Advice Articles
Maureen Murphy
Writing Courses Taught: Composition I & II; Documentation & Presentation; Technical and Professional Communication; Information Architecture; Professional, Technical, and Grant Writing.
When I asked Dr. Murphy why some students might consider general education English classes to be a waste of time, she suggested that it may be that they have the misconception that all they will learn is how to write the kind of essays or research reports they worked on in high school. But in fact composition classes at DSU go beyond what students may have learned in high school. The knowledge and skills they learn in the composition courses at DSU focus on the kinds and styles of writing that will be required of them in their future university-level courses and also in their future careers.
To help students understand the importance writing will play in their future careers, Dr. Murphy has them interview a professional in their chosen field. “[Students] are always amazed by how much writing professionals actually do on the job, whether it’s formal reports or simply day-to-day communication with supervisors, co-workers, or clients,” says Dr. Murphy. Even in those cases in which employees do very little formal writing on a regular basis, it may be that one or two times a year they are called on to contribute to a proposal, a report, or bid specification, and the importance of their contribution can be crucial to a successful project, proposal, or product. According to Dr. Murphy, students who make an earnest effort to become good writers will have a significant advantage in future courses and in the workplace.