Shannon House

February 12, 2003

WRT 205

Writing 205 is one of the two courses that is required by every school at Syracuse University, except the Newhouse School of Public Communications. Our task in this class was to find out why we were required to take that class. I thought that it was a relatively simple task. I was about to find out that I was greatly mistaken. Our group has conducted several interviews to try and find out the mystery of why Writing 205 is necessary for our college experience. We have interviewed Professor Stewart Thau, Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Charles Watson, an English professor; Deborah Freund, the assistant vice chancellor; Louise Phelps, writing professor; Daniel Holliman, political science professor. Each person had a slightly different opinion, but all were saying essentially the same thing.

Stewart Thau

Thau stated that almost every single academic institution requires that students take a writing course of some kind . He then discussed Cornell’s writing program compared to Syracuse University’ s writing program. Cornell has a writing seminar in which freshman choose a writing class based on a topic that interests them. These seminars are taught by professors of all disciplines, not professors that have studied composition. Syracuse University has the system that everyone takes Writing 205 but it is taught by someone who has studied composition. Thau said that the classes were taught by specialists that study the English language(Thau). I think that he was implying that he thought the Syracuse University model was better. He did say that Cornell is more selective with their students. Syracuse University is not as selective and therefore we have a greater range in writing abilities. He said that some students have a greater writing deficit than others. Our program works for those students that may have a greater deficit as well as those that are already good writers. Thau even acknowledged that there are some students at Syracuse University that do not need Writing 105 and 205 (Thau). I think he was just explaining why we have the system we have and not a system like Cornell University.

When asked what he thought about all students taking Writing 205, he seemed very in favor of it. He said that, “the purpose of general requirements is the liberal requirement of educating citizens.”(Thau). I think this means that it is the university’s duty to see that it’s students are well educated and well informed intellectual people so that when they go out into society, they will be well-informed citizens. When asked why Newhouse did not require their majors to take Writing 205, Thau said that he thought Newhouse made a big mistake(Thau). I think he said that because it goes against his thinking that students that take Writing 205 have a better sense of everyday writing. He said that Newhouse is an accredited institution and that to be an accredited communications school they have to show that they have some sort of liberal arts curriculum. Thau said that Newhouse felt that Writing 105 was sufficient and that in the upper levels they learn their own style of AP writing.

I then asked who had the authority to set the requirements in the rest of the colleges, and he said that it was the faculty of those colleges. I then asked why the College of Engineering did not have its own version of the writing program, he stated, “No doubt there is some administrative arm twisting.”(Thau). He then said that the Vice Chancellor’s office would not fund such a program. The College feels that if the other schools are going to require their students to take Writing 205, they will take it from the trained staff. He said that the schools also are accredited institutions and that they must show that they have some liberal arts kind of classes (Thau). I think they feel the pressure to make their students take these classes. When a University is accredited, it means that it is recognized as a decent school. In order to stay accredited these schools must require their students to take certain classes. A basic writing requirement is one of these types of classes.

Charles Watson

Charles Watson had a similar theory. He feels that all students should take Writing 205 because even the best writer can become more polished in a class like this (Watson). He also feels that the general teaching of composition should be taught the way that it is at Syracuse University. He feels that the program is satisfactory. He also said that he could not think of anything more important to the success of a person than writing (Watson). I think that he is a slightly biased opinion, but I do think that there is validity in what he says.

Louise Phelps

Louise Phelps said the same thing about the requirements that the rest of them had said. She also said that there has been a movement to set specific requirements for the Writing 205, since there currently are none. Personally, however, she has reservations about that and would like to leave it open to student’s own learning styles and goals (Phelps). Phelps also said that if a person cannot write then how could they be educated at the college level. She also made the concession that it is difficult to teach a course that everyone is required to take because people will not want to sit through the course and therefore resist learning (Phelps).

Daniel Holliman

When I talked to Daniel Holliman he had a similar opinion as the other professors. He stated that Writing 205 teaches students the skills that they need to use in other courses. All political science majors are required to take PSC 202, Political Argument and Reasoning. Holliman said that this course gets students thinking critically, but it is the skills that are learned in Writing 205 that helps the students express the thoughts that they are thinking. He thinks that especially political science majors should take Writing 205, even if it seems redundant to students (Holliman). To me this opinion seemed to have the most validity. He is a professor from a specific major, which really has no specific ties to the writing department.

I have not yet got the interview from Deborah Freund. I think that these interviews are good jumping off point as to why Writing 205 is required at Syracuse University. These interviews have started to answer the main question that I had and they are coming straight from the people that make the requirements.

Works Cited:

Holliman, Daniel. Personal Interview. 31 Jan. 2003

Phelps, Louise. Interview with Tim Carignan. 7 Feb. 2003.

Thau, Stewart. Personal Interview. 10 Feb. 2004

Watson, Charles. Interview with Tim Carignan. 7 Feb. 2003.