{"id":39994,"date":"2024-09-26T15:38:39","date_gmt":"2024-09-26T19:38:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=39994"},"modified":"2024-09-26T15:46:45","modified_gmt":"2024-09-26T19:46:45","slug":"a-revision-to-the-writing-program","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/articles\/a-revision-to-the-writing-program\/","title":{"rendered":"A Revision to the Writing Program"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin test-block-editorial-leadin is-style-default has-media has-media-focus-center-middle\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"\/com\/files\/2024\/09\/comtalk-michael-dowding-banner.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"Michael Dowding sits at a table with a student.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2024\/09\/comtalk-michael-dowding-banner.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2024\/09\/comtalk-michael-dowding-banner-636x358.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2024\/09\/comtalk-michael-dowding-banner-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2024\/09\/comtalk-michael-dowding-banner-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2024\/09\/comtalk-michael-dowding-banner-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2024\/09\/comtalk-michael-dowding-banner-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2024\/09\/comtalk-michael-dowding-banner-992x558.jpg 992w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2024\/09\/comtalk-michael-dowding-banner-1500x844.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2024\/09\/comtalk-michael-dowding-banner-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2024\/09\/comtalk-michael-dowding-banner-1984x1116.jpg 1984w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2024\/09\/comtalk-michael-dowding-banner-1628x916.jpg 1628w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2024\/09\/comtalk-michael-dowding-banner-1600x900.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2024\/09\/comtalk-michael-dowding-banner-1366x768.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2024\/09\/comtalk-michael-dowding-banner-1280x720.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/files\/2024\/09\/comtalk-michael-dowding-banner-854x480.jpg 854w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin-caption wp-prepress-component-caption\">Photo by Julian Zhu.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">Writing Program<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tA Revision to the Writing Program\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">Director Michael Dowding is looking to build on a COM legacy<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar test-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-categories\">\n\t\t\t<ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/category\/general\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGeneral\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">September 26, 2024<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/authors\/marc-chalufour\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMarc Chalufour\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div style=\"display:none;\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-share-tools\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-share-tools-inner js-prepress-component-share-tools\">\n\t\t<h4>Share<\/h4>\n\t\t<p class=\"wp-prepress-component-share-tools-article-title\">A Revision to the Writing Program<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-share-tools-article-link\">\n\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" value=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/articles\/a-revision-to-the-writing-program\/\" readonly>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<label>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Copy URL:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<button class=\"js-prepress-component-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>Copy<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t<\/label>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/profile\/michael-dowding\">Michael Dowding<\/a> spent his first year as director of COM\u2019s Writing Program looking for ways to improve how the college teaches writing. But what does a school known for producing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/about-com\/honors\/pulitzer-prize-winners\/\">Pulitzer-winning journalists<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/articles\/vanessa-de-beaumont-is-going-viral\/\">decorated copywriters<\/a> need to improve on?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c[Dean] Mariette DiChristina loves to say that when she talks to alums about the most important thing they remember from COM, they all say \u2018writing,\u2019\u201d says Dowding (MET\u201985, COM\u201990). \u201cThis is a way to fortify the way we deliver that writing instruction.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Writing Program is run by a small group of faculty that includes Dowding; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/profile\/dana-janbek\">Dana Janbek<\/a>, communication director and a master lecturer in mass communication, advertising and public relations, and media science (MCAPR); <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/profile\/stephanie-schorow\">Stephanie Schorow<\/a>, a lecturer in MCAPR; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/profile\/kathryn-burak\/\">Kathryn Burak<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/profile\/lisa-liberty-becker\/\">Lisa Liberty Becker<\/a>, both master lecturers in journalism; and administrator Erica Gartelmann. They\u2019re responsible for six courses, from CO 201 Introduction to Communication Writing up to CM 707 Writing for Media Professionals, plus the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/for-current-students\/the-com-writing-center\/\">COM Writing Center<\/a>, where students can get help with their written coursework, which is managed, <em>ad interim<\/em>, by John Hall, a master lecturer in film &amp; television. Dowding, a master lecturer in MCAPR, estimates that the program\u2019s faculty, including dozens of adjunct professors, teaches nearly 100 sections of their courses annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dowding spoke with <em>COMtalk<\/em> about the ongoing process of reviewing and strengthening COM\u2019s writing instruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a test-block-editorial-q-and-a\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title-heading\">Q<span>&amp;<\/span>A<\/h2><h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title-subheading\">With Michael Dowding<\/h4><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">COMtalk:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>Writing has always been a strength of the COM curriculum. What prompted a review?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Michael Dowding:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">We want to make sure that we\u2019ve got uniformity in our curriculum from section to section. Some variability can be good, but too much variability can be a barrier. So we\u2019re trying to thread that needle. Altogether, we have more than 800 students enrolled in these classes. It\u2019s a very big mandate and we are overseeing a lot of moving parts. It\u2019s very exciting and fun.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">COMtalk:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>As you analyzed writing instruction at COM, what stood out?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Michael Dowding:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">We have tremendous institutional support for writing in our curriculum. But we have an opportunity to do more blending of the different writing classes, which have been managed in independent silos. One of the mandates of my position is to break down those silos. For instance, if you were hired to teach CO 201, that\u2019s what you taught. And if you were hired to teach CM 331, that\u2019s what you taught. One of the big opportunities is cross-training of faculty so that we aren\u2019t operating in silos and there\u2019s a much broader vision for what a COM student experiences through their writing journey.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">COMtalk:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>How will you accomplish that?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Michael Dowding:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">One thing is to provide more centralized resources for our faculty. We want to have an open-source library of materials\u2014everything from quizzes and presentations to textbook recommendations and sample syllabuses. And we\u2019ve launched a writing summit every year where we have dozens of writing faculty come together. We just did this in August. We talk about writing issues and, as you can imagine, one of the big ones we\u2019re wrestling with is artificial intelligence.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">COMtalk:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>Are there other changes coming to the program?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Michael Dowding:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">We\u2019re expanding our full-time staffing significantly. When I started, it was myself and two others. We added Stephanie Schorow last year, and we\u2019re going to be hiring as many as four more full-time lecturers in the coming year.&nbsp;<br><br>We also completed a review of the Writing Center, and we found an opportunity to raise our game with respect to training our tutors. We\u2019re going to develop and propose a tutoring fundamentals class for the tutors that we hire from the graduate student ranks. And COM already has experiential learning opportunities like PRLab, AdLab and COMLab, so we\u2019re rebranding the Writing Center as the WritingLab.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">COMtalk:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>Beyond strengthening existing programs, have you introduced any new initiatives?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Michael Dowding:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">One of the biggest additions has been our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/about-com\/honors\/writer-in-residence\">Writer in Residence Program<\/a>. We welcomed a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/articles\/columnist-john-archibald-is-coms-first-writer-in-residence\/\">Pulitzer Prize winner<\/a> in our first year and an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/articles\/meet-coms-2024-writer-in-residence-tv-screenwriter-stacy-traub\">Emmy-nominated screenwriter<\/a> in our second year. It\u2019s a real treat to have somebody come in from the outside and validate what we\u2019re talking about. It\u2019s meant to help students envision how a writing-centric career can work. We want to unleash their imaginations.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">COMtalk:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>You mentioned artificial intelligence earlier. How is the Writing Program approaching the use of generative AI?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Michael Dowding:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">Generative AI is raising uncomfortable questions about writing. One is: Are we going to focus on process or merely output? There\u2019s a consensus, but I won\u2019t say it\u2019s unanimous, that writing classes are unique with respect to generative AI. It doesn\u2019t teach you how to write; it teaches you to avoid writing. And so how do we handle this? It\u2019s about creating different processes for submitting work. We could retreat to blue books and pen and ink. The COM Writing Program is redoubling its efforts to make sure that we teach students the process. In the walled garden of a writing course, I don\u2019t think generative AI has any meaningful role.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">COMtalk:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>What\u2019s your goal for the Writing Program?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Michael Dowding:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">This is sort of a lofty, long-term thing, but I imagine a scenario where a graduate enters a career in media and somebody looks at their writing and says, \u201cI can tell you\u2019ve been educated at COM.\u201d There\u2019s going to be distinguishing characteristics of their writing that are emblematic of this multicourse progression. I want them to see bulletproof mechanics where spelling, punctuation, and grammar are flawless. Without those, the content is obscured. I want them to see an appropriate voice in that writing, one that\u2019s geared toward an audience. And I want them to see a thoughtful understanding of the content, where the writer has undertaken the difficult work of understanding what they\u2019re writing about. That\u2019s the vision that I have.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Michael Dowding spent his first year as director of COM\u2019s Writing Program looking for ways to improve how the college&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24086,"featured_media":40101,"template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[154],"bu-publication":[1472],"discipline-type":[],"bu_edition":[],"media_type":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/39994"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24086"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/39994\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40102,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/39994\/revisions\/40102"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40101"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39994"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39994"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39994"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=39994"},{"taxonomy":"discipline-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/discipline-type?post=39994"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=39994"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=39994"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}