{"id":73538,"date":"2026-01-07T08:58:38","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T13:58:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/?p=73538"},"modified":"2026-01-07T08:59:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T13:59:16","slug":"writing-the-right-way-utc-composition-program-receives-national-honor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/2026\/01\/writing-the-right-way-utc-composition-program-receives-national-honor\/","title":{"rendered":"Writing the right way: UTC Composition Program receives national honor"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Mason

Mason Adolf\u2019s project, \u201cHow American Tax Systems Contribute to Economic Inequality,\u201d won the Academic Affairs’ Choice First Place award at the December 2025 Writing Program Showcase. Photo courtesy of Dr. Jennifer Stewart.<\/p><\/div>\n

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has received national recognition for doing something most universities do, but rarely do this well.<\/p>\n

The Department of English\u2019s Composition Program<\/strong><\/a> has been awarded a 2025\u201326 Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) Writing Program Certificate of Excellence\u2014the highest honor given by the CCCC, a constituent organization within the National Council of Teachers of English.<\/p>\n

UTC is the only university in the nation to receive the award this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cCCCC is the most prestigious organization in the field of rhetoric and composition, and there is only one award given like this,\u201d said Dr. Jennifer Stewart, associate professor of English and director of composition. \u201cThis award means that we\u2019re doing it right.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

The CCCC selection committee described UTC\u2019s program as \u201chighly stable, robust and foundationally strong,\u201d noting its \u201ctransparency, forward-looking development initiatives and compassionate treatment\u201d of contingent faculty and graduate teaching assistants.<\/p>\n

Reviewers praised the program\u2019s faculty involvement in systematic assessment, the creation of a diversity-themed reader for first-semester writing and \u201ccollaborative initiatives to showcase student writing, ensure student retention and integrate multimodal and hybrid instruction.\u201d<\/p>\n

Every UTC student takes composition as part of the University\u2019s general education requirements, making it one of the few courses that reaches every academic major and discipline.<\/p>\n

The program serves approximately 3,000 students each year taught by 25 full-time lecturers\u2014and around 20 adjunct instructors during the fall semester.<\/p>\n

That scope, Stewart said, showcases how essential first-year writing is to every UTC student\u2019s education.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen students take their first composition class, they\u2019re not just learning to write an essay,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re learning to express ideas, to evaluate information and to adapt their writing for different audiences. Those are skills they\u2019ll use in every course, every career and every conversation that follows.\u201d<\/p>\n

UC Foundation Associate Professor Andrew McCarthy, head of the Department of English, said Stewart\u2019s leadership has been central to the program\u2019s national success.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we have an accomplishment like this, it\u2019s a really big deal for us as a unit. These things don\u2019t happen every day, and it\u2019s the product of a career\u2019s worth of work that Dr. Stewart has put into this.<\/p>\n

\u201cJenn is such a thoughtful planner and a great steward of this program. She\u2019s one of the best in the nation at what she does.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Stewart, who joined UTC in 2016, the honor reflects years of deliberate, faculty-driven work to strengthen how the University teaches writing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I arrived, I saw a strong program that just needed time and attention,\u201d she explained. \u201cWe 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery improvement has been grounded in what helps our students learn and in supporting the faculty who teach them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stewart, whose doctorate is in rhetoric and composition, said UTC\u2019s writing instructors form the backbone of the program.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing recognized by our national organization means our faculty are teaching writing in ways that align with the best current research and practice,\u201d she said. \u201cOur lecturers teach a full load of writing courses and they\u2019re constantly engaged in professional development. My job is to make sure they have what they need to stay current because the field changes constantly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stewart laughed as she reflected on the evolution she\u2019s seen over her career.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I started, word processing wasn\u2019t 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\u2019s always a \u2018kids these days\u2019 argument, but the heart of teaching writing has always been about helping students think critically and communicate clearly,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

That human-centered focus is what makes the award especially meaningful.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, this award demonstrates how hard our writing faculty work to connect with our first-year writers,\u201d she said. \u201cIt shows the compassion and dedication that go into every paper they read and every comment they write.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added that the program\u2019s success comes from a shared willingness to innovate.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur faculty are game to do the work,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re always willing to try something new if it helps students. Whether it\u2019s experimenting with multimodal assignments, hybrid instruction or integrating technology responsibly, they adjust their teaching to meet students where they are.\u201d<\/p>\n

McCarthy said that kind of adaptability is what sets UTC apart.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe that freshman composition is the hardest course to take at any institution of higher education,\u201d he said, \u201cand I think on the other side of that coin, it\u2019s 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\u2014it\u2019s almost unthinkable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stewart said the CCCC recognition has been a long-term goal since she joined UTC.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came here because UTC had a strong foundation\u2014a large group of full-time faculty who are treated well and supported in their work. That\u2019s not true everywhere,\u201d she said. \u201cI knew this program had the potential to be recognized nationally. It just needed time to grow into it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The award will be formally presented at the CCCC Annual Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 6.<\/p>\n

The CCCC Writing Program Certificate of Excellence<\/strong><\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n

Learn more<\/h4>\n

Visit UTC<\/a><\/p>\n

UTC Department of English<\/a><\/p>\n

English Composition Program<\/a><\/p>\n

How to apply<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Dr.

Dr. Lauren Ingraham talks with Devin Roberts, left, Anaa Whitaker and Nyles Rone at the December 2025 Writing Program Showcase. Their project, \u201cCOVID-19 Impacts on Homelessness,\u201d won the Dean’s Choice Second Place award. Photo courtesy of Dr. Jennifer Stewart.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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\u2019s Composition Program has been awarded a 2025\u201326 Conference on College Composition and Communication Writing Program Certificate of Excellence\u2014the highest honor given by the CCCC, a constituent organization within the National Council of Teachers of English.<\/p>\n

Continue Reading <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1493,"featured_media":73544,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_slider":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_featurette":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[64,70,15,61,98,7712,8244,661],"tags":[126506,123198,126503,126502,126504,123827,126508,124680,83401,126510,124776,126505,126507,123829,126509],"class_list":{"0":"post-73538","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-academics","8":"category-campus","9":"category-college-of-arts-sciences","10":"category-english","11":"category-faculty-and-staff","12":"category-honors-and-awards","13":"category-news","14":"category-students","15":"tag-anaa-whitaker","16":"tag-andrew-mccarthy","17":"tag-cccc-writing-program-certificate-of-excellence","18":"tag-composition-program","19":"tag-conference-on-college-composition-and-communication","20":"tag-creating-the-mocs-experience","21":"tag-devin-roberts","22":"tag-jennifer-stewart","23":"tag-lauren-ingraham","24":"tag-mason-adolf","25":"tag-mocs-learn-mocs-do-mocs-lead","26":"tag-national-council-of-teachers-of-english","27":"tag-nyles-rone","28":"tag-operating-with-excellence","29":"tag-writing-program-showcase","30":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nWriting the right way: UTC Composition Program receives national honor | UTC News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has received national recognition for doing something most universities do, but rarely do this well. 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