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| Why CAC? |
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Good CAC programs transform the teaching and learning culture of a university by improving student learning and literacy, as well as faculty teaching and morale. The Task Force recognizes two fundamental principles:
- Literacy, which involves both writing and speaking effectively, is also a primary mode of learning
- Learning can be enhanced when teachers and peers respond to students' attempts to articulate their learning orally, in writing, and electronically.
Put simply, students learn by reading, writing, and speaking about the content of their courses, and faculty gauge and improve student learning (and thus shape pedagogy) by reading, listening, and responding to student work. Writing and speaking are also modes of communication, and it is through repeated practice and reinforcement across the curriculum that students learn to write and speak effectively. A good CAC program fosters literacy, which greatly enhances opportunities for success in college and in the professional world. |
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| Introducing
CAC |
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Written, spoken, visual,
and electronic communication are the primary agencies of teaching, learning,
and social
life. In higher education, the impetus
for fostering these multiple literacies has never had more support nor
faced greater challenges. We recognize our need to teach students to
read, write, speak, and think
critically and effectively across the disciplines and throughout their
time as students and in preparation for professional careers. But addressing
that need willfully requires the concerted and collaborative efforts
of faculty, students, advisors, and the administration. The primary purpose
of SIUC's emergent Communication Across the Curriculum Program will be
to facilitate these efforts.
The CAC Program will galvanize the efforts of faculty and students in fundamental ways. It will |
- Provide focus and momentum for the university's central mission
of educating students
- Break down the often artificial disciplinary boundaries that
can isolate faculty and students, encouraging the interconnectivity
of academic endeavors;
- Prepare students for the global marketplace,
where the ability to manipulate, manage, and deploy information
will be what distinguishes
leaders and;
- Foster renewed commitment to the professional development of
faculty and the education of students.
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