As communication becomes an even greater driving force in both the academic and professional worlds, many see writing as one of the most essential skills for a student and individual.
Many academics and professionals are increasingly concerned that students are not developing adequate writing abilities. Results from a 2007 nationwide test published by the National Assessment of Educational Progress showed that only one-third of eighth graders and one-fourth of 12th graders are proficient writers.
Though the published figures also mark an improvement in the scores of low-performing students from the last year the test was given, 2002, the study has still has led to speculation that entering college freshmen are insufficiently prepared. In California, 58 percent of students scored at the basic level but only 23 percent were proficient writers.
Bruce Beiderwell, director of Writing Programs at UCLA, said he felt a proficient ability to write is vital to students in both academic and professional settings.
“Strong writing skills and a strong understanding of what writing involves in an academic setting are crucial,” Beiderwell said. “It will help (students) take advantage of the rich coursework that’s available to (them).”
Beiderwell said that though some students come into UCLA as problematic writers, as a whole, students are competent at writing. He added that the university draws some of the best students in the state and therefore most likely reflects a higher average ability than the nationwide test.
“It’s a competitive entry,” he said. “The students who arrive are in a position where they are capable to learn and move forward as they need.”
To ensure students graduate with adequate writing abilities, the UC system and each university established writing requirements.
At UCLA, students must fulfill their Writing I and II classes through a combination of AP credit, classes such as English Composition 3 and other writing-intensive courses. Students who do not place into English 3 start in lower-level classes, such as English A or English 2.
“There are decisions made at both the system-wide and campus levels,” Beiderwell said.
The particulars of each school’s requirements are worked out by a variety of committees within each campus.
Michael North, a UCLA English professor, said he felt the required classes were key to preparing students for academic success later on in their careers.
“Those introductory courses are supposed to make sure that people are successful within the UC system,” North said. “If they come without the necessary skills, we’ve got to make sure they have them before they start (being tested) in the upper divisions.”
Beiderwell said one of the main challenges students face is adjusting to the complexity and challenge of writing projects and classes at UCLA. A strong writer in high school might not immediately be prepared to process and analyze complicated college readings, he added.
North said that though it is easy to blame the elementary and secondary school systems for the lack of preparation, the problem has to be looked at in a context of a general shift away from extensive reading and writing throughout the educational system.
Susan Griffin, a Writing Programs lecturer, also said she believed this shift was partly responsible for an increase in problems in reading comprehension.
Students struggling with their writing can utilize tutorial services such as Covel Tutorials or the Academic Advancement Program.
Kevin Escudero, an English student who tutors at Covel Tutorials, said he believes having uniform writing standards for students is an important goal, and the services offered by the university are beneficial.
“People need to be able to express themselves and their ideas clearly, because a lot of college is about coming up with your own ideas and asserting them clearly,” Escudero said. “You need to be able to hold your own in an academic institution.”
Tutorial services tend to work well and help students through this process of revising and making adjustments, Beiderwell said.
To improve the writing programs at UCLA, Beiderwell said he would like the university to offer more Writing I and II classes to allow most students to fulfill their requirements by the end of their first year and all students to be able to fulfill them by the end of their second year.
Ideally, Beiderwell said, the university would also offer a wider breadth of upper-division elective courses to let students continue their writing education. However, he added, budget issues make both ambitions difficult.
“Writing is an ongoing kind of experience that requires attention at a lot of levels through a curriculum,” he said.