News Story

Local Colleges Implement New English Curriculum

COLLEGE TOWN–Beginning today, local colleges, Golden Globe College and Sanders State College, will start their new English curriculums for freshmen students.  The curriculum will be geared toward workplace writing rather than standard academic writing.

Both colleges based their programs on the 2006 study from the Conference Board, “Are They Really Ready to Work?” The study showed that college graduates are deficient in both English and written communications.

“I want our students to enter the workforce ready,” said Sandy Davis, president of Sanders State College. “This new program will help both English majors as well as non-English majors to communicate and function in the real world.”

Golden Globe College’s freshman English courses are changing from the standard 4-essay format to a variety of different assignments that are more common in the business environment.

Most students are welcoming the change.  Johnny Graham, a second-semester freshman at Golden Globe College, is excited for what the changes have in store for the next semester.

“My first English course made me writing essays on topics that I really did not care about,” said Graham, majoring in Journalism. “This next semester, I’m excited to write things that push me closer to being a journalist.”

Like with any change, there is opposition.  On July 25^th, a group of professors at Sanders State College stood outside the school’s administration building in protest of the new curriculum, including Dr. Lillian Coffee, professor of British Literature.

“This is an outrage,” said Coffee. “How are students to learn basic arguments if they are not taught basic writing skills through standard writing procedures?”

“Students need to know how to construct a basic argument,” said Dr. Richard Craney, professor of Rhetorical Studies. “The easiest way for me to teach an argument is through an essay.  I’m not the most tech-savvy guy around, so I’m not equipped to teach with blogs or other mediums.”

Not all professors want to dismiss the changes.  Dr. Jessica Porter, professor of English at Golden Globe College thinks the changes are past due.

“Today’s world is more modern and driven by technology,” said Porter. “So, why can’t our students learn to write in different genres that actually transfer to the workplace?”

Tutors at the writing center at Sanders State College are preparing for the influx of students who will need help with web writing, journalism, and marketing projects.  Ann Ryan, tutor at SSC, is not too thrilled with being taken out of her comfort zone.

“We underwent a training session to learn how to tutor students on the new styles,” said Ryan. “But this is difficult when I was trained as an undergrad in the basics of the essay.”

Some tutors, like Jenny Roberts at SSC, think the idea will be beneficial to the school and the students’ writing.

“Students complain to me that writing is not useful or relevant,” said Roberts. “Once the light bulb goes off that they can use these writing skills in many different ways, they become more confident in their writing.”

The entire project will take place for the next two years, then be reassessed for the future.