8/13/26

By FHSU University Marketing and Strategic Communications

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State University’s Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) program has been selected by the Association for Writing Across the Curriculum for the 2026 Exemplary WAC Program Award – Established Program, a national recognition honoring outstanding and sustainable WAC initiatives.

FHSU’s WAC program was nominated for the award by Michelle (formerly Cox) Crow of Cornell University. The national award recognizes the university’s sustained commitment to developing a campus-wide culture of writing and supporting student writers across disciplines.

Launched in 2017 with funding from a Becky P. and Mike Goss Distinguished Professorship, FHSU’s WAC program has grown into a campus-wide network focused on strengthening student writing and integrating meaningful writing experiences throughout the university.

The program’s development reflects principles from Sustainable WAC: A Whole Systems Approach to Launching and Developing Writing Across the Curriculum Programs by Michelle Cox, Jeffrey Galin, and Dan Melzer, particularly the principle of interconnectivity. At FHSU, the interdisciplinary WAC Committee works collaboratively with key campus hubs, including Teaching Innovation and Learning Technology (TILT), Tebo Library, the General Education program, the AI Task Force, and the Writing Center.

“By bringing so many voices and so much talent to the table, FHSU’s WAC program has been able to fuel conversations and action around writing and the teaching of writing,” says Cheryl Hofstetter Duffy, FHSU’s WAC Director.

Through these partnerships, the WAC Committee has developed a variety of projects and initiatives designed to support both faculty and students. These include:

• Mini-conferences featuring nationally recognized keynote speakers
• WAC Community of Practice discussion groups
• A persuasive writing rubric aligned with a general education writing outcome
• Faculty panels and professional development workshops
• A three-year longitudinal student survey examining artificial intelligence and writing
• An open mic night celebrating student writing
• A Writing Assignment Review Service
• Faculty WAC Liaisons
• A Faculty Writing Mentor of the Year Award

One of the program’s signature initiatives, the Writing Tigers Awards Ceremony, has continued to grow since its launch. Now in its fifth year, the annual event recognizes outstanding student writers across the university. Participation has more than doubled, growing from 14 departments and programs in 2022 to 30 in 2026.

The national recognition reflects the collaborative effort behind FHSU’s WAC program. Administrative support, funding from the Goss Distinguished Professorship, and the sustained work of the WAC Committee have helped establish writing as a shared responsibility across disciplines and create meaningful opportunities for students to develop as writers.

By connecting multiple campus resources and disciplines through a project-based approach, FHSU’s WAC program has helped cultivate an enduring culture of writing that extends well beyond the traditional boundaries of an English classroom.

The 2026 FHSU WAC administrative team included: Director Cheryl Hofstetter Duffy, Lisa Bell, Sarah Broman Miller, Tanner Callis, Nicole Frank, Latisha Haag, Robyn Hartman, Rose Helens-Hart, Lorelei Patrick, Debby Pfeifer, Tracey Post, and Christianna Pruden.

For additional news and information about Fort Hays State University, go to https://www.fhsu.edu/university-communications/