jcu.edu
First-year students will now be able to declare a new concentration through the Department of English and Foreign Languages.
Soon, the Writing and Rhetoric concentration will be available to all Saint Xavier University students.
“The new concentration […] will be a major concentration within the existing department. So the department chair, Dr. Shannon Ambrose, will be ‘in charge’ of the department, though all faculty members in the department will participate in developing and teaching courses in the program,” said Dr. Amy Stolley, director of the writing program.
The department decided to add the Writing and Rhetoric concentration because many students expressed an interest in developing their written communication skills.
“We’ve been developing courses over the last several years that fit that need but we wanted to create a formal program so that students could officially say to future employers that they were English majors who concentrated their studies on writing,” said Stolley. “We see this concentration as a chance to recruit more students to the major and provide existing majors with a wider range of learning opportunities.”
In addition to pre-existing courses such as The Writing and Editing Process and Writing in Digital Environments, the department plans on offering a wide range of new 200- and 300-level courses.
Some course topics will include rhetorical theory, argumentation, professional and technical writing, rhetoric and culture, and linguistics, according to Stolley.
“Over the last several years, we have seen an increase in the number of English majors who are interested in writing, and an increase in students from other majors pursuing a minor in writing,” said Dr. Stolley. “So we believe this will be an attractive option for many students with a wide range of interests.”
Although this concentration specifically caters to English majors, Stolley emphasizes that it is a valuable option to all students, regardless of their area of study.
“Because writing and rhetoric is a discipline focused on studying how we communicate through writing and developing strategies for writing more effectively, this concentration pairs well with nearly every major and minor offered by the University,” Stolley said.
Not only will these skills help students develop their writing skills, it will also help them obtain a job after graduation.
Both students and faculty alike see the importance of having well-developed writing skills.
Junior English major Yasmeen Abdellatif said, “I think that having a Writing and Rhetoric concentration is a really good idea. I believe that studying writing and rhetoric will allow students to develop skills that will be useful in their future careers.”
Stolley said, “Students who pursue this concentration will build marketable skills that are valued in the workplace. Employers have always wanted to hire employees who are good writers, but the courses in this concentration will develop particular skills in online, technicaly, and professional writing that employers are seeking.”
In fact, writing skills are so vital in the workplace that this new concentration is already making big waves for English majors.
“I would have considered the writing and rhetoric concentration if it had been available when I was a freshman,” Abdellatif said. “I am minoring in writing now so I might have chosen the concentration instead of the minor.”
Students will be able to declare a concentration in Writing and Rhetoric beginning in Fall 2015.
Katharine Arvia
Senior News Editor