Dear all,
The WAC Clearinghouse and Association for Writing Across the Curriculum (AWAC) are pleased to announce the 2026 Exemplary WAC Program Award winners. The Exemplary WAC Program Awards series recognizes the extraordinary achievements of WAC directors and/or administrative teams to establish, maintain, and sustain programs that foster and facilitate exemplary engagement with writing across the curriculum at their institution, as well as institutional commitments to support these achievements. Please join us in celebrating the 2026 winning programs in the following categories:
The 2026 Exemplary Emerging WAC Program (1-5 years) is
UMass Boston Writing Across the Curriculum Program
Co-Directors: Lauren Bowen, Associate Professor of English and Director of Composition;
Matthew Davis, Professor of English
Associate Director: Janet Stevens, Senior Lecturer II in English
The WAC Program at the University of Massachusetts Boston stands out as an exemplary emerging program because of the speed, clarity, and coherence with which it has taken shape. In a relatively short period, the program has responded to institutional need and central administrative interest by building a sustainable model grounded in WAC scholarship and attentive to UMass Boston’s local context. The committee was impressed by the program’s ability to scale support quickly while maintaining a clear center of gravity: a principled commitment to writing and equity, faculty support across the curriculum, and campus-wide structures that can sustain the work beyond initial grant support.
UMass Boston’s application also demonstrated the value of drawing on the larger WAC community for local program building. The program’s use of AWAC resources, its attention to assessment and research, and its study of BIPOC and multilingual student perceptions of assigned writing show a developing program that is not simply adding workshops but shaping a coherent agenda for institutional change. For an emerging program, UMass Boston is already modeling how WAC can bring together faculty development, student-centered research, and long-term sustainability planning.
The 2026 Exemplary Established WAC Program (6-10 years) is
WAC Program at Fort Hays State University
Director: Cheryl Duffy, Becky and Mike Goss Distinguished Professor of Excellence in Teaching and Director of Composition
The WAC program at Fort Hays State University exemplifies an established program that has built a robust, collaborative infrastructure for campus-wide writing work. The committee was impressed by its outreach through WAC liaisons, faculty writing champions, student-writer and faculty mentor awards, and committee-based programming. These features demonstrate a program that is not only visible across campus but also actively cultivating a community of faculty, staff, and students committed to writing as part of disciplinary learning.
FHSU stood out for its strong grounding in WAC theory and scholarship and for its active engagement with the broader field. The committee noted the program’s attention to linguistic diversity and generative AI, as well as its habit of learning from and contributing to WAC conversations through institutes, consultations, workshops, books, and scholarship. For an established program, FHSU offers a compelling model of sustained collaboration, field-informed programming, and responsive innovation.
The 2026 Exemplary Enduring WAC Program (11+ years) is
Florida International University’s WAC Program
Director: Dr. Kimberly Harrison, Professor, Writing & Rhetoric/Department of English
Associate Directors: Dr. Ming Fang and Dr. Christine Martorana, Teaching Professors, Writing & Rhetoric/Department of English
The WAC program at Florida International University stands out as an enduring program that continues to innovate while sustaining broad, visible support for writing across the curriculum. The committee was especially impressed by the program’s development of micro-credentials as a way to invite new participation, recognize faculty engagement, and respond to changing instructional needs. This turn toward micro-credentialing shows how a long-standing WAC program can remain generative rather than static, adapting its structures to meet faculty and student needs across time.
FIU also impressed the committee with its ability to balance commitments across two campuses, maintain a strong calendar of events and collaborations, and communicate program work through a compelling newsletter. The program’s efforts to turn conference presentations into publications further demonstrated the kind of scholarly contribution and public-facing knowledge-making expected of enduring WAC programs. Taken together, FIU’s work offers a strong model of continuity, innovation, and ongoing contribution to the WAC community.
Learn more about the awards program and reading profiles for each winning program online: https://wacclearinghouse.org/community/programs/
All the best,
Lindsey Harding, on behalf of the 2026 Exemplary WAC Program Awards Review Committee
Mike Palmquist, WAC Clearinghouse publisher