02/12/08 - Hill receives top award for W course

Kim Q. Hill received the W course award for his political science research methods class.

Kim Q. Hill, professor of political science, was awarded the University Writing Center (UWC) and the Center for Teaching Excellence’s (CTE) annual award for exemplary teaching of writing-intensive (W) courses for 2007 in November. The award, co-sponsored by the UWC and the CTE, recognizes innovation and excellence in the teaching of a W course.

Texas A&M University began offering W courses in the fall of 2003 to help undergraduates improve writing skills.

To qualify as a W course, a three-credit course must base at least 33 percent of the final course grade on written documents and require that students write a minimum of eight pages throughout the semester. The courses not only require a certain amount of writing per semester, but they also focus on the process of writing instruction.

Hill’s W course, introduction to political science research methods, is intended to improve writing ability. To achieve this, students draft papers that are appropriate to the discipline and learn how those who write professionally about politics do so most effectively.

“I judge writing skills to be intimately related to critical thinking and reasoning skills and I find writing assignments to enhance student learning more effectively than any other form of course requirement,” Hill said.

"Even though Dr. Hill teaches a large introductory course, he arranges many opportunities for learning about writing; for example, he asks students to analyze the literature of political science before they write,” said Valerie Balester, executive director of the University Writing Center. “He enables students to think-revise-rethink and to develop expertise with various audiences in meaningful assignments. His students are initiated into political science through their writing. “

Hill won against 12 other excellent nominees and will be invited to speak at a faculty spotlight for CTE in the near future.

Hill received his Ph.D. from Rice University and came to Texas A&M in 1988. His research is concerned with the functions of the democratic process, the roles of elites and the mass public in that process and government policy making in democratic political systems.

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Contact: Holly Lambert, hollyalyselambert@libarts.tamu.edu, 979.862.4879