Many teachers and workplace officials agree that writing is an ability essential to success both in school and in the workplace. Some teachers believe that writing has become a lost skill among college students.
Sarah Liggett, an English professor, said she thinks entering students are better writers now than in the past because of the University’s increased admissions standards.
Liggett said she came to the University in 1983, when the University had open admissions. Liggett said at that time, the University offered three remedial English courses.
That number has since been reduced, and Liggett said she thinks the writing ability of freshmen has increased.
However, Liggett said she does not know if students have the opportunity to increase their writing ability while in school.
“I don’t know if they are better writers as seniors,” Liggett said. “A lot of students say they don’t write as much after their freshman year.”
A study conducted by the University’s Center for Assessment and Evaluation from 1996 to 2000 found that students’ writing ability did not improve during their undergraduate studies.
In addition, the study said students did not typically write many formal assignments such as out of class reports and essays unless they were majoring in a writing-intensive area such as English or mass communication.
“After first-year English, students seldom received writing instruction or comments on graded written assignments that would lead to improved writing,” the study said.
Irvin Peckham, director of the University’s first-year writing program, said some freshmen may become uneasy when asked to write in the unfamiliar college setting, where they may be unsure of instructors’ expectations.
Peckham said the courses English 1001 and English 1002 allow students to practice several genres of writing, as well as work on content organization, critiquing others’ writing, receiving suggestions and editing.
The University also plans to welcome a professor from the University of Minnesota in January to work with students to further enhance their writing ability.
In addition, the LSU Writing Center offers assistance to students. According to the center’s Web site, consultants at the center meet with students individually to help them develop their writing ability.
The Writing Center’s Web site said that the center tries to help students develop their own skills with the goal of producing “better writers, not just better pieces of writing.”
In addition, the Grammar Garage is an online resource that answers students’ questions about grammar, coherence and punctuation.
Both services are free of charge and are open to all students.