Writing Development Initiative Program

Student sitting at a desk writing in a notebook. Image features an RGASC logo in the left hand corner.

On this page:

WDI Resources (links to new pages):

What is the Writing Development Initiative Program?

Since the 2005-06 academic year, UTM has supported discipline-specific writing instruction through the Writing Development Initiatives (WDI) Program, which is funded by the Office of the Dean. The WDI provides financial support for projects that integrate writing instruction in core courses across the curriculum. This financial support comes primarily in the former of supplements to TA funding to allow for:

  • more writing assignments
  • more time spent giving feedback on assignments
  • more writing instruction, and/or
  • TA training in assessing writing and teaching writing skills

Departments and faculty are encouraged to submit proposals for projects that will help students become better writers as they work within the requirements of their discipline.

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Application Process & Documents

Repeated Applications:

Please note that proposals are only necessary for new projects; once approved, projects are then assessed on the basis of the Final Report that is submitted at the end of each iteration of the project. Instructors will be able to signal proposed changes in the course, the project and/or the budget in their Final Report. A template for Final Reports will be distributed to instructors.

New Proposal Applications & Deadline:

Please submit the 2024-2025 WDI Application Form for new proposals (as a Word document) no later than April 19, 2024.

The key areas of writing proficiency targeted by the WDI include organization, coherence, clarity, grammar and discipline-specific conventions for integrating sources. While detailed requirements are outlined in each year’s Call for Proposals, the WDI typically asks departments to identify the following:

  1. the methods of instruction they will employ to improve students’ writing
  2. the ways Teaching Assistants will be used in their project
  3. the specific writing tasks students will be doing as a direct result of the additional funding requested
  4. the number of students participating in the project
  5. the budget

Please review the following before submitting a new proposal application:

Funding Decisions:

Funding for specific projects is determined in part by the number of students enrolled in the targeted course(s), although other factors are also taken into consideration. Funding preference is typically given to projects in courses that are part of a program of study that requires students to continue to develop their writing skills. 

Consultation on Project Development:

RGASC staff are available for consultation on project development. Please contact please contact Tyler Evans-Tokaryk, Writing Specialist, at tyler.tokaryk@utoronto.ca if you have questions.

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RGASC Support for Funded Projects

Informed by current “Writing Across the Curriculum” scholarship (see, for example, https://wac.colostate.edu/intro/), we offer several centralized forms of support for individual departments participating in the WDI. We provide an intensive (seven hour) Writing TA Training Program in early September and early January that provides discipline-specific instruction in writing assessment and pedagogy for TAs in funded projects; if additional training is necessary, such training (to a maximum of four hours/TA/project) can be designed in collaboration with the RGASC’s Writing Instructor.

We also offer a variety of forms of support for faculty and students in any writing intensive course offered at UTM, including:

  • assignment-specific interactive writing workshops (inside or outside class time)
  • dedicated drop-in “help sessions” for students in specific courses 
  • assisting instructors with assignment design, classroom instruction and other activities that integrate writing into their curriculum

Additional Resources:

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Questions about the WDI?

For more information on the WDI, please contact:

Tyler Evans-Tokaryk
Professor, Teaching Stream
Email: tyler.tokaryk@utoronto.ca

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