Acclimating to Academia

"Gateway" Course Opens Pathway
to Academic Success

This fall, the Harvard Extension School's Undergraduate Degree Programs added a course, EXPO E-25 Introduction to Academic Writing and Critical Reading, to help students develop the analytical thinking and writing skills they need to succeed in college-level work. Students are required to complete this course successfully in order to be admitted to the Associate in Arts (AA) or Bachelor of Liberal Arts (ALB) Programs.

Instructor Lisa A. Ratmansky with student Gerard P. Charlot

According to Suzanne Spreadbury, Director of Undergraduate Degree Programs, the goal was to lay a foundation for--to provide a "gateway" to--future academic success. "Students kept telling us that they lacked confidence in their abilities, that they feared they had been away from school for too long, and that they had never learned these 'mysterious academic skills' in the first place," said Spreadbury. "We tried to respond to their needs." She explained that many students acquired these critical skills by the time they had completed several courses, but the undergraduate advisers felt it was important that students attain this foundation at the very start of their studies. The advisers also wanted to foster a sense of community among potential AA and ALB candidates at the outset of their academic careers. Because of the size and heterogeneity of the student body, degree candidates often do not know many of their classmates until graduation day.

Instructor Jennifer Klein Morrison

Originally the Extension School offered only one section of EXPO E-25 during the fall term. It filled within the first few weeks of registration in August, and a second section was added. Currently 124 students are enrolled. The instructors, Jennifer Klein Morrison, Assistant Professor of English at Regis College, and Lisa A. Ratmansky, Preceptor in Expository Writing at Harvard, worked with Suzanne Spreadbury and Kerry Walk, Director of Writing Programs, to develop the course and plan a syllabus "The long-range goal," Morrison explained, "is to help students develop a variety of argumentative, structural, and stylistic strategies so that they can approach any writing situation, whether academic or not, with confidence."

The students enrolled in EXPO E-25 have the same goals. In a preliminary survey, many indicated their desire to learn to "sharpen their analytical skills" and to write "with greater precision," "more effectively," or "more coherently." When asked why they were taking the course, practically all of them said, "Because it is required." But they didn't seem particularly unhappy about it. One student wrote, "I would not have considered taking this course unless it was required. However, now that I am enrolled, I am surprised to find myself challenged, fascinated, and becoming aware of how little I actually know about the process of writing." Another explained, "I think that beyond fulfilling the requirement for the ALB, I am searching for comfort in a university environment."

The "gateway" course seems to be serving its intended audience well. Of the 92 students who completed surveys, 87 said they plan to apply for the AA or ALB degree, and roughly half said that EXPO E-25 was their first Harvard Extension School course. "We are pleased with the results so far and hope to attend one or two classes to introduce students to the services offered by the Undergraduate Degree Programs," said Spreadbury. She urges students who are interested in the spring course to register as early as possible and to take the placement test. Registration begins December 8, and the test will be offered on January 14 and 21.