Mason Adolf’s project, “How American Tax Systems Contribute to Economic Inequality,” won the Academic Affairs’ Choice First Place award at the December 2025 Writing Program Showcase. Photo courtesy of Dr. Jennifer Stewart.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has received national recognition for doing something most universities do, but rarely do this well.
The Department of English’s Composition Program has been awarded a 2025–26 Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) Writing Program Certificate of Excellence—the highest honor given by the CCCC, a constituent organization within the National Council of Teachers of English.
UTC is the only university in the nation to receive the award this year.
“CCCC is the most prestigious organization in the field of rhetoric and composition, and there is only one award given like this,” said Dr. Jennifer Stewart, associate professor of English and director of composition. “This award means that we’re doing it right.
“Every university has some version of a first-year writing program, but this recognition from our national organization confirms that our approach is strong, ethical, forward-looking and grounded in best practices.”
The CCCC selection committee described UTC’s program as “highly stable, robust and foundationally strong,” noting its “transparency, forward-looking development initiatives and compassionate treatment” of contingent faculty and graduate teaching assistants.
Reviewers praised the program’s faculty involvement in systematic assessment, the creation of a diversity-themed reader for first-semester writing and “collaborative initiatives to showcase student writing, ensure student retention and integrate multimodal and hybrid instruction.”
Every UTC student takes composition as part of the University’s general education requirements, making it one of the few courses that reaches every academic major and discipline.
The program serves approximately 3,000 students each year taught by 25 full-time lecturers—and around 20 adjunct instructors during the fall semester.
That scope, Stewart said, showcases how essential first-year writing is to every UTC student’s education.
“When students take their first composition class, they’re not just learning to write an essay,” she said. “They’re learning to express ideas, to evaluate information and to adapt their writing for different audiences. Those are skills they’ll use in every course, every career and every conversation that follows.”
UC Foundation Associate Professor Andrew McCarthy, head of the Department of English, said Stewart’s leadership has been central to the program’s national success.
“When we have an accomplishment like this, it’s a really big deal for us as a unit. These things don’t happen every day, and it’s the product of a career’s worth of work that Dr. Stewart has put into this.
“Jenn is such a thoughtful planner and a great steward of this program. She’s one of the best in the nation at what she does.”
For Stewart, who joined UTC in 2016, the honor reflects years of deliberate, faculty-driven work to strengthen how the University teaches writing.
“When I arrived, I saw a strong program that just needed time and attention,” she explained. “We revised our outcomes to make them more accessible, rethought the number and type of major writing projects, and expanded multimodal and hybrid instruction so students could engage with writing in different ways.
“Every improvement has been grounded in what helps our students learn and in supporting the faculty who teach them.”
Stewart, whose doctorate is in rhetoric and composition, said UTC’s writing instructors form the backbone of the program.
“Being recognized by our national organization means our faculty are teaching writing in ways that align with the best current research and practice,” she said. “Our lecturers teach a full load of writing courses and they’re constantly engaged in professional development. My job is to make sure they have what they need to stay current because the field changes constantly.”
Stewart laughed as she reflected on the evolution she’s seen over her career.
“When I started, word processing wasn’t required. Then everyone said computers were going to kill writing. Then, online articles were going to kill writing. Now, generative AI is going to kill writing. There’s always a ‘kids these days’ argument, but the heart of teaching writing has always been about helping students think critically and communicate clearly,” she said.
That human-centered focus is what makes the award especially meaningful.
“For me, this award demonstrates how hard our writing faculty work to connect with our first-year writers,” she said. “It shows the compassion and dedication that go into every paper they read and every comment they write.”
She added that the program’s success comes from a shared willingness to innovate.
“Our faculty are game to do the work,” she said. “They’re always willing to try something new if it helps students. Whether it’s experimenting with multimodal assignments, hybrid instruction or integrating technology responsibly, they adjust their teaching to meet students where they are.”
McCarthy said that kind of adaptability is what sets UTC apart.
“I believe that freshman composition is the hardest course to take at any institution of higher education,” he said, “and I think on the other side of that coin, it’s the hardest class to teach. To deliver that course alone is hard work. To deliver it well is just another level of hard work. To deliver these courses in this program at a level that is recognized nationally—it’s almost unthinkable.”
Stewart said the CCCC recognition has been a long-term goal since she joined UTC.
“I came here because UTC had a strong foundation—a large group of full-time faculty who are treated well and supported in their work. That’s not true everywhere,” she said. “I knew this program had the potential to be recognized nationally. It just needed time to grow into it.”
The award will be formally presented at the CCCC Annual Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 6.
The CCCC Writing Program Certificate of Excellence, established in 2004, honors up to 20 programs each year that demonstrate exemplary teaching and administration of college writing. To qualify, programs must show that they address the needs and opportunities of their students, instructors, institution and community; provide ongoing professional development for faculty of all ranks, including adjunct and contingent faculty; treat contingent faculty respectfully and professionally; use the best current practices in the field; maintain leadership with academic credentials in writing; conduct effective assessment and placement; create appropriate class sizes; and model or serve diverse communities.
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Dr. Lauren Ingraham talks with Devin Roberts, left, Anaa Whitaker and Nyles Rone at the December 2025 Writing Program Showcase. Their project, “COVID-19 Impacts on Homelessness,” won the Dean’s Choice Second Place award. Photo courtesy of Dr. Jennifer Stewart.
