The Inside Scoop:
Professors' Words of Wisdom
All writing
instructors work hard to assess writing according to universally accepted
criteria. Columbia College English professors are no exception. You can
read a description of those criteria at Philosphy
of Grading: What is an "A" Paper?
While we
agree on the general characteristics of good writing, readers can differ
in their opinions about the weight individual characteristics of a paper
should bear during the evaluation process. Because we believe that writers
should endeavor to know their audience as well as possible, we hope that
the insights on these pages will help students better understand the
concerns of their primary audience for class papers: their professors.
The English
faculty at Columbia College has over 300 years of combined teaching experience.
We have learned what mistakes students tend to make, and we are happy
to help future students avoid making the same mistakes.
Of course,
the context for each specific writing assignment will, to a great extent,
determine how it is evaluated. In addition to reading the comments on
these pages, student writers should always read carefully the writing
assignment handed out by the professor. In most cases, it will contain
specific information about how that assignment will be evaluated.
Dr.
Michael Broome
Professor of English
Chair, Department of English
Ms. Claudia Brinson
Senior Lecturer of English
Dr. Christine Hait
Professor of English
Dr. Melissa Heidari
Associate Professor of English
Director of Women's Studies
Ms. Calley Hornbuckle
Visiting Lecturer of English
Dr.
Charles Israel
Professor of English
Dr. Maria LaMonaca
Associate Professor of English
Dr.
Sandra O’Neal
Professor of English
