By Jesse Dunsmore & Brendan Losinski

Senior Reporter & Staff Intern

Oakland University’s writers may have reason to think a littler harder about their major.

Earlier this year, it was announced that Rhetoric would break off from Rhetoric, Communications, and Journalism to become its own department: Writing and Rhetoric.

The decision came from Professor Ronald Sudol, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Teaching rhetoric for 30 years, Sudol always believed writing had to become more influential at OU.

“All that time it seemed like it needed its own department,” Sudol said.

By the Winter 2009 semester, Writing and Rhetoric will appear as a fully independent department on campus. Plans are currently to include a major and a minor program.

No graduate program will be offered by the winter of 2009, however, it is being considered by some as a possible addition in the future.

Marshall Kitchens is the department’s recommendation for chair and Sudol plans to announce his appointment later this month.

“By creating its own department, we’ll be able to put more resources into it,” Kitchens said. “Everyone I’ve talked to has been very enthusiastic.”

Among the changes that Kitchens said could come to the department is the creation of three tracks for the major: Writing for a profession, such as science writing; writing for new media, such as audio and video technology; and writing as a discipline, which would involve preparation for writing on a graduate level.

Kitchens also said that some of the changes also being considered are greater incorporation of writing into other majors, like physics and math.

“When students come to Oakland they have to transition in,” Sudol said. “We’re trying to make that experience different from anything they’ve ever had.”

“We believe writing should be used in every course[because] it provides a better mechanism to gauge how well a student learns,” he said.

“No one ever says we should have less writing,” said Sudol, noting the positive overall reaction.

He also said Communications and Journalism are pleased they will be able to focus more on their specific subjects now.

Some English courses are being pulled into Writing and Rhetoric, but English too, according to Sudol, the English department will be able to concentrate more on subjects like creative writing, teaching, and film,as well as their Master’s program.