Program seeks to improve writing at WU
By: Shawn Dooley
Issue date: 11/2/06 Section: News
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A Chronicle of Higher Education report found the writing skills of high school graduates and college graduates lacking. The report described the writing skills of college graduates as adequate but not excellent.
The report is a part of a nationwide for colleges and universities. Webster University has initiated a pilot program called Writing Enhanced Courses, which would make existing courses across all majors writing enhanced.
"We want to improve students' writing skills," said Brad Loudenback, Writing Committee Chairman. "Writing skills in the workforce play a much bigger role, (in particular) e-mail, internet messaging, and others."
Loudenback said while the actual content of a course will not change, the assignments will become more writing comprehensive. For example, each WE course will include 20 pages of writing assignments. He said it can be four five-page papers - one of the written papers should be peer-reviewed and can be revised.
"I think there are more papers assigned," said Davina Harrison, an art history graduate student who is enrolled in one of four pilot WE courses this semester. "There is more of an understanding (emphasis) and less of an emphasis on memorizing dates and information."
There were two reasons the writing committee formed and why there is an initiative to combat the criticism of college writing skills, Loudenback said. There were a number of national articles critiquing college written communication skills and the increasing need for written communication skills in the business field.
"The faculty investigated the problem of undergraduate writing skills and the issued cried out for attention," Loudenback said.
The faculty was surveyed about their attitude toward student writing skills. The Writing Committee then formed through the Faculty Senate. The committee was formed to prepare concrete steps to improve writing skills.
The committee's recommendation included a requirement that freshmen students take two WE courses and transfer students take one WE course. The courses can be general study courses or any class that is writing enhanced. Loudenback said the writing would adapt to the course curriculum, making it more writing intensive.
The report is a part of a nationwide for colleges and universities. Webster University has initiated a pilot program called Writing Enhanced Courses, which would make existing courses across all majors writing enhanced.
"We want to improve students' writing skills," said Brad Loudenback, Writing Committee Chairman. "Writing skills in the workforce play a much bigger role, (in particular) e-mail, internet messaging, and others."
Loudenback said while the actual content of a course will not change, the assignments will become more writing comprehensive. For example, each WE course will include 20 pages of writing assignments. He said it can be four five-page papers - one of the written papers should be peer-reviewed and can be revised.
"I think there are more papers assigned," said Davina Harrison, an art history graduate student who is enrolled in one of four pilot WE courses this semester. "There is more of an understanding (emphasis) and less of an emphasis on memorizing dates and information."
There were two reasons the writing committee formed and why there is an initiative to combat the criticism of college writing skills, Loudenback said. There were a number of national articles critiquing college written communication skills and the increasing need for written communication skills in the business field.
"The faculty investigated the problem of undergraduate writing skills and the issued cried out for attention," Loudenback said.
The faculty was surveyed about their attitude toward student writing skills. The Writing Committee then formed through the Faculty Senate. The committee was formed to prepare concrete steps to improve writing skills.
The committee's recommendation included a requirement that freshmen students take two WE courses and transfer students take one WE course. The courses can be general study courses or any class that is writing enhanced. Loudenback said the writing would adapt to the course curriculum, making it more writing intensive.
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