Nasty But Predictable

I was trying to write a post about the new Department of Writing and Rhetoric. It started off with this sentence: “One of the challenges of writing this blog is to not sound like a broken record. This is especially difficult because UCF administrators keep acting like broken records.”

As I was working on this sentence, a reader forwarded to me an email written by UCF English Professor Elizabeth Wardle (it’s boring, but hang in there):

A message to all members of Writing-About-Writing

I am writing to let you all know that yesterday the English Department at UCF officially learned that as of July 1 we will have a brand new Department of Writing and Rhetoric, and an infusion of $1.7 million of new money to replace all composition adjunct and visiting lines with permanent faculty over the next four years. The new money will also begin a brand new WAC program, which will also be phased in over four years.

We will begin with 7 tenured rhet/comp faculty, and hire six more over the next few years. Three of these will be program directors—Director of Composition, Director of WAC, and Director of the Writing Center. All three of these programs will be part of and funded through the new department.

The new department will also be innovating new BA, MA, and certificate programs related to writing.

This is a presidential initiative, and a direct result of assessment of our new WAW curriculum. I presented our assessment results to the President's Council over Spring Break, and ended with a vision for how to build on this foundation through a vertical curriculum. The president listened, and this is the result.

Of course now is a difficult time, as people in English are very upset about the change and uncertain about their futures. Some of the reaction is very nasty but predictable (see the UCF Love [sic] Money blog for an example). But the impact on students will be extremely positive, we have the president's full support, and I could not be more excited.

So, Elizabeth, I’m wondering: what does Hitt’s ass taste like? Now, that was a nasty reaction (I re-read all the comments about the split, and they were pretty mild).

Putting aside your tender sensibilities for a moment, Elizabeth, I would contend that because a counter-argument is “predictable” doesn’t mean the argument is wrong. Perhaps, the response was both predictable and justified.

Anyway, I’ve got a homework assignment for you, Dr. Wardle. Please explain why writing and rhetoric can’t be taught within the existing English Department. Why is it necessary to spend so much additional money to have a separate department?

I am flattered that you take the time to read and tell others about my blog, and with some top notch rhetoric and composition you could convince me that this time is different; that this time UCF won’t be wasting money on something stupid.

Show me a little bit of what students will be getting for 1.7 million bucks.