The Charles A. Frueauff Foundation in Little Rock, AR recently approved a $25,000 grant in support of Millsaps’ First-Year Writing Feedback Project, an initiative that unites faculty and student peer consultants in guiding first-year student writing development.
A liberal arts education, as its title indicates, allows students to study a varied field of subjects. What brings them all together, then, is writing: no matter the field, students learn to write compelling synopses, arguments, and analyses of the subjects they study. As a liberal arts college, Millsaps takes pride in honing its students’ writing capabilities and strives to meet opportunities for growth.
In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the lives of students at all levels, especially those of high school students just beginning their college preparations. As these students begin their undergraduate experiences, they may express apprehension regarding extensive written work. Funding from the Frueauff Foundation will support Millsaps’ plan to meet these students where they are.
Faculty and student peer consultants at Millsaps’ Center for Academic Success and Excellence (CASE) will begin researching and developing forms of feedback that encourage student engagement. These feedback tools will foster students’ writerly growth and fortify students’ confidence in their writing. As students, student peer consultants, and faculty embark on this project, first-years will begin their Millsaps experience with frequent reflection on the importance of writing.
This project is a natural companion to the CASE Center, also supported by the Frueauff Foundation. The Foundation has given over $1 million towards Millsaps’ curriculum and infrastructure development, the Center for Career Education, and the Millsaps-Wilson library.