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CSUDH - Habermas - UWP

California State University, Dominguez Hills
University of Wisconsin, Parkside
Created: October 22, 2001
Latest Update: Novvember 10, 2001
jeannecurran@habermas.org
takata@uwp.edu
Olivier Urbain, Soka University

Collaborative Writing Projects
As Academic Advising
By Patricia A. Acone.
Scheduled for presentation at ACJS, Spring 2002.

Copyright: Jeanne Curran and Susan R. Takata and Pat Acone: November 2001.
"Fair use" encouraged.

Members Present:Thesis Project Meeting: November 9, 2001
Members Present: Pat Acone, Jaime Shepherd, jeanne, and Marlene Boykin.
Topics:

• SBS B-325. The Dear Habermas, Moot Court office.
• Topic and Literature Review for Pat's Thesis Project.

Notes:

• Topic: Pat's thesis project was roughly outlined when we began the November Thesis Project. On Thursday we discussed how Pat will tie all of our thesis projects into a coherent whole by conceptually linking them. Pat will be responsible for turning out the Overall Dear Habermas Writing Project Report at the end of the semester.

• Statement of the Problem: Pat's research and reading over the years have led to here understanding of the integral role that advising plays in academic achievement and success. The academic advisor is frequently the only one who takes the time to listen in good faith to the student's issues and fears.

  We are all pretty much agreed that students' writing has been neglected, not just at the university level, but also as part of their academic preparation. That is often the result of poor prior training for their teachers and of class sizes that do not permit adequate time and facilities for providing the practice skills requisite to writing.

  Pat's project will include training for advanced and graduate students on active listening and support for writing skills. The student writing advisors will operate out of the Dear Habermas office, SBS-B325 and will specialize in developing the skill of disciplined writing. Dear Habermas will post both the training materials and the report of our experiences so that others may have access to them.

  Pat's inclusion of academic advising as writing support has been added to her thesis project because we found that our undergraduates wanted to share in the November Writing Project, too.

  Pat's original thesis work is on the coordination of collaborative academic work, and to that end she will continue to coordinate the writing projects for The November Writing Project.

• Methods and Procedures:

  Curriculum design in collaborative thesis project meetings. This will result in training manuals and forms to guide those who will take part in the Academic Writing Project.

  Marlene Boykin worked as a tutor for CLASS last year and will contribute her expertise from that program to our efforts in Academic Writing. Marlene and Pat will keep, as part of this thesis project, a journal of the issues and our attempted solutions.

  We will collect both quantitative data on the amount and kind of writing, and the number of students participating. We will also create a qualitative data bank of written materials for later analysis. And we will ask our Academic Writing Advisors to keep journals on their experience of the project.

  Students who take part in the writing project will be consulted throughout the program for feedback on what is needed to fit their needs, as they perceive them. (Paulo Freire and Peter McLaren)

• Review of Literature:

  See earlier review.

  In addition these notes from thesis project meetings last week will be helpful:

  Each of us shared ideas and references on the review of litrature. Darby has Marx on feudalism and the shift to capitalism. jeanne has Gonzalez on the commodification of land in th colonial setting. Collaborative writing means having sessions like this where we can exchange theoretical ideas and help each other.

  The primary focus of the review of literature will cover:

  • Colonialism, post-colonialism. Edward Said, Frant Fanon, Gayatri Spivak, etc.

  • Alterity and the Other, including Edward Said's analyses of literature and the complicity of cultures in not permitting awareness of colonialism. This section will focus on the complicity of denial and how we can overcome that denial. The establishment of this network is meant to help in that process.

  • Transforming Discourse. Here we will examine theoretically the praxis of how to overcome our willingness "not to know" as well as our assumptions that we "know."