UM Seeks to Improve Student Writing

The University of Mississippi is now devoting more energy and attention to improving student writing. As part of the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), the university has created the Center for Writing and Rhetoric, a new academic unit devoted entirely to the teaching of writing.

This summer, after a nationwide search, Dr. Robert Cummings was hired as the Founding Director of the CWR. He is now on campus and has already begun making improvements.

The writing center, for example, has hired additional tutors and expanded its hours of operation to meet student demand. Whereas in the past, only three tutors have been employed-and students have complained about the difficulty of getting appointments-now twelve tutors have been hired, with more on the way.

This is only one step in a very ambitious plan. Over the next five years, the CWR will improve first-year writing courses, will hire new faculty who specialize in writing, will continue to expand and enhance the existing writing center, and will support faculty from across the curriculum who wish to integrate writing into their classes.

For more information on the plan, please visit www.olemiss.edu/qep. If you need assistance with your writing, please call 662-915-7689 to schedule an appointment in the writing center, which is currently located on the third floor of the J.D. Williams Library.