By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
The Faculty Senate at Bowling Green State University moved to join together units that no one quite remembered the reason for splitting in the first place.
The senate Tuesday voted to merge the General Studies Writing program, which teaches the basic writing courses mostly to first-year students, with the English Department.
After a presentation by Lawrence Coates, who chairs the English Department, and Lee Nickoson, director of General Studies Writing, Rebecca Mancuso, of history, noted she was always “mystified” why the two were separated. The split occurred on 2003.
“Are there any drawbacks?” she asked of the merger.
Only a need for a larger meeting room, said Nickoson. Offices for both units are on the second floor of East Hall.
Each unit has about 30 faculty members, Coates said. Faculty members in both units approved the merger.
Coates said that the merger will allow those now teaching in the General Studies Writing to teach courses other than writing. Now even though they may have background in other disciplines within English, they can only teach those courses in special circumstances. “We look forward to having that expertise freed up,” Coates said.
Conversely, it will allow some English Department faculty to teach first year writing, Nickoson said.
As envisioned, the merger will mean that writing courses will be extended throughout the curriculum, and into courses for upperclassmen.
Some administrative changes will be required. These will result in cost savings of a few thousand dollars.
The Board of Trustees will have final approval on the change.
