Dedicated centre to enhance student writing skills at UL

IN the era of the text, email and twitter, the University of Limerick is working to ensure that students develop their writing skills.

And a good “hand” with the pen can be a big advantage in the world of hi-tech business, according to the Research Writing Centre at the University of Limerick.

The centre is dedicated to enhancing the quality of student academic writing and bring teachers, scholars and academics interested in the development of academic writing in higher education together to raise awareness of the issue.

UL president Professor Don Barry said: “In this age of texting and instant messaging, now more than ever, students seeking employment need to be able to write clearly and appropriately in a variety of different contexts. It is vital that students have the ability to express themselves in a professional manner.”

Lawrence Cleary, research officer with the Regional Writing Centre at UL, said employers have always highlighted writing skills as a key issue with Irish graduates.

He said: “The establishment of the first writing centre in the Irish state here at UL has made a significant impact on the skills of our graduates. Our graduate employment rate is 8% above average and supports such as this play an important role in helping our graduates progress in their careers.”

UL student Lisa Breford said writing skills gave many benefits to students.

“For those just starting university, the transition into academic writing can be a real challenge,” she said. “The instructions for writing assignments are not always clear, and this formal kind of writing is not natural for most students. It has little relationship to the writing done for the Leaving Certificate, for instance. At university, we are required to argue, using reason and logic. We are required to be formal and objective and to back the conclusions that we come to with reliable, valid evidence.” Professor Sarah Moore, associate vice-president academic at UL, explains: “UL has developed leading expertise in the area of academic writing skills for students and, as we move to broaden the curriculum at UL, the work of the UL Writing Centre will be crucial to our focus on core transferable skills of which writing is an essential part.

“The hosting of this EATAW international conference is enormously timely and appropriate”.

The European Association for the Teaching of Academic Writing (EATAW) is a scholarly forum which seeks to bring together those involved or interested in the teaching, tutoring, research, administration and development of academic writing in higher education in Europe.