NSU Horizons Spring 2012

25 HORIZONS At NSU since 2006, when the master’s degree in writing program began, Bruce has worked tirelessly to help the program and its students succeed, but she is quick to share credit for the program’s success. She worked with faculty members to revise the curriculum, and she has organized numerous work- shops for students, faculty members, and the community. Sessions with working writers help the students learn what options are available to them. “It is unique to offer students a great variety of writing courses,” she said of NSU’s program. “Students have the opportu- nity to learn about creative and professional writing without getting pigeonholed into one specialty too soon. They also gain a strong, academic foundation in rhetoric, grammar, history of the English language, and research methods. “I enjoy encouraging students to take a variety of courses, so they can nd those areas in which they excel and those that challenge them to learn and grow in ways they did not expect. I would like to see more of our graduate students becoming professionally active by presenting at conferences, working as writing tutors, and getting their work published.” Dedicated to Undergraduates Bruce also is dedicated to the undergraduate writing program, working with the writing faculty members to revise the composition curriculum and create a meaningful assess- ment process. She has brought in outstanding scholars to conduct development workshops for faculty members. She is most proud of working with the administration to secure and redesign multiple computer classrooms for writing courses. “These classrooms directly affect the level of instruction that can be provided to students on campus each day,” she said. “Making sure faculty members and students have the resources they need is of the utmost importance. I am pleased with the way the college supports writing. My colleagues are wonderful. They are dedicated to student learning and are active scholars,” Bruce added. Marlisa Santos, Ph.D., director/associate professor in the Division of Humanities, believes Bruce’s infectious passion and genuine concern for student success makes her an ideal role model. “Shanti Bruce’s breadth of positive in uence extends from our incoming rst-year students in composition courses to our graduate students in the master’s degree in writing program. She has boundless energy and dedication to her teaching and serves the Division of Humanities and the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences in innumerable ways,” she said. Students agree. Graduate student Andra Liwag was enrolled in Bruce’s graduate research methods class and quickly discovered that her initial apprehension about research was unwarranted. “Dr. Bruce taught it in a way that was interactive, enjoyable, and incredibly informative. I never knew how fascinating the qualitative side of research could be until this class, and I especially enjoyed how she helped each of us tailor a project speci c to our interests. I ended up learning skills that will last a lifetime and research techniques that will easily cross over into any future project, ranging from crafting ctional novels to my work in public relations,” said Liwag, who also serves as an associate director in NSU’s Of ce of Public Affairs. While she enjoys mentoring graduate students and working with her colleagues, Bruce has a special place in her heart for students taking freshman composition. “I really love to work with freshmen writers. Composition is my area and my passion. At the beginning of every semester, I encounter students who say, ‘I don’t like to write,’ and ‘I can’t write.’ If I can help them to understand that writing is a process—that writing is rewriting—and if I can help them gain the skills and con dence they need to be able to say, ‘I can do this,’ and ‘I like this,’ then I have succeeded. For me, that’s what it’s all about.” Shanti Bruce encourages students to take a variety of writing courses.