YSU Specialized writing classes target major

The courses are dedicated to writing appropriate to seven majors.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Youngstown State University has begun offering specialized writing courses to help students better prepare for the research themes and styles used in their respective major fields.
The university's English composition program is piloting several "Program-Dedicated English 1551 Writing II" classes for the fall semester.
Dr. Suzanne Diamond, assistant professor of English composition, said the special sections, which appear on the fall 2006 schedule of classes, are designed for students interested in art, American studies, business, criminal justice, education, English and political science.
Interested students aren't required to have already declared a major in order to join one of the sections. Anyone with a likely future interest in one of these fields is welcome.
Orientation
The curriculum for the program-dedicated classes is similar to all other English 1551 courses, except that their themes and lessons on document design will be oriented toward the specific dedicated fields.
Diamond said the new program was first piloted during spring 2006. The art and criminal justice sections managed to register most of the students majoring in those fields.
"Gathering students with similar academic goals has enabled instructors to focus more exclusively on issues of general interest to their enrolled students," she said.
Instructors who teach these sections are experienced both in research writing and in the secondary fields to which the sections are dedicated. They work in collaboration with professors from the sponsoring departments.
Students who will have completed English 1550 before the fall 2006 semester and are interested in registering for these special English 1551 courses should seek permits for them from their major-program advisers.