Washburn Women's Venture Partners: Proposal for Grant Funding: the iRead Common Reading Program Purpose: The iRead common reading program at Washburn University was developed to enhance the educational experience of the students and the greater Washburn/Topeka community. • Common reading programs merge the curricular and cocurricular components of college and reinforce the message that learning occurs both inside and outside the classroom.* • Such programs help students understand that reading, critical thinking, discussion, and other activities are expected in college and contribute to learning.* • Reading can promote more meaningful learning. According to results from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE, 2004), students who spend more time reading outside class score higher on the deeper-learning scale.* • It encourages interdisciplinary connections. • It creates "environments and experiences that bring students to discover and construct knowledge for themselves, and helps make students members of communities of learners that make discoveries and solve problems," according to researchers Barr and Tagg (1995).* Need: The program began in 2007 and was primarily funded by the Center for Undergraduate Studies and Programs (CUSP), the Washburn Student Government Association (WSGA), and the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA). A campus-wide committee formed, selected a book, marketed it across campus and especially to the freshman students and instructors, and celebrated the culmination of the project by bringing in the author for a speaking engagement. In 2008 we were able to bring in some additional donors with the help of the Washburn Endowment Association. Then the economy fell into ... ... middle of paper ... ... noted in the previous section. However, the campus-wide online evaluation given near the end of the fall semester will provide specific information and statistics. Budget: (see page 26 in monograph) Sustainability: I have three goals for this program and its funding future: • Have the program placed in a line of the university budget. • Seek endowment funding specifically designated for iRead. • Provide the book to students at New Student Orientation (via part of an Orientation fee that would pay for the book and also put a small amount toward the iRead programming budget). Funding: This request for funding seeks to provide a replacement for prior university funding. The committee believes this program is a worthwhile endeavor and one that puts Washburn University in line with what many other colleges and universities do across the nation.
1. Has the school been assessed by NATEF (which remains for the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation)?
During my first few days of sophomore year at Stuyvesant High School, I saw how the ways of thinking were diverse in each of my classes. In my European Literature class, where, in our first reading assignment, we questioned the purpose of education itself. I always went with the flow in my learning, and never stopped to say to myself, “Why am I doing this to myself?”. However, once I read Live and Learn by Louis Menand, I started to think about Menand’s three theories of college and juxtapose each of them to my experience so far in high school. In the end, I concluded that many of my classes followed the main points of Theory 2, which was the theory that I mostly agreed with when I read the article for the first time.
How imperative is it that one pursues a traditional college experience? Although it might appear that Charles Murray and Liz Addison are in agreement that the traditional college experience is not necessary for everyone, Addison provides a more convincing argument that higher education is necessary in some form. This is seen through Addison’s arguments that college is essential to growing up, that education is proportional to the life one lives, and that community college reinvents the traditional college experience. Not only does Addison have her own opinions about college, but Murray does as well.
Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum, Brief Edition (2nd Edition) (2 ed., pp. 413-429). New York: Longman.
Behrens, Laurence, and Leonard J. Rosen, eds. Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 7th ed. NewYork: Longman, 2000.
A liberal arts core or curriculum is defined as the areas of study or learning that cultivate intellectual thinking and ideas rather than technical work or skills. By providing work within this curriculum students can achieve excellence throughout their college career. Although there is this aspect, a liberal arts core is often questioned if it is really necessary for a successful college career. This paper will discuss how and why a liberal arts curriculum is important as well as how this curriculum can lead to pursuing excellence during a college career as well as having success after college.
"It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education" (Albert Einstein). Today, college classes are furthest from the minds of the very students enrolled in them; their curiosity and thirst for knowledge is dwindling. There is more importance placed on the interactions, parties, and other dorm life experiences than the degree needed for a successful career. In Rebekah Nathan's article, "Academically Speaking.." she explores the apathy that students feel towards college classes and suggests that the current structure places too much emphasis on personal experience. This system affords too much freedom to students by allowing them to decide what information is most relevant. Nathan voices many valid concerns surrounding the notion that classes are not as important as they once were. She correctly fears that the devolution of college's traditional learning ambition leads to a loss of class participation, preparation, and ultimately matriculation.
Writing and Reading across the Curriculum. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen, Boston: Pearson 2011. 274-279
Tinto, V. (2000). What have we learned about the impact of learning communities on students?
Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. Tenth edition. Edited by Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. New York: Longman Publishers, pp. 371-377, 2008.
Entry to community college allows just that. Addison explains, “just follow any one of the 1,655 road signs, and pop your head inside—yes, independent film, a first independent thought, a first independent study” (212). Many potential college prospects are turned away because this self-discovery found in community college cannot be found in private college; however, Addison insists that community college is the golden ticket to regain these would-be scholars. To begin, acceptance is necessary for admittance to many colleges—not community college. In the words of Addison, “down at X.Y.C.C. it is still possible to enter the college experience as a rookie” (213). Any student desiring education, preparation, and self-discovery does not need to look any further than community college, which, for some students, is the only shot at the college experience. On top of this, community colleges provide opportunities like no college—public or private—could. Community colleges provide introductory courses that could not be found in regular institutions; this allows students to explore and get their feet under them. To find and pursue an interest proves more difficult at a college because intense classes are provided from the beginning, whether students have declared a major or have yet to decide. In sum, Addison claims that an atmosphere designed
Begrens, Laurence; Rosen, Leonard J. Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 7th ed. New York, Longman, 2000. 320-322.
Students go to college in search of knowledge, a new lifestyle, and the hope of a job after graduation. For many young adults, college is a rite of passage into an independent, mature new lifestyle. Not only is higher education a rite of passage, for some, it is also an opportunity to have a better life. Overall, college is a wonderful part of many people’s lives, yet the way the college education system is conducted wastes students time and money. College is basically composed of two parts: general education classes and major specific classes. General education courses are the source of wasted time and money, and should not be required of students. A few of the problems associated with general education classes are that they are basically a repeat of high school, unfortunately they can be the demise of students, they are costly, and they waste time.
X, Malcom. "Learning to Read." Wardle, Elizabeth and Doug Downs. Writing About Writing A College Reader. Boston: Bedford/St.Martin's, 2011. 353-361. Print.
Every child deserves a positive, safe, nurturing, and stimulating learning environment where they will grow academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. My role as an educator is to provide my students with this type of environment as well as an education that will help them succeed academically and become life long learners. It is the responsibility of a literacy educator to provide students with this type of environment, but also to provide instruction that will help students become successful readers and writers. There are numerous programs and philosophies about literacy and reading. Through years of experience and research, one begins to develop their own creative approach on teaching these skills. After looking at different programs and seeing the positive and negatives of each, an integrated and balanced approach of literacy seems to be the best way to teach the differing needs of each student.