr. Linda Hollis from the Department of Psychology.
Dr. Hollis shared her "Why," including her experiences as a first-generation and international graduate student, and her passion for anti-racist pedagogy. This led her to develop an Anti-Racist Rubric for her courses.
Drawing from assessment scholars like Asao Inoue and Mya Poe, the rubric focuses on encouragement and reflection. Key features include:
- Focusing on "ideas, understanding, and critical thought" instead of "high-stakes grammar and APA".
- Using asset-based assessment headings like "Epic, gold, silver, bronze, and ribbon".
- Including a Student Self-Assessment component.
Finally, Dr. Hollis shared the rubric's positive impact, as evidenced by student data. After piloting the rubric, 74.71% of students reported that it "was helpful". Students said it encouraged them to look at multiple perspectives and promoted critical thinking versus word count and "writing just to check off a box".
Thank You!
Thank you to all the students, instructors, and campus partners who participated and shared their energy with us. We hope to see you at our future events!
Prepared by Thais Rodrigues Cons (she/her)
Email: Thais Rodrigues Cons