Situation:

North Dakota State University President, Joseph Chapman, declares in his mission statement, "We envision a university that seeks quality by empowering individuals to participate in decisions and encouraging them to cooperate for the common good." As students of this university, we have decided to empower ourselves by cooperating with our English instructor, Elizabeth Birmingham, to revamp North Dakota State University’s first-year writing program. We believe the construction of a new English program and a new Writing Department will assist students attending this university by giving them a better quality education. There are various problems with the current English program at NDSU — in fact, there is a lack of a solid writing program yet a great need for one. "Writing has never been more important, and we believe that this new program gives students an advantage in all that they do." says Wyatt Anderson, Dean of the University of Georgia, speaking about the new writing program at the University of Georgia (University of Georgia website). The following are some problems that have come to the attention of those of us interested in changing North Dakota State University’s first-year writing program or lack thereof. It is common knowledge that if the situation involving the writing program at NDSU is not resolved, more students will graduate from this university unprepared for the professional world and will not have gained the specific skills necessary to become successful in a career.

The first problem is there is no standardization between the English Composition classes. English 110 taught by one instructor may or may not prepare the student continuing onto a different instructor’s Composition 120 class. For example, one instructor may teach whatever he/she wants in Composition 110 such as an informal type of writing i.e. journaling and personal essays without any instruction on formal writing styles. After completion of said instructor’s Composition 110 class the student progresses to Composition 120 with a different instructor. Nevertheless, when a student proceeds to 120, a different instructor may assume the student learned formal writing the previous semester hence undermining the students’ confidence and causing unwanted confusion and apprehension. A standard set of curriculum guidelines followed by every instructor could alleviate some of this confusion. In addition, if to some degree every class teaches similar techniques each individual student has the building blocks to progress in their college careers.

The second and largest problem is teachers/instructors who have a B.A. degree in English who did not receive proper training on how to teach college level composition classes. These instructors have not taken any education classes and do not know how to teach writing classes satisfactory nor does the English Department at NDSU hold any training classes or workshop. Currently, the training involved to educate instructors on how to teach writing classes effectively is a book given to the new hire to read only days before classes begin. There is no advisor assigned to help answer any questions the new hire may have nor is there a mentor to give advice to these new instructors. Another problem: instructors that hired to teach writing composition who do not have a degree in writing composition nor a degree in English. If one is unaware of the subject matter and background, how is one capable of teaching students? This is a huge downfall to students obtaining knowledge about writing composition from uninformed instructors because often students are obtaining the wrong information.

Continuing the discussion on student writing issues another problem is writing essays or other informal works are required throughout a student’s college career but after the student graduates and enters the professional world essays are not a type of writing employers want. Employers want business documents and other professional types of writing this is a problem for North Dakota State University because there is only one class offered — ENGL 320 Practical Writing which consists of "intensive practice of the writing needed in professional settings: writing to inform, analyze, evaluate, and persuade" (NDSU Bulletin 2001-2002). An additional setback: employers say NDSU graduates have difficulty breaking problems down into smaller steps but do solve problems well. At this university, problem-based learning classrooms — which teach problem solving — are rare which might be why NDSU graduates have difficulties breaking down problems. Students are not learning the "how to" process to get the end result. It is extremely easy to get result without going through the appropriate steps and that is exactly what the faculty teaches North Dakota State University students to do and these students are continuing skip crucial problem-solving steps in their careers. In short, students are not learning. It is an essential part of the education process to aid students in learning and when students face a situation they need to evaluate the situation, consider a solution, and work through the process on how to get to the end. If students do not even know how to work through the process of problem solving they will not reach the result, hence employers will not keep these employees for long.

Another central issue is: students are required to take two semesters of composition usually in their freshman year. After completing English 110 and English 120, a student has fulfilled the English requirements for general education and no further English is required. By the time these students graduate, most of their knowledge of freshman English has evaporated and since there are no additional classes requiring practice of the acquired skill of writing, students graduate from NDSU deprived of a proper education. This is definitely a poor reflection on the university and a troublesome start for any newly graduating students. A simple way to remedy this predicament is to require more writing intensive classes throughout a student’s academic career.

The final dilemma is the cost and the quality of books required for first-year English courses. First, there are three textbooks required for English 110 and English 120. The textbooks are as follows: The Writer’s Harbrace Handbook ($45.50 new), Good Reasons ($42.75 new), and Our Lives and Our Worlds ($30.75 the only book found used). With the cost of The Writer’s Harbrace Handbook at over forty dollars, we believe a less expensive MLA style handbook for half the price is a perfectly acceptable alternative. Secondly, for the number of times that the books were used within English 110 and English 120, it would be better if the students never purchased the required books. Thirdly, Our Lives and Our Worlds is a poorly written textbook that is unfortunately utilized within the first-year English classes. Not many students truly understand what is written in the book and none of the authors’ works are interesting. The book is very "dry" and has no real learning material, especially on how to write. In fact, nothing is taught in freshman English on how to correctly write a paper. The only thing taught is how to read, comprehend, and form an opinion. This is useful to a point but redundant because all through high school teachers taught exactly the same thing.

The mere realization that there is a crucial issue with our University’s English program is an incredible first step. The next step is to resolve these critical issues and in order to do that, a new program needs to be developed, a new department needs to be installed, someone needs to oversee this department, teachers need to fill the positions in this department, and the budget needs to be revamped. The remainder of this proposal will discuss our plan to change the first-year English program, why we are qualified to suggest these transformations, our budget modification, and the tremendous benefits it will produce. The following list is the objectives of this proposal to change North Dakota State University’s first-year writing program.

Objectives:

• Create a more consistent writing program at North Dakota State University
• Educate instructors on how to teach composition
• Prepare students for both their college career and writing within their discipline
• Prepare students for post-college profession
• Teach students how to learn
• Reform NDSU’s writing program to a more student/faculty friendly program
• Create an efficient and affordable writing program

The previous objectives show the goals for this proposal and this section will outline how to implement and solve the problems mentioned within the situation. First, North Dakota State University will create a more consistent writing program; secondly, NDSU will utilize the ACT Course Placement Service to assist students in testing out of Composition 110; thirdly, all writing professors will be properly trained in how to teach college composition; finally, a study will be implemented to follow the success of students in their writing careers.

The creation of a more consistent writing program at North Dakota State University will entail the establishment of a separate Writing Department. This department will include professors holding voluntary advisory positions to aid in the establishment of discipline specific writing-intensive courses. One tenure-track chair/coordinator to oversee the Writing Department; five full-time writing professors concerned with creating quality writing-intensive classes; fifteen lecturers and fourteen teacher’s assistants to teach the bulk of writing-intensive classes; and the Writing Center to assist all students with any questions they may have. All NDSU students will be required to take at least four writing intensive classes throughout their years at NDSU. First-year students will take two composition courses, Composition 110 and 120, unless receiving a score of 21 on the English portion and 22 on the reading comprehension portion of the ACT then students may choose to test out of Comp 110. Second-year students will choose one writing-intensive class within their discipline; third-year students will take a business-style writing class; and finally fourth-year students will take one writing-intensive course — whether elective or required for a major or minor course of study — designated by a "W" after the course number, for example PHIL 420W. Many universities, such as the College of Saint Catherine, Hamline University, Duke, and Princeton, utilize this style of vertical curriculum to educate students on how to write; these colleges experience success with these requirements.

To increase cost-efficiency and prevent student boredom North Dakota State University will utilize the ACT Course Placement Service to assist students in testing out of Composition 110; essentially, this will make Composition/English 110 a remedial writing course. According to the ACT handbook, "Procedures for Participating in the ACT Course Placement Service" the cost to NDSU for utilizing the ACT service is $225.00 for up to ten different analyses. This small price tag will pay for itself in the end by eliminating the expense of instructor salaries and last minute hiring of insufficiently trained teachers for composition classes that will no longer need to be taught. Smaller numbers of Composition/English 110 classes will also allow teacher’s assistants to take ENGL 764 Classroom Strategies for TAs — "Introduction to current issues in composition pedagogy, research, and theory, focusing on how they inform teaching practices. Instruction on developing philosophy of and strategies for teaching through short position papers, literacy autobiography, and a sequence of assignments for English 120" (NDSU Bulletin, 2000-2002) — allowing TAs to have confidence in their teaching ability.

Initially, all writing professors will participate in a workshop on "how to teach college students how to write" this will guarantee competent writing instructors at North Dakota State University. This workshop held in August before classes begin will assist all writing instructors on becoming better teachers; as compensation for attending this mandatory workshop, each professor will receive a half-month salary. At the beginning of each semester, one writing professor will teach the workshop to all new hires.

In order to observe the success of this new plan a study incorporated into the program will be an invaluable tool. This study will consist of following a sampling of willing students, approximately 10% of all incoming freshman, throughout their college career and into their professional careers. The study will follow students with both high and low ACT scores, those who tested out of Composition/English 110, and those students who took Composition/English 110. The goals of the study are to obtain information on the development of students’ writing skills and how the students’ writing improved. Nancy Sommers, Sosland Director of Expository Writing at Harvard University, gives the best reason for conducting such a study of students when she says, "We want to take the wisdom of the students we’ve studied and give back to the next generation of students."

Upon completion of these four goals, we feel that North Dakota State University will have an excellent writing program and first-rate students graduating from NDSU. Realizing that implementing change to North Dakota State University's writing program without information and informed researchers would be disastrous, we have included a list of our credentials and knowledge on writing programs.

Qualifications:

• Familiarity with North Dakota State University’s writing program
• Researched other writing programs at various schools: Clarion University, College of Saint Catherine, Harvard University, and University of Kansas at Lawrence
• Studied surveys administered by a previous Composition 120 class
• Spoke with North Dakota State University faculty and employers in several professions about the writing program at NDSU
• Knowledge about various writing and education programs: Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC), Writing in the Disciplines (WID), Vertical Curriculum (VC), Writing Intensive (WI), abolitionist, problem based learning, and learning teams.

With all great ideas inevitably comes the discussion of money — the question is what will it will cost to implement our program change and in some areas, save money?

Budget:

To bring about the changes proposed, funds would need to be allocated to create a new Writing Department. Currently, the approximate budget for the English Department is $842,400: thirty-eight percent of the current budget is for Professors’ salaries, thirty percent for Lecturers’ salaries, twenty percent for indirect costs, six percent for teaching assistants’ salaries, five percent for the English Department Chair, and four percent for the operation of the writing center. The proposed budget places emphasis on the creation of a Writing Department thereby changing the division of funds within the college. These changes consist of the reallocation of monies currently used for the English Department — in essence, trimming the English Department down to a minimum and adding another department, the Writing Department. The initial budget for the Writing Department totals $608,000 and can be broken down into the following percentages: thirty-two percent allocated for Professors’ salaries, thirty percent for Lecturers’ salaries, twenty percent for indirect costs, seven percent for teaching assistants’ salaries, seven percent for the Writing Department Chair, and eight percent for the operation of the writing center. The following chart/graph visually interprets the existing budget and the proposed budget (Student paper included pie charts for present and proposed budgets.)

Although the expense of creating a Writing Department will increase the amount of funds that North Dakota State University spends the benefits far outweigh the costs.

Benefits:

• A writing program at North Dakota State University that is consistent throughout a college student’s career.
• Instructors who have specialized knowledge on how to teach college composition
• Students who are wholly prepared for both a college career and writing within their discipline
• Students who are prepared and confident upon entering the professional work force
• Students who can and do learn on their own
• A first year writing program at NDSU reformed to become a student/faculty friendly program
• An efficient and cost-effective writing program created

This proposal has discussed the current situation and the problems involved, our ideas in said proposal, a plan and execution to solve the problems, our qualifications for being able to give this proposal, a budget for the plan, and the ultimate benefits for our program. We hope you will carefully consider these ideas when designing a new writing program for North Dakota State University.

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