Title V Grant: NEIU prepares for new writing program

The establishment of a cross-disciplinary writing intensive requirement, the construction of the Center for Academic Writing, and a redesign of English 101 are all projects that are currently in development.

The projects are funded by a five-year, $2.8 million Title V grant that the U.S. Department of Education awarded to Northeastern Illinois University on Sept. 28, 2007 as part of the higher education act. The grant is awarded to schools designated as Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI), a designation given to schools with a Hispanic full-time student population of 25 percent or more.

One major project funded by the grant is the establishment of writing intensive courses within every academic major. Beginning this fall semester, all newly-admitted undergraduate students, freshman or transfer, will be required to pass a writing intensive course in their academic discipline. Depending upon each department, the writing intensive courses will either be revised versions of existing courses or completely new courses, each course following specific writing intensive guidelines.

"Students hopefully enjoy the major they have chosen, so that the idea is that they will enjoy that kind of writing more than perhaps the kinds of assignments they had in early composition courses," says Kate Hahn, Director of the Center for Academic Writing.

"Since these courses are within the discipline, they will include the kinds of writing that students would be doing when they leave the university," says Hahn.

Another major project funded by the grant is the construction of the Center for Academic Writing, slated to be completed by early March 2009. This center will be located on the fourth floor of the Ronald Williams Library and will provide support to students in writing intensive courses and the faculty departments developing these courses. Also, a peer-tutoring program will be established within the Center for Academic Writing to provide support and extra help to students in writing intensive courses. The third major project funded by the grant is aimed at revising and aligning all sections of English 101 to prepare students for their writing intensive requirements.

The projects funded by the grant, labeled "Improving Retention through Academic Literacy," are aimed at improving writing across all disciplines throughout a student's career at NEIU.

"The idea is to look at writing from the beginning to the end," says Hahn. "It would be helpful to have writing practice occur across the time that you're here and not just early in your education."

Faculty members in different departments are currently working on the development of writing intensive courses and according to Hahn there will be a handful of writing intensive courses available for the Spring 2009 semester.