Advisory board spends day with Writing Department

Members of the Writing Program Advisory Board, a group of professionals in the community, visited campus March 23 and met with students and faculty members, visited classes, reviewed curricular goals and shared feedback. It was their inaugural visit.

The board was established last fall by writing faculty members Laurence Jose and Dauvan Mulally, using a Career Center internship grant. Jose said the mission of the board is part of the Writing Department's larger commitment to build relationships with the community and offer quality internship experiences to students.

Current board members are Erin Bernhard, managing editor of The Awesome Mitten and digital strategist at Oneupweb; Robyn Gordon, lead technical writer for JR Automation Technologies; Mara Naselli, freelance writer and editor; Pamela Patton, owner of Paragraph Writing Service; and Meahgan Pear, director of marketing for Beene Garter.

Bernhard said she was eager to join the advisory board because of the Awesome Mitten’s long-standing relationship with the department’s internship program.

“I've so enjoyed my interactions with writing students over the years, and I wanted to become more involved in shaping their education,” said Bernhard.

Bernhard said she hopes her presence on the board will help students to understand that they don’t have to know exactly what they want to do with their lives based on their years in college. 

“I am a strong proponent of allowing yourself to stay open to every possibility,” said Bernhard. “I want to make sure that the students who feel unsure about their paths start feeling sure about not having one. Staying flexible is critical, especially in this industry and job market.”

Jose said the department’s goal is to expand the board further and diversify the professional writing areas represented.