Jennifer Alberico, Chair, Writing Sub-Group

As Chair of the Writing Sub-Group, a branch of the Arts and Humanities Committee, Jennifer Alberico strives to support faculty in their quest to help CCV students develop solid writing skills. “With reading habits on the decline, and writing skills as difficult as ever to hone, ensuring that students get all of the support, instruction, and guidance they need is a never-ending task. Skills need to be developed and practiced across time and so another important role of the writing sub-group is to keep issues of writing alive in the minds of students, faculty, and staff,” she says.

Jennifer’s interest in writing led her to become involved in the training and support of faculty who teach CCV’s capstone course, Seminar in Educational Inquiry. In this course, students are assessed on their writing and critical thinking skills to ensure they meet the VSC graduation standards. Jennifer firmly believes that students will have a greater shot at success in this course if their skills are developed all along and not just in this capstone.

The CCV community supports this view. When members of the General Education Task Force were asked to define the greatest needs of students now and in the future, good writing skills were on the top of the list. This opinion extends to the greater CCV community as well. It’s widely known that employers are looking to hire people with transferable skills, and writing is one of the most important.

Having earned a bachelor’s degree in art history and a master’s in English literature, Jen is happy to coordinate English and Communications courses online and in the Springfield site, where she counsels a number of advisees. When not working, Jennifer also plays in the arts and this past spring presented a paper on the use of language in Stephen King’s novel Lisey’s Story at the Popular Culture Association Conference in San Francisco.