If you’ve ever worried that your essays or book reports could earn you an awful grade in English, ARC programs WAC and RAD can help you gain the English skills you need.
WAC, or Writing Across the Curriculum, and RAD, Reading Across the Curriculum, are half-unit courses designed to improve your skills in English writing and reading, and are both located inside the Learning Resource Center.
WAC’s benefits are not only limited to English writing classes, as they can aid you in other areas as well.
“(WAC) helps you with the writing aspects of your class, and (it) doesn’t have to be English,” said Jennifer Taylor, a desk clerk for WAC and former student of the program.
Although WAC recommends signing up in the first three weeks, there are still a few spots open to students as of this writing. RAD is full, however, and will remain closed until next semester.
While WAC helps students with writing, RAD can help students with reading difficulties.
“RAD stands for ‘Reading Across the Disciplines’ and works with students on applied reading skills,” said John Thomasetti, the lead instructional assistant for RAD.
Some of the tutors for the WAC and RAD programs are also ARC English professors that tutor students in their spare time.
WAC includes workshops for students with different times, dates and topics, which can be on anything the students bring in. Meetings are held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and appointments are made at the students discretion.
The success rate of students in WAC and RAD is 89%, compared to the 60% success rate without WAC or RAD.
“From experience, if you try, you become a ‘B’ student from a ‘C’ student, a ‘B’ student to an ‘A’ student. You’ll come with a grade higher than you think you would,” said Karen Milam, an instructional assistant for RAD.
Students who were surveyed about WAC reported being satisfied with the program, according to the WAC staff.
“We survey (former WAC students) at the end of every semester, and the results are very positive, at a 99 percent satisfaction rate,” Taylor said. “As a former WAC student, I utilize it for extra help in my English class, and I brought everything (I’ve learned) to Sac State,” Taylor continued.
“I’ve been here 15 years because it works, and it’s great. When the students finish RAD, they leave with the skills they need to graduate college, and the growth shows,” said Milam.
Although the programs are indeed similar, they differ slightly.
“RAD is a class that meets quickly. With RAD, you work with the same instructors. WAC is based on a sign-in process, and you get different instructors,” Milam said.
WAC and RAD have both been offered at ARC for 15 years, since the spring of 1999.
For more information on how to join WAC, contact Dennis Lee, the WAC coordinator, or call the WAC line at 404-8802 or RAD line at (916) 484-8053.
