Writing & Public Discourse

Writing about what matters. Having the courage and conviction to speak up and speak out. These are hallmarks of what it means to learn and study at Smith College, and to live a life as an engaged global citizen who is ready to address society’s challenges. Thanks to a dedicated faculty and staff, and supported by prestigious foundations, Smith is transforming how we teach students to write across courses, disciplines, programs and events, with public discourse at the center. Students don’t just practice writing in the classroom, they get a chance to put their ideas into action and make a difference in the world.

Read more about the program in the Winter 2022 issue of the Smith Alumnae Quarterly. 

Taking Initiative

Thanks to nearly $1.6 million in funding, since 2019 Smith has embarked on writing and public discourse initiatives that will continue through 2022 and beyond. These initiatives involve every level of the college, from revising and developing individual courses, to bringing on new faculty members, training faculty in a Writing Enriched Curriculum, and infusing the college at an institutional level with a philosophy that puts writing and public discourse at the forefront.

Learn More About Smith's Writing Enriched Curriculum

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Writing in Service of Public Discourse

This prestigious grant is funding visiting assistant professors who also write for the mainstream press, as well as a robust set of innovative courses with public discourse writing at their center.

Calderwood Seminars in Public Writing

Modeled after courses started by David Lindauer at Wellesley College, these capstone seminars translate disciplinary knowledge to broad audiences, letting students fully explore how to use their voices to effect change.

Writing Enriched Curriculum Supported by the Davis Educational Foundation

This grant supports departments in rethinking their writing curricula to make them more public-facing, a process grounded in the model developed at the University of Minnesota.

“This seminar has had such a profound effect on how I view myself as a scholar and the avenues open to me as an English major, as I now no longer shrink away from job postings with the word ‘journalism’ or ‘writing’ in them.”
Student from a Calderwood Seminar

Featured Projects

Introduction to the Study of Women and Gender

Utilizing Smith’s archival resources, students in SWG 150 created podcasts addressing the post-Roe crisis in abortion care, reproductive justice and bodily autonomy. Instructor: Kelly Anderson, Study of Women & Gender

Archival photo of women marching for reproductive rights

Food for Thought

Incorporating images, sound and video, students in Chinese 352 authored multimedia articles themed around health and wellness. Instructor: Lu Yu, East Asia Languages & Cultures
 


 

An aerial image of people reaching across a table filled with platters of food.

The Plath Conservatory

In a Spring 2023 Anthropology course, Smith College students gathered together to investigate the possibility that conservatories are relevant to our understanding of the human condition, focusing on Sylvia Plath’s (‘55) botanical encounters at Lyman in the 1950s. Instructor: Colin Hoag, Anthropology

Plath Poster

Religious Diversity of Northampton

This project, undertaken by students at Smith College and Professor David J. Howlett, investigates that diversity by featuring eight religious communities in Northampton, Massachusetts. Read the student research about each site and its place within its wider religious tradition.  Instructor: David J. Howlett, Religion
 


 

Real-World Writing

Smith students express insightful opinions based on compelling evidence and strong argument. They regularly publish articles in mainstream media outlets and scholarly journals, either independently or with faculty. The Jacobson Center provides editorial guidance.

Ideas That Resonate

Read More on the Smith Public Voices Website

“Students’ writing improved dramatically over the semester. Their growing ability to convey relatively complex sociological content in clear prose impressed me. Their ability to edit and workshop each other’s writing also improved. ... The sense of community and mutual respect in the class was palpable.”
Nancy Whittier, Professor of Sociology

“My Words Could Help Others”

Juliet Schulman-Hall ’22 discusses her experience in a Calderwood Seminar—and how working on everything from film reviews to scholarly articles helped her reach her full writing potential. She has now started a career in journalism at a nonprofit news organization.

Ambitious Projects. Positive Impacts.

Of Note Smith Writes The Amplify Program Journalism Concentration The Narratives Project Celebrating Collaborations WordSmith: Alumnae Authors Voices & Visions Journal
“I feel as if this course filled a gap in my skill set and education that I didn’t quite realize I had: how to articulate (for myself, but then for a larger audience) exactly why my thoughts and ideas are important.”
Student from a Calderwood Seminar

Associated Faculty

Directors

Julio Alves  
Director of the Jacobson Center

MJ Wraga  
Professor of Psychology

Hélène Visentin  
Associate Dean of the Faculty; Professor of French Studies

Writing & Public Discourse Committee Members

Julio Alves, Director of the Jacobson Center; co-chair  
Sara Eddy, Assistant Director of the Jacobson Center  
Travis Grandy, Associate Director of Learning, Research and Technology  
Jennifer Joyce, Dean of the First-Year Class
Liz Klarich, Associate Professor of Anthropology 
Katwiwa Mule, Professor of World Literatures ; CAP representative 
Camille Washington-Ottombre, Associate Professor of Environmental Science & Policy
MJ Wraga, Professor of Psychology; co-chair

Calderwood Seminar Instructors

Marnie Anderson, Professor of History 
Carrie Baker, Professor of the Study of Women & Gender 
Sergey Glebov, Professor of History
Suzanne Gottschang, Professor of Anthropology and of East Asian Studies 
Benita Jackson, Professor of Psychology 
Barbara Kellum, Professor of Art 
Daphne Lamothe, Professor of Africana Studies 
Dana Leibsohn, Alice Pratt Brown Professor of Art 
Tom Roberts, Assistant Professor of Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies 
Julianna Tymoczko, Professor of Mathematics & Statistics 
Camille Washington-Ottombre, Associate Professor of Environmental Science & Policy 
Nancy Whittier, Sophia Smith Professor and Professor of Sociology 
MJ Wraga, Professor of Psychology 
Melissa Yates, Mellon Visiting Assistant Professor of Public Discourse in the Disciplines: Philosophy

Contact Writing & Public Discourse Initiatives

Seelye Hall 307
Smith College
Northampton, MA 01063

Email: jalves@smith.edu

To share ideas or questions about Smith’s Writing & Public Discourse Initiatives, please contact Julio Alves at the Jacobson Center for Writing, Teaching & Learning.