Running head: WRITING IN THE DISCIPLINES

Writing in the Disciplines:

Why Higher Education Should Introduce Subject-Specific Writing Courses
Kristen Martin
Nevada State College

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2
Abstract

In this paper I will discuss the benefits of Writing in the Disciplines programs and how these programs
can impact student success. I will discuss benefits such as higher qualifications in the job market and
consequently, student ability to pay off student loans quickly. I will also discuss how having loans
effects a student's ability to make large purchases such as a house. I will also share the results of my
voluntary, anonymous survey conducted here at Nevada State College in addition to other sources.

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Writing in the Sciences:

Why Higher Education Should Introduce Subject-Specific Writing Courses

Throughout high school, students will take at least four total English courses to gradually
prepare them for college writing. Most of these four years will be spent learning how to write in
MLA format, reading books and writing a thesis-driven response to them, and that generally, the use
of large words may in fact trick your teacher into thinking you actually read the material.
Unfortunately, many students find that most of the tools they will now use in college were never
taught during their high school career. This is particularly true for science undergraduates. Many will
never experience APA format prior to their first semester of college, nor will they ever write another
response to literature. For many science undergraduates, it can be overwhelming to basically start
over. However, colleges are arguably just as bad as high schools when it comes to preparing students
for writing in the future. Science undergraduates have little experience in basic English courses when
it comes to writing research papers and proposals, and almost never receive experience writing
collaboratively. This means that as students complete their degrees and continue onto careers or
graduate school, they will have very little skills to aid in their success as a scientific writer. And as the
competition for post-graduation careers continues to increase, more students are finding themselves
not only without work, but without skills to give them a competitive edge in the job market. With
tuition hikes becoming a very scary reality, many students will graduate with even more debt than
they had originally planned for. These tuition hikes are being implemented across the country,
especially in California's already expensive UC system. But without course specific classes and
adequate teaching of skills, how can students expect enjoy a fruitful career, pay off student debt, and
feel truly comfortable as a new graduate. For these reasons and many more, the United States needs

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to take a hard look at the quality of education provided for hefty price tag. Colleges and Universities
everywhere need to seriously consider implementing courses for Writing in the Disciplines.
For many students college is just another step to take, the next turn in the road. Students feel
that they are well-prepared for college after spending four years in high school. Many students fill
their schedules with college-level (AP) classes to get a jump start on their college careers. While
AP courses are without a doubt more difficult than regular courses, they are not always preparing
students for a college career. While MLA format is typically the only writing format taught in high
school, students typically write in APA format in college. Even advanced and AP courses do not
teach students APA format even though students in these courses are more likely to attend college.
Because high schools are not properly preparing students for college writing, students are required
to take basic English courses that cover basic things like APA format the should have been taught in
high school. This setback is one of the main reasons that colleges do not offer major-specific
courses. However, many students receive much more practice writing in APA format their first
semester than most colleges take into account. Humanities courses are arguably more familiar to
traditional students because they follow a course plan similar to that of high school english courses.
Students are assigned novels and corresponding papers in which they will write a thesis-driven
argument about some aspect of the novel. The familiarity of a humanities course in college makes it
easier for students to learn APA format because they already know what is expected of them, they
simply need to learn a new formatting style. With humanities courses accounted for, students are
taking approximately four entry-level courses that require APA formatting. If writing in the
disciplines courses were offered, the humanities courses could bridge the gap in formatting and
students would be prepared to enter a subject-specific course. I conducted an anonymous student
survey to gain a better understanding of how students at Nevada State College feel about Writing in
the Sciences, specifically. I surveyed both my English 102 and Biology 197 peers. The first question,

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"Do you believe that current English requirements and curriculum are properly preparing you for
your career or graduate school?" was a close split with 8 of the 18 respondents answering yes while
the other 10 answered no. The second question was a free response, asking respondents to explain
their choice in the previous question. Many students who answered yes stated something along the
lines of "it would help me with my career" and those who answer no typically said it was because it
had nothing to do with their career. However, one respondent who answered 'yes' stated, "Writing
papers is what graduate schools are all about" and I found it interesting that they were the only one
who named that reason, specifically. The third question asked whether or not the respondent was a
science undergraduate, 13 of the 18 respondents were and 5 were not. The next question asked "Do
you feel comfortable writing research papers and research proposals?" where 7 respondents
answered 'yes', 2 answered a firm 'no', and 9 answered 'sometimes, but I could use more help in the
subject'. This data is what makes the next set of data more interesting. The following question asked
students whether or not they had ever experienced collaborative writing. Only 3 students answered
'yes' while 15 answered 'no'. Collaborative writing is arguably one of the most important aspects of
scientific writing, yet 7 respondents answered that they were comfortable with research papers even
though only 3 respondents had ever actually experienced any collaborative writing. This leads me to
believe that students may not be
aware that they will have to write as a
team to create a research paper in the
future. The next question asked, If

If NSC were to offer a series of Writing in the

Sciences courses to replace current English
requirements (101 and 102) that focused
specifically on writing research proposals, papers,
and collaborative writing, how likely would you be
to sign up for Writ

NSC were to offer a series of Writing

Very Unlikely -5.6%

in the Sciences courses to replace

Unlikely - 11.1%
Undecided - 16.7%

current English requirements (101

Likely - 50%

and 102) that focused specifically on

Very Likely - 16.7%

Figure 1

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writing research proposals, papers, and collaborative writing, how likely would you be to sign up for
Writing in the Sciences?" Please refer to Figure 1 for results.
During my interview with Biology professor Dr. Sigel, he told me that our current English
courses to not properly prepare undergraduates for careers in science or for graduate school.
Professor Sigel told me that the first time he ever wrote a research paper collaboratively was after he
reached graduate school. Dr. Sigel stated that one of the hardest things for him was learning to be
completely comfortable with peers constantly reading and editing his work. This skill is vital to
success in a scientific career because in the academic world, almost all research papers are written by
multiple authors. Students rarely seek help with writing from peers on their own and peer review
class sessions have some of the lowest attendance rates of the semester. Science undergraduates
generally do not think about collaborative writing and peer review as such an important aspect of
their careers. All undergraduates need to be able to meet criticism with an understanding that it is
meant to improve the author rather than a personal attack. Science undergraduates in particular need
to be able to take a detached approach when reading a peer review and they also need to be able to
give constructive criticism without worrying about the reaction of the author. For these
reasons, Writing in the Sciences is arguably the most important of subject for Writing in the Disciplines.
Scientific writing is drastically different from curriculum taught in basic English courses, more so
than any other subject. This includes both hard- and soft-sciences. Biology and psychology may
seem very different, but in the end they both require knowledge of research and collaborative
writing. Writing in the Sciences would help develop confidence, formatting, and collaborative writing
skills sooner, giving students the chance to simply improve skills as opposed to building them from
scratch. In The Journal of College Science Teaching, Birol stated that, "engaging students with scientific
writing early in their undergraduate studies is important to develop and enhance their writing skills"
(Birol, 2013, p. 82). While learning writing basics in a standard English course is important, Sampson

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and Clark (2006) determined that "students need to learn how the scientific community uses
arguments in order to construct knowledge and the criteria for what makes a good argument in
science" (p. 659). Learning these extra skills early in an undergraduate program is incredibly
important and will give students extra knowledge to succeed in future courses. For many students,
this means students would be likely to achieve higher grades and ultimately, a higher GPA.
As entry-level post-graduation jobs become more and more scarce, students are having an
increasingly difficult time repaying student debt. The number of students with debt and the average
student debt varies by state. Project on Student Debt, a website, has gathered demographical
information about the percentage of students in debt and the average amount of debt, and organized
it by state. New Hampshire holds the title for highest average debt at $32,795 and the greatest
percentage of students with debt at 76%. The state with the lowest average debt was New Mexico at
a still-staggering $18,656 per student while Nevada holds the title for the lowest percentage of
students with debt at 43%. The average national student debt is $26,421 per student and the average
percentage of students with debt is 61%. As a whole, total student debt has surpassed $1 trillion and
14 million students already hold educational debt. With almost two-thirds of all students carrying an
average of a house down-payment, the competition is heating up for high paying degree-based jobs.
The reality of paying off student debt is frightening, but less frightening than the more complicated
implications of having student debt. In the article Denied? The Impact of Student Debt on the Ability to
Buy a House by Jen Mishory, Mishory discusses the little-known issue of home ownership with other
debt. She discusses the Federal Housing Administration Guideline of 29/41, the measurement of
debt-to-income ratio. This ratio actually refers to two separate calculations: the first is the "front-end
ratio" and the second is the "back-end ratio". The front-end ratio refers to how much home-buyers
spend on housing divided by their total income. Mishory defines the front-end ratio, stating
that "the total housing spending includes the monthly mortgage payment, taxes, hazard insurance,

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mortgage insurance, and homeowners dues. For example, a couple who spends $850 a month on
mortgage payments and other housing costs and earns $3,000 per month in income. The DTI
would be $850/$3,000=28.3% - within the FHA guidelines for a new home" (Mishory, p. 4).
Initially, this may seem fine but upon further inspection of the back-end ratio which includes loans
and credit card debt, our young graduates may be in trouble. "Lets say the same household above
also had credit card and student loan debt, and spends $50 on minimum credit card payments and
$300 a month on student loans. The back end ratio would now equal ($850 + $350)/$3,000 = 40%"
(Mishory, p. 4). This means that they would barely miss the cut off mark of 41%. Unfortunately, an
unexpected financial difficulty could put them over the edge, rendering them ineligible. Without
high-paying jobs, graduates will not be able to keep their back-end ratio under 41% and they will not
have the right to home-ownership. However, if schools began implementing Writing in the
Disciplines courses, students would have an extra boost on their job applications. More extensive
experience writing in their career would set them apart from other applicants and give them the
small push they need to beat out the competition. Extra resume padding is invaluable and students
need all they can get to be competitive in today's job market. Many students will graduate with debt
that they are generally unprepared to repay, but Writing in the Disciplines has great potential to not only
prepare graduates for the work force, but actually aide them in finding work after graduation. With a
higher paying job and a smaller chance of unemployment, graduates will find themselves able to pay
off excess debt and qualify as first-time homebuyers.
Writing in the Disciplines is vital to undergraduate success, not only for academic endeavors,
but for personal goals as well. As Writing in the Disciplines students continue along their degree path,
they will have the tools they need to achieve a higher over-all GPA, making them a stronger
applicant for both graduate school and jobs, Writing in the Disciplines allows students to gain adequate
knowledge writing in their discipline and can set them apart from other job applicants. As Writing in

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the Disciplines students graduate and apply for jobs, their extra writing experience will make them
more valuable to employers and more likely to land a job that requires their specific Bachelor's
degree. This means that these students will generally make more money than students who are not
working in their degree field. Higher income means that these students will be capable of paying off
students loans faster and with fewer consequences as opposed to students who did not
complete Writing in the Disciplines. Lower debt allows students to make other large, lifelong purchases
such as houses without great difficulty or consequences. Current policies and student debt
collaborate, making college incredibly difficult to recover from financially. Students in their early
twenties are finding themselves with more debt than they had ever imagined they would have.
Tuition hikes are creating a dangerous situation for many students who decided to go to college after
crunching numbers and deciding if their calculated debt would be manageable or not. These
students are finding themselves facing more debt than they had ever originally imagined, and
without any added benefits to the education they are currently receiving. With tuition hikes looming
in the near future, Writing in the Disciplines is more important now than ever before. Students need an
upper-hand in our competitive job market if they ever want to recover from student debt. Without
degree-specific writing programs, undergraduate students will not have the tools they need to
succeed in graduate school or life after college.

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References

Birol, G., Fox, J., & Welsh, A. (2013). Impact of a First-Year Seminar in Science on Student Writing
and Argumentation. Journal of College Science Teaching, 43(1), 82-90. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
Yule, J., Wolf, W., & Young, N. (2010). Emphasizing the "Literacy" in "Scientific Literacy": A
Concise Blueprint for Integrating Writing into Biology Classes. Bioscene, 15-21.