Beyond the page: Beyond the page: Retired director continues support of UWG’s First-Year Writing Program | Education

At the heart of this legacy is Martha Ann Saunders, who served as director of the First-Year Writing program in the 1980s and whose vision laid the foundation for scholarly pursuits that stand the test of time. Due in large part to Saunders’ service and support, the program is a cornerstone of academic excellence at UWG.

“Our program centers on two goals: focusing on concrete skills and developing soft skills that students often need help cultivating,” said Bonnie Jett, director of UWG’s First-Year Writing program. “Our ultimate goal is that students who take these courses become better writers and emerge as critical thinkers. We prepare students to navigate a culture of media oversaturation, emphasizing information literacy as a critical skill.”

The program fosters a holistic approach to education as many first-year writing courses teach college basics like note-taking, annotations and other concepts that may be new to first-year students.

“We recognized that most of our students come from diverse backgrounds; as such, many struggle with the sense that they don’t belong or won’t be able to succeed,” explained Jett. “That fixed mindset often leads to a lack of student engagement. Our faculty addresses this early in our first-year writing courses, foregrounding growth and purpose mindset principles that we can always adapt to new situations.”

As the…