The Emory Writing Program contributes to the mission of Emory University by serving writers and teachers of writing across the university at all levels. In our program, writing is understood to encompass not only academic writing across multiple disciplines and genres, but all forms of communication. We understand writing to be an active, social, and empowering process. We prepare students to communicate effectively in academic, professional, and personal settings.
The Emory Writing Program is fundraising to support several of our new and ongoing initiatives. We would continue to grow our award and student success programs. Right now, we fund the Eagle Award for best student work from first-year writing classes. Our long-term fund-raising goal would be for a robust enough award budget to provide an impactful amount of funding support to offset texts, supplies, or tuition during their sophomore year, and to grow the award program to recognize a wide range of student writing. Funds will also provide financial support and experiential learning opportunities for the students in our Rhetoric, Writing, and Information Design minor as well as student tutors in the Emory Writing Center. This year, for example, we used program funds to to take students to the Alliance Theater. Philanthropic giving would ensure even larger-scale events and activities that could have lasting impact on students' professional goals and intellectual opportunities, as well as provide direct financial assistance for students in our program. The Writing Program includes the Writing Center (for student writing consultation), the English-Language Learners Program (to support multilingual students), and Writing Across Emory (support for faculty teaching writing and communication). All these units serve distinct constituencies who would benefit from dedicated space and signature events to foster connection.
The Emory Writing Program reaches almost 800 students a year in First-Year Writing classes, through our minor, and in the many writing courses we offer for students in disciplines across the college. The Writing Center serves approximately 1,000 students a year in one-on-one writing conversations beyond the classroom. The impact of writing practice and confidence on student academic success can not be overstated: empowered student writers do better in courses across the college, communicate more confidently and effectively in professional settings, and leverage their communication skills in a range of unexpected ways. Last year, the Eagle Award winner uncovered the archival history of the Black Student Alliance at Emory, using the award platform to bring awareness to that important student community history; this year, a student tutor in the Emory Writing Center founded Diverge Magazine, "for those who feel that standard English doesn't afford their voice." These are the kinds of local impacts that students already undertake with the confidence and community of the Emory Writing Program. We know much more outreach and collective growth is possible!
