The Los Angeles
Loyola Marymount University September 26, 1 983
Volume 61 Issue 3
Requirements Examined
Writing
By CHRIS KEARLEY
Contributing Writer
i <fn order to reinforce the writing
JLskills attained by students in
their freshman composition course(s),
the University has adopted the Core
Writing Program. Writing assignments
.are required in all Core Courses, and
these assignments are evaluated for
quality of expression as well as for con¬
tent.
“The Program seeks to impress on
students the realization that the
coherent communication of ideas
through the written word is one mark
of an educated person, and that the ac¬
quisition of this skill is integral to all
academic disciplines . * * (St udent
Bulletin, 1983).
The Core Writing Requirement was
approved by Loyola Marymount
University and became policy in the fall
of 1980. Since that time, the program
has met with limited success. The two
main reasons for this are lack of stu¬
dent awareness and a non-compliance
on the part of the faculty.
In the first week of school, Dr.
Jasper Blystone, professor of
philosophy, .asked the students in his
ethics course if they were aware of the
Core Writing Requirement. By a show
of hands not one student affirmed
awareness.
Some faculty may feel they do not
have time to correct term papers,' that a
term paper is not appropriate in their
class, or that a term paper would place
too great a burden on their students.
While these views might find superficial
rationalization, they ultimately defeat
the fundemental goal of the university
to educate.
One professor, who is very aware of
the difficulty in implementing a core
writing requirement, is Dr. Mel Ber¬
tolozzi,. of the English department. Ber¬
tolozzi was appointed by Acting Dean
of Liberal Arts Frank Carothers shortly
after the adoptation of the Core
Writing Requirement to aid in the
development of the requirement.
Bertolozzi believes strongly in the
need for writing in all areas of study.
He works on the premise, “if it [the
course] has a place for thinking, it has a
place for writing.”
When he was first given the respon¬
sibility of implementing the core re¬
quirement, he hoped to receive
unanimous support of his colleagues.
This did not turn out to be the case.
After trying a number of different
approaches such as committees and
observations, he now feels that faculty
workshops are the most feasible and ef¬
fective way to get the faculty to imple¬
ment the writing requirement. Those
who attend such workshops are usually
those members who are already follow¬
ing the guidelines of the Core Writing
Requirement.
This past June, Bertolozzi worked
with the Learning Resource Center to
complete the first four-day workshop.
Fourteen faculty members, from a
number of different departments at¬
tended. Bertolozzi ’s hope is that even¬
tually most of the faculty teaching core
courses will be able to attend such
workshops.
During the workshop professors are
(continued on page 6)
WASC Evaluations of
University Revealed
By CHRIS KRAUSE
Loyolan Staff Editor
Ш
artier this year, Loyola Mary¬
mount University was scheduled
for reevaluation and renewal of its ac¬
creditation under the Western Associa¬
tion of Schools and Colleges.
As part of this process, every five
years LMU conducts self-report evalua¬
tions which are then submitted to a
WASC accrediation team for verifica¬
tion.
“The [University’s] Self-Study is
regarded to be an unusually fine docu¬
ment. It is forthright, self-critical and
strong on analysis rather than simply
descriptive,” the accreditation team’s
report stated.
“It gave evidence of a penetrating
review which indicated that the imita¬
tion is well aware of most if not all of
its problems and is dealing quite effec¬
tively with [them],...” the report add¬
ed.
The 12-member team’s submission
included the recommendation to
simplify and streamline both ad¬
ministrative and committee structures,
and suggested a review of departmental
chairperson positions, support and
faculty compensation.
The previous WASC evaluation,
which took place in 1977, made 11 for¬
mal recommendations. “The Universi¬
ty has been quite responsive to those
recommendations,” the lastesjt team
(continued on page 7)
Inside This Week:
ASLM Committees on the Move
►see
раде
2
A Fine Season is on the way
►see pages 8 & 9
Brutus’ South African Views
►see page 1 1
Supper Runners in X-Country
►see page 14
Anniversary
Issue
