As society becomes more dependent on high-tech savvy people, two fundamental skills still stand out as pertinent in the complex modern world - writing and critical thinking.
This fall, drawing on input from faculty across campus and independent writing experts from outside the university, a new writing and rhetoric program that focuses on sharpening these essential skills has been put in place for about 750 undergraduate students at the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ at Boulder.
The program, highlighted by a redesigned first-year writing course, replaces the longstanding University Writing Program and will be implemented over the next few years, according to Interim Director John Stevenson.
Stevenson, who this year will spearhead a national search for a permanent director, said the new program is designed to realize a longtime university goal of making good writing a priority.
"Our hope is to make writing the very center of education on this campus," Stevenson said. "We have a chance to really change the culture of writing here, to get students to see writing as a fundamental part of their education."
Stevenson, who also is chair of the English department at CU-Boulder, said the new program has several long-term initiatives including fully implementing the newly designed first-year writing course and opening a campus writing center.
Most importantly, in the next few years the new program will reach all first-year CU-Boulder students by bringing all writing curriculum and instruction intended to meet university requirements under one umbrella, he said.
This fall about 50 sections of the first-year writing course, which is about one-third of the planned number of sections, are being offered. Each section is limited to 15 students and is run like a workshop, offering students direct and ongoing feedback on their writing, according to Rolf Norgaard, interim associate director of the program.
"This is not your father's comp course," Norgaard said.
The new course will help students develop their writing by teaching them the concepts of argument and analysis, skills needed both in college and after, while also focusing on research and critical reading.
One of the most significant parts of the course is its partnership with the University Library system, according to Norgaard.
The library's goal in the partnership is helping students with the research side of the writing equation, according to Lori Arp, head of central reference and media libraries at CU-Boulder.
To do this students must be "information literate," which means knowing how to locate, evaluate and effectively use information in their writing.
One critical aspect of this is wading through the immense amount of information available on the Web, Arp said.
"ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ need to know how to use the Web effectively and understand that the quality of information available to them varies," she said.
They also will get to brush up on their research skills through Web-based worksheets and assignments, as well as learning about other tools available in the library.
The writing program, including a campus writing center, will be located in the Environmental Design building, taking over space formerly used by the financial aid office. The Writing Center, which won't be fully operational this fall, will be staffed by writing experts who will help students, staff and faculty with questions about writing and research.
The push to make changes in the writing program began in 1997 with a university program review. In the review, faculty across campus recommended changes in the program's organization and instruction. An external review then independently recommended changes, and from there a faculty steering committee proposed specific changes.