MU’s Campus Writing Program has appointed Amy Lannin, an assistant teaching professor in English education, as its new director.
The goal of CPW is to approve and provide support for writing intensive courses. The program also offers faculty development opportunities to enhance student learning as well as researches methods to incorporate writing across the curriculum.
The director search committee, chaired by music education professor Wendy Sims, recommended Lannin. Jim Spain, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies, then officially appointed Lannin to the position.
“We chose Dr. Lannin because of her experiences teaching writing intensive courses successfully, her teaching and research areas in writing across the curriculum, her experience administrating the MU’s National Writing Project grant and her ability to work well with others,” Sims said.
Spain said he was glad to appoint Lannin to the position.
“The Campus Writing Program serves an important role in the general education of all students at MU,” he said. “The intent was to find the very best candidate available for our position. In the end, we concluded that the best individual to serve here as the director is Dr. Amy Lannin.”
Lannin has been at MU as a graduate research and teaching assistant since 2001. Since 2007, she has served as associate director of the Missouri Writing Project, designed to improve the teaching and learning of writing. Lannin is a recipient of multiple instructing awards, including MU’s Excellence in Advising and the 2010 MU College of Education Graduate Instructor of the Year Awards.
“I am very honored to be appointed to the position,” Lannin said. “It’s certainly a big job and I’m aware of both the national and international reputation of this writing program. I will take it very seriously.”
Lannin said she has no specific plans for CPW as of yet.
“As I get to know more of the faculty and (CPW) board, we’ll establish projects and goals,” she said. “This is very much a faculty program.”
Although Lannin is not short on ideas.
“One thing we would like is for the university to see us and call on us to help,” she said. “We want our motto to be, ‘Please bother us.’ We want people to stop by and ask us for help. One of my first goals will be to elevate our presence.”
Lannin said writing is especially important in education.
“Sometimes the only way to figure something out is by sitting down and writing it,” Lannin said. “We as teachers need to see how we can use writing as a thinking tool. We want to see people who are effective communicators and understand what it takes to write well in each discipline.”
Lannin will replace Jeff Rice, who has accepted an endowed chair at the University of Kentucky. Rice said he was concerned that Lannin was not tenured.
“To be tenured gives you the ability to argue with people who are of equal professional status as you and not having that tenure may give you less respect and credibility,” he said.
Lannin said she doesn’t think this will cause any problems.
“I have had positive working relationships with faculty on campus,” she said. “It is about the quality of the work that we do and the mutual respect that we bring to our work.”
With confidence, Lannin’s outlook for the position remains clear.
“I will approach this position with a commitment to excellence,” she said. “I am working for and with outstanding people, at a university that I support, and all for (the) exemplary education of our students.”