Before AI changed the conversation, FIU was already rethinking how students write

What does writing have in common with engineering, medicine, business and the arts? 

More than you might think. 

At FIU, writing isn't confined to English classrooms. It's woven into how students investigate problems, make discoveries and communicate within their chosen fields. That university-wide approach has now earned national recognition. 

FIU's Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) program received the 2026 Exemplary Enduring WAC Program Award from the Association for Writing Across the Curriculum and the WAC Clearinghouse, an honor recognizing sustained excellence in writing instruction and institutional commitment to its development. 

The award marks a milestone for a program that has spent more than a decade changing where, when and how writing is taught at FIU. 

A university-wide effort

The program began in 2012 following findings that FIU students were writing and revising less frequently than their peers at comparable institutions. With support from the Office of the Provost, FIU set out to make writing a more meaningful part of the learning experience across disciplines. 

Today, WAC collaborates with all 11 FIU colleges, 45 academic programs and six major university units. Approximately 300 faculty members participate in its workshops, consultations and graduate Writing Fellows initiatives each year. 

Under the leadership of director Kimberly Harrison and associate directors Ming Fang and Christine Martorana, the program helps faculty develop assignments that reflect how knowledge is created and communicated within their fields. 

For an engineering student, that might mean explaining a technical solution. For a future healthcare professional, it could involve communicating complex information with clarity and precision. 

"My long-standing involvement with Writing Across the Curriculum has profoundly influenced my approach to teaching," said Mike Hampton, a professor in the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. "WAC's professional development opportunities and evidence-based strategies have provided me with practical tools to help students become more effective writers, thinkers, and professionals." 

"Earning the 'Writing in the Disciplines' badge in my hospitality marketing class helped me understand how to use writing more effectively to convey my thoughts and ideas," said Lindsey Morell, a junior and one of Hampton's students. "There's tremendous value to learning how to adapt writing in a range of contexts and genres, particularly as it relates to professional communication." 

Teaching writing when AI can do the writing

The emergence of generative artificial intelligence has introduced a new challenge: When technology can produce an essay in seconds, what should students be learning from the process of writing one? 

Since 2023, FIU's WAC team has worked with faculty to explore that question, helping educators rethink assignments, assessment and the role of AI in academic work. 

Its efforts include four specialized micro-credentials supported by the Office of the Provost. Among them are Teaching with Writing in the Disciplines, which helps faculty incorporate writing into their courses, and Principles of Writing with AI, which introduces students to the opportunities and responsibilities associated with emerging technology. 

"Generative AI has permanently changed higher education," Harrison said. "In Writing Across the Curriculum, we recognize the challenges it presents while focusing on the opportunities it creates for faculty to rethink how and why we assign writing in every discipline. Our goal is to help faculty design innovative learning experiences in which students use AI tools intentionally and ethically while developing their own expertise, judgment, and ability to write and communicate in their fields." 

"The Teaching in the Age of AI Micro-credential was one of the most practical professional development experiences I have had at FIU,” said Pouyan Esmaeil Zadeh, associate professor of information systems and business analytics. "WAC's approach helped me rethink my writing assignments so that AI supports students' reasoning and reflection rather than replacing it. … I especially valued that the program treated AI as an opportunity to strengthen how students write and think in their disciplines, not as a threat to it." 

A national distinction

The inaugural Exemplary WAC Program Awards recognize institutions that have built and sustained exceptional writing programs. FIU was selected in the Exemplary Enduring WAC Program category, honoring programs with more than 11 years of established work. 

In its recognition, the selection committee highlighted FIU's broad institutional engagement, its contributions to the field and its continued development of approaches that respond to changing educational needs. 

The honor also reflects the work of faculty across the university who have partnered with WAC to incorporate writing into their teaching. 

"My long-standing work with the Writing Across the Curriculum program at FIU has consistently helped my approach to pedagogy,” said Alok Deoraj, teaching professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences. "Integrating both faculty and student micro-credentials into my curriculum has equipped students to critically engage with emerging AI tools while articulating complex public health concepts. … WAC empowers educators to adapt to evolving technological landscapes and ensures our teaching at FIU remains dynamic, rigorous, and relevant." 

What began as a targeted effort to improve writing experiences has become an enduring part of FIU's academic community. 

And as classrooms continue to evolve, one principle remains at the heart of the program: Learning to write is also learning to think within a discipline.