Newspapers / Elon University Student Newspaper / Oct. 3, 2012, edition 1 / Page 4
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J News Wednesday, October 3, 2012 • page 4 New QEP initiative promotes writing across curriculums Adriana Miano Senior Reporter Elon University will soon in stitute the Writing Excellence Initiative to help students achieve a higher standard of written com munication in their coursework and beyond. The initiative to enhance the writing curriculum throughout de partments was developed under the Quality Enhancement Plan, a com ponent of the reaccreditation pro cess that aims to improve an aspect of the institution. The initiative is designed to help students gain ex pertise in writing, inquiry and com munity engagement. “We hope that students will use writing to somehow make an impact on the world,” said Paula Patch, English lecturer and college writing program coordinator.. “That means writing a letter to the editor or writing a grant proposal to help solve a problem in their community. It could be that a student goes on to work in public policy, and because they are able to write well, their statements will have a widespread impact.” To achieve the goals set forth by the Writing Excellence Initiative, the plan calls for professors to find more ways to incorporate writing into their curriculum, such as sub stituting a multiple choice test for an essay exam. Patch said. Professors of all disciplines will receive support and instruction to help them master their own written communication skills, Patch said. The Writing Center will play an important role in the initiative as well, and its staff will receive train ing to offer expanded services to students and faculty. These services will include support for multime dia writing and writing students do outside of class, according to Paul Anderson, director of writing across the university. “Lots of students will be doing writing on their own, whether that’s creative writing or writing related to issues in their own communities,” Anderson said. “We want to cel ebrate that and support it.” The Writing Excellence Initiative may alter the way courses are taught at Elon, but there will be no new course or graduation re quirements resulting from it, according to Anderson. “The approach in regard to academics is to have stu dents working in their majors with writing throughout their four years in ways that intentionally and de liberately build their skills as they move from the intro course to the capstone, or culminating course,” Anderson said. But the plan is still subject to al teration, and Anderson is eager to receive feedback from students and staff, he said. By visiting the Writ ing Initiative’s website, students can post their ideas about the plan or find out who they can contact with their suggestions. “I want Elon alumni to say one of the most valuable things they got from the university was writing,” Anderson said. “When employers and grad schools talk about Elon, I want them to say one of the more remarkable things about our stu dents is how well they write.” “I think it’s easy for people across the university to see that writing is an important tool,” Patch said. “In the classroom, it’s a tool for learning and it’s also a tool for as sessment.” Having strong writing skills will also be important for students in their endeavors after graduation. Patch said. 301 W. O4ag0ardAvenue Xfon, 9/ortfi Carolina 27244 336-585-0167 Tor more information, j)(ease see our Spedaf Tvents at www.acor7iinnefon.com GLORIA SO I Staff Photographer Senior Molly O’Brien (left) and sophomore Autumn Spriggs regularly make use of the Writing Center, which is an instrumental part of the new Writing Excellence Initiative to integrate advanced writing skills into course work. Isabella Cannon Centre intensifies focus on domestic study Kristen Olsen Senior Reporter The Isabella Cannon Centre changed its name to better re flect its functionality. With the addition of the new Study USA program, the office formerly known as the Isabella Cannon International Centre has been officially renamed the Isabella Cannon Global Education Cen ter. Study USA is the new home for all Elon University domestic study programs, which includes Elon in New York, Elon in Los Angeles and domestic Winter Term programs. Its office re sides in the Isabella Cannon Centre, which led to the change in name. “Changing the name to be the Global Education Center incorporates both the USA and international study programs,” said Woody Pelton, dean of global studies. According to Pelton, the name change reflects the cen ter’s broadened scope of activ ity and incorporation of more domestic study programs. It will continue to build international study abroad programs, as well. “You don’t have to travel outside of the country to gain multicultural experience,” said Phil Smith, interim director of domestic programs. Smith said he is working to create more do mestic study programs. The Elon in New York and LA programs, which used to op erate solely through the School of Communications, will now operate through the Global Ed ucation Center. The center will take the burden off communica tions professors by completing administrative tasks associated with the program, according to Pelton. “Those running the New York and LA programs can now focus more on the classes and students,” Smith said. The Global Education Cen ter is also developing a semes ter-long program in Los Ange les, which will be available to students in spring 2013. “There are some disciplines that professors teach that would strengthen with travel,” Smith said. Some Elon students, espe cially those who have participat ed in domestic study in the past, look forward to more programs being included. “Now that I’ve done Elon in New York, I want to try out LA,” said senior Lauren Har- bury. “I 100 percent recommend domestic study programs.”
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Oct. 3, 2012, edition 1
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