Committees
The Merritt Writing Program functions as a collaborative academic unit grounded in shared responsibility, pedagogical expertise, and collective stewardship of first-year writing. Through their teaching within the program, instructors are connected to an intellectual and professional community committed to supporting student writers and sustaining a coherent, rigorous writing curriculum. This collaborative framework supports ongoing dialogue, planning, and reflection that inform teaching practice and program coherence.
Assessment
The Merritt Writing Program Assessment Committee advises the program on matters related to curriculum-level assessment, instructional coherence, and the use of evidence to support student learning in first-year writing. Its work focuses on examining aggregated course artifacts and program-level data to better understand how stated learning goals are being supported across sections, and to inform reflective discussion about curriculum design and pedagogical trends. The committee serves as a coordinating and consultative body, maintaining liaison with campus and systemwide assessment partners as appropriate.
AY25-26 Membership
(Information forthcoming)
AY24-25 Membership
Estee Beck, Director and Associate Professor
John Bultena, Continuing Lecturer
Cindy Chavez, Continuing Lecturer
Frederick Young, Continuing Lecturer
Archive of Assessment Reports (link forthcoming)
Implementation Team
The Merritt Writing Program Implementation Team supports the coordinated enactment of program-level curricular initiatives related to first-year writing. The team focuses on translating approved frameworks, learning goals, and structural decisions into shared resources, timelines, and implementation supports that can be taken up in diverse teaching contexts. Its work is facilitative and time-bound, centering on communication, documentation, and logistical alignment rather than pedagogical prescription, and is intended to promote clarity, consistency, and transparency during periods of curricular change.
AY25-26 Membership
Mariana Abuan, Continuing Lecturer (Spring 2026) (MWP Faculty Lead)
Kara Ayik, Continuing Lecturer (MWP Faculty Lead)
Estee Beck, Director and Associate Professor (Chair)
Emily Rónay Johnston, Teaching Assistant Professor
Megan Topete, Assistant Dean (Staff Representative)
Baylynne Vanwagenen, Continuing Lecturer (MWP Faculty Lead)
James Zimmerman, Senior Associate Dean and Vice Provost Undergraduate Education and Teaching Professor (Undergraduate Education Representative)
AY25-26 Meeting Agendas and Minutes (link forthcoming)
