Writing is inevitable in college life. At some point in time, students from across the vast spectrum of major fields will be required to take at least a few English courses in which writing skills are the main focus. Some students may question the purpose of English 101 and 102 classes, which everyone must take in order to complete any degree program at Southeastern.
According to Dr. Natasha Whitton, director of freshman writing, freshman English courses are absolutely necessary for anyone aspiring to any profession.
“I would say you’re going to use the skills you learn in English 92, 101 and 102, not only in your major but also in every future career. I guess what we’re really teaching at that basic level is communication, and those communication skills are going to be necessary in all majors, all degree programs and all professions,” said Whitton.
Unlike high school English courses in which the main focus is generally literature, English 101 and 102 professors are more concerned with academic and professional writing.
“I think that’s also sometimes a misunderstanding about what we’re doing at the 100 level. Typically in high school English, especially your junior and senior year, you’re focusing on American and then British literature, and if you’re writing, you’re writing about literature. Our focus at the 100 level is writing within the perimeters of your discipline and preparing for academic writing,” said Whitton.
Dr. David Hanson, Department Head of English, and Whitton both consider the English department to be successful in instilling professional coherence in academic writing. The English department boasts of a 92 percent passing rate of the proficiency exam, but that does not mean that the course is easy.
Chelsea Fruge, freshman elementary education major, dropped her English 102 class last semester and is taking it again this semester.
“It is a very time consuming class,” said Fruge. “I just couldn’t handle it along with my two jobs and other classes.”
Part of the credit for the department’s success is given to the professors on staff who are dedicated to the students whom they teach.
“I credit our professors and their dedication to our university over the course of their professional careers and to our students. Many of our faculty are from Louisiana and are very familiar with the challenges that our students face before they come to our classrooms, and faculty who have come from outside the state are very dedicated to what they do, very interested in their students progressing and doing well. I think that that’s why our students are so successful in English,” said Whitton.
Students themselves were not neglected from acknowledgement of their roles in the English department’s high success rate among freshmen. Hanson notes that students of all different backgrounds are capable of doing well in freshman English courses with the right levels of dedication.
“A student’s success really has much more to do with the student’s initiative than it has to do with that student’s preparation,” said Hanson.
Students who are struggling with freshman English courses may seek the help of their professors, the Writing Center, the Center for Student Excellence or online tutors, which are all available resources on campus.