Rhetoric Associates help students write right
When writing essays, many students find themselves stuck staring at a blank piece of paper. There is a group of Utah State University students to help get the juices flowing.
The Rhetoric Associates (RA) is made up of USU students with good writing skills who help students improve their own writing. Joyce Kinkead, executive director of the program, created it in 1990.
The program has been very successful. Julie Foust, director of the Rhetoric Associates, said she interviews people who apply to be RAs and works with them and with professors to make sure everyone is getting his needs met.
Students usually become RAs by being nominated by professors who notice their excellent writing skills.
“We use students who excel in school,” Foust said. “Typically, RAs have excellent grades and are involved in academic programs that increase their potential for post graduate studies. Many of the students in the RA program came here on
scholarships.”
To be an RA, students are required to attend a seminar in the fall. At the seminar they learn skills of communication. They also learn that the best way to help a student is to not take over his paper, but to give ideas and suggestions. They also try to help students understand what the professor wants.
For the program to work, professors from different departments request RAs. The RAs are then assigned to a class, and the professor explains to them the requirements for the course. There is usually one RA assigned for every 15 students in a class. The RAs then have a week to critique students papers and conference with them before the final draft is due.
“Rhetoric Associates has been a wonderful program. It is great for the university and students who participate in it, a real win-win situation,” Foust said. “Rhetoric Associates provides an important service to the university. [Professors] benefit by having students who are good writers assist others who would like to improve their writing skills.”
Currently, the Rhetoric Associates have been working with the College of Natural Resources and the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. Foust said one of their goals is to expand the program and make it available to all of the colleges at USU. They want more students to have an opportunity to receive help.
Another thing they want to do is increase the opportunity for students who want to become RAs. Being an RA gives students more knowledge and experience about writing and communication and becomes an excellent reference on personal résumés and applications to graduate school.
“Most students feel RAs are great, and professors see a difference in student’s writing for those who have had an RA as opposed to those who haven’t,” Foust said.
Jarod Younker, a rhetoric associate, said when he gets a paper he reads it over, looks at composition, and tries to brainstorm with the student. With one paper he received, he noticed the student did not answer the assignment. Younker set up a conference with the person and tried to help him focus his paper on what the professor wanted. He outlined what the student was supposed to do, what examples he could use, and how to compare and contrast the topic. He said the student left happy.
“My lead RA came up to me later and said he came across the student on campus and he said he was really excited to write the paper,” Younker said. “A freshman excited to write a paper is definitely something new.”
One reason Younker decided to become an RA was to help incoming students. He said a lot of incoming freshmen have a weak background in writing and are not at a college level.
“We work with undergraduate and graduate students to improve their writing level so they can compete in college and in jobs later in life,” he said. “I know with my own career I have to do a lot of writing. I imagine I will have to do even more in graduate school.”
The Rhetoric Associates encourage people who are interested and have good writing skills to apply. One way to apply is on the Rhetoric Associates Web site. Students applying will need to follow the instructions on the Web site and turn in a sample of their writing with the application form. It helps when students have a recommendation from a professor. For more information on the Rhetoric Associates, go to www.hass.usu.edu/~rhetoric or e-mail jfoust@english.usu.edu.
-erina@cc.usu.edu