U of W will offer new writing program

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This article was published 05/09/2017 (2950 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Students, grads and community members alike can head back into the classroom this fall to beef up their writing skills.

The University of Winnipeg recently announced a new writing certificate aimed to help students improve their writing skills in a variety of areas, including technical writing as well as creative.

Associate professor in the department of rhetoric, writing and communication Jennifer Clary-Lemon helped design the certificate, which is 30 credit hours.

“It’s like a degree or diploma, so you graduate with a certificate in writing,” Clary-Lemon said.

“The idea is that students would gain additional knowledge in different genres: revision practice, editing and style, and by attending to those different genres, they would get a chance to develop some expertise in a variety of types of writing, so both academic and non-academic.”

The course is meant for students already attending the U of W, who know they would like to develop their writing skills, but it’s also meant to cater to those who are already working and may not have had the opportunity to focus on writing during their degree.

“This is for non-degree seeking students, a graduated professional, someone who has been working in government but an additional credential might enable them to move upwards, or a high school grad who didn’t want a degree but wants to hone knowledge in writing practice, as well as any student seeking a degree,” Clary-Lemon explained.

There are only a handful of similar programs throughout Canada, and Clary-Lemon says the U of W was uniquely poised to offer one here in Winnipeg, thanks to the expertise already present in the rhetoric department.

“The department of rhetoric, writing and communication is one of the only of its kind in Canada, so it has a certain critical mass of faculty with the expertise to develop courses specifically about written communication, unlike its counterparts which are often based in English departments,” she said.

But it doesn’t mean the certificate won’t offer more creative-based writing practices as well. All of these skills are important to an employer, Clary-Lemon said.

“In employment-speak, verbal and written communication are considered soft skills,” she said. “Employers always respond to soft skills being the most important in their employees, and there are few opportunities for folks to go out and hone those skills.”

The courses will be offered as regular university courses and potential students can apply and find more information at uwinnipeg.ca