Buffalo Rising Online

Sep 5th, 8:49am By Allie Friedman

Picture this scenario; you are a fly on a wall in a major company and you are watching the president read the cover letters of possible employees. The president sits at his desk, letter in hand, cup of coffee in the other, and begins reading as you look over his shoulder. You are no editor, but after the first three sentences you can't help but notice at least two grammatical errors. The president immediately puts the letter in the garbage and picks up the next one.

Knowing how to write is a crucial part of communication because with the written word comes so many prejudgments. One small spelling error or one “their” instead of “there” and an innocent job searcher's chances are ruined. Buffalo State College has taken action in creating a program that will make sure their students' cover letters aren't the ones being pushed aside.

Buffalo State's newly recreated College Writing Program (CWP) is making a number of changes in order to serve and educate students within the written world. Its mission is to provide basic writing knowledge for first-year students and to assist upper level Writing across the curriculum courses or the two mandatory classes students must take unless their major has an alternate requirement.

Originally part of the English Department, the CWP became a freestanding unit in 2000. At the time, all professors teaching freshman composition at Buffalo State were part time teachers. This is often the case in many universities regarding freshman composition classes, but Buffalo State's writing program established a revolutionary plan, with two full time professors instructing freshman composition. Two years ago, four full time lecturers were hired to teach writing within the program, and just recently, the number was raised to five.

With new professors being added for more than one year at a time with full time contracts and full time benefits, the CWP has been reinventing Buffalo State's identity.

Aiming to establish a closer relationship with students and to educate students to write for the institution, Buffalo State's writing program is particularly unique because it is an all-college writing program, and is there to help all students. The program encompasses two semesters of freshman composition and developmental composition, and consults on upper division required writing courses as well.

CWP Director Susan Leist, along with Wendy Scott, a professor within the program, have worked extremely hard to develop and expand the program. Leist quoted Professor Margo Figgins of the University of Virginia stating, “We believe that freshman composition lays down the paths of discourse in an academic community.” This program strives to grant students these necessary tools needed to achieve success.

With the idea of giving the students something to write about, the program sponsors many events. On October 23, 2008, a Peace Conference will take place at Buffalo State to inform people and inspire them to make a difference in the world. This year’s student essay contest theme is “Community, diversity, peace; integrating inquiry and action.” Speakers from the United Nations will be present, and four contest finalists, composition students from sections of CWP 101 and 102, will be chosen to read their essays at the conference. About 50 entrees are normally submitted, resulting in publication in hard copy of the winning essay. Scott has worked particularly hard on the creation of this event, saying, “This is an opportunity to start locally and think globally.”

Last year, the CWP brought alum Sam Halpert to Buffalo State College on April 8-12. Halpert fought in World War II in the middle of his college term, graduating in 1947 after beginning in 1939. The 87-year-old Halpert began writing at the age of 69 and has written two books on Raymond Carver, as well as A Real Good War, which is being made into a movie. During his visit, Halpert went to classes and publicly spoke at the institution.

In the spring of 2007, the CWP established a tutoring service, the “Writing Help Center,” in Butler Library at Buffalo State. This service allows for walk-in tutoring for all students and alumni during open hours. Students can receive help on any paper for any particular course. This service has been so popular that even graduate students from University at Buffalo have traveled to Butler Library for help with writing. “ The only thing we need is a reading corner where you can put your feet up with pizza on demand,” Scott said. The CWP has received a number of thank you letters from Student Government Associations and the students themselves for the creation of this service.

In an effort to centralize the program in a location with librarians, databases, computers, and conference rooms, the entire CWP is planning to relocate from the South wing of the Twin Rise Towers to the Butler Library. “We've done a lot of changing since becoming a separate program. We're very excited about the writing program initiatives,” Leist said.

The All-College Writing Program supports a multi-literacy theory in which all teaching modes are accepted. One summer school lecturer even had his students analyzing a specific political cartoon. The program fosters experimentation with multi-literacy and supports writing and literacy for life. Coming in spring of 2009, the writing program lecturers will be presenting at a national conference on College Communication and Composition in San Francisco. For more information on Buffalo State's College Writing Program and the college itself, visit www.buffalostate.edu. Buffalo State is making big steps into the future so that their students can make big steps into the world.