WSU's writing program is ranked among those of Stanford, Yale, Purdue and Harvard, according to the 2010 "America's Best Colleges" edition of U.S. News and World Reports, in the "Writing in the Disciplines" category. The colleges highlighted in the category "typically make the writing process a priority at all levels of instruction and across the curriculum," according to the magazine's website. Writing Program Co-director Lisa Johnson-Shull said being selected by USNWR "feels great; it's very satisfying to have your work nationally recognized. It's nice to know that the work we invest here every day is noticed – but (the recognition) is not why we do it."

A primary emphasis of WSU's writing program is engaging students across all areas of academic discipline, Writing Program Co-director Diane Kelly-Riley said. "(As a student) you need to learn the particular skills according to your field of study," Johnson-Shull said. "For example, scientists like things short, sweet, and accurate, while English majors love lots of words."

That's why WSU's writing program has avoided being associated with the English department, Pat Johnson, a co-coordinator in the Undergraduate Writing Center, said. Many college students think of writing as something they only need to worry about if they want to be poets or teachers.

On the same note, Johnson-Shull said writing skills are of paramount importance regardless of a student's field of study. Ultimately, the goal of the writing program is to enable students to gradute and get jobs, she said.

The Junior Writing Portfolio plays a significant role in the writing program's cross-disciplinary emphasis. "I realize the problem we face – most students don't like the writing portfolio," Johnson said. "But students should realize that everyone benefits from the portfolio." He said the portfolio ensures that every student who graduates from WSU has a certain level of competency in writing. In turn, it gives a diploma from WSU more value, since the person holding the diploma has proved to have writing skills, he said.

The philosophy of the writing program has always been to "make better writers, not better writing," Johnson said. According to handout from the Writing Center – the tutoring leg of the writing program – tutors are willing to talk with students about general and specific ways to improve writing. However, the tutors will become a student's personal editor.

Lana Stromberger, a tutor at the Writing Center, said the focus of the writing program isn't on improving individual assignments but on improving the overall abilities of the writer.

WSU's writing program started in the 1980s when the school began to hear complaints from a number of major employers across the state that its graduates were poor writers, Kelly-Riley said. Some Washington state schools chose to respond by implementing writing programs, and WSU was one of them, she said.

"I think our program's nomination is something every WSU student can be proud of," Johnson said. "The ranking was done alphabetically - so we like to think we're ahead of Yale."

The Writing Center is located in CUE 403 and is open from 9 a.m to 5 p.m Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday.