History of the Writing Arts Department

Rowan’s dedication to writing is proved by its focus on writing through its Writing Arts classes and major. However, even before the Writing Arts department formerly existed, Rowan supported writing in groundbreaking ways. 

​Rowan University was first called Glassboro Normal School, which opened in 1923. Its support of writing began only sixteen years later, with the start of the school newspaper The Whit. The Whit, which still exists today and recently produced a special centennial edition, started in March of 1939, while President Bunce was head of the university. The Whit is a school newspaper whose informative purpose has remained constant since 1939. 
There were other early writing organizations on campus as well. For example, Avant Literary Magazine’s first issue was created in 1960. Avant is still in existence, and recently released their Fall Semester 2022 edition on October 9th, 2023. Another example is the publication Venue, founded in 1967. Venue was a student-opinion magazine on campus that ran from 1979 until 2012. 

Photo Credit: Cecilia Combs

However, writing soon began to be embraced on a level outside campus-level publications. In 1966, six faculty members split from the English department to create another department. This department is unique because it’s focused on writing instead of literature. The man behind this was George Reinfeld. Reinfeld’s dream was to create a separate department to focus on writing and journalism. The faculty members who came with him in this venture were John Collins, Sam Duryee, Mary Anne Palladino, Glen Thomas, and Allan Weinberg. Information about this split is found in the 50th Anniversary video of the School of Communications, here. During this time, this division was called the Division of Liberal Arts and Sciences. However, the communication aspects of this were bigger than the rest of the division. Eventually, the communications aspect had so many students enrolled and was such a big program it had to separate. It transformed into the Department of Communications. 

The communications department initially housed five specializations: Communication Studies, Journalism and Creative Writing, College Composition and Rhetoric, Radio Television and Film, and Public Relations, as explained by Professor Ron Block and Dr. Libro during their personal interviews. A major goal for College Composition and Rhetoric was to handle teaching the Composition I and II classes, and educate the entire campus. This was a huge task — and at some points they even needed help from the English department.

Photo Credit: Cecilia Combs

​This department was positively received by academics at conferences, as well as boasting high enrollment status. The effectiveness of their department was proved in 1980. In 1980, the State Board of Higher Education designated the Department of Communications as a Program of Distinction. This was a high honor, and continued to positively affect the department’s reputation and enrollment. 

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In 1992 Rowan received its generous and historically significant donation from Mr. Henry Rowan. Because of this, Glassboro State college then became Rowan University. The shift from college to university had rippling effects that were felt all over the expanding campus. 

During July of 1996, the Board of Trustees voted and unanimously decided to evolve the Department of Communications into School of Communications. This changed the specializations into departments. Dr. Antionette “Toni” Libro was appointed dean of the school. Toni Dr. Libro described these changes as “technical terms” that still reflects “the development and growth” of the communications school as a whole. 

The Ric Edelman College of Communication and Creative Arts start as the Department of Communication is crucial. Because the college started as a department, it meant the faculty and courses used to be intimately connected. When a department becomes a school, it becomes harder to work together because departments are so specialized. 

Linda Bateman described her own time while the school was a department, stating, “We had a lot of flexibility in courses we taught and could cross what are now department lines easily. For instance, after only a semester of teaching College Comp I, I began teaching an advertising course, publication layout and design and College Comp I or II, eventually spending several years teaching Advertising and related courses without teaching CC. I was advisor to the Ad Club…” Because of the communication school's roots as a department, there is a history of collaboration between all of the departments. Dr. Antoinette Libro and Linda Bateman both described that there was a shift when the departments separated, and and that interdepartmental connectivity was harder to maintain. However, as Libro recounted, the relationships and bonds still persist from that era. Because of this, the school is strengthened by its earlier traditions of community.  

​Along with being dean during the time of this transition, Dr. Libro also contributed in many ways to what would become the Writing Arts program. Dr. Libro oversaw and championed the launch of the Master’s in Writing Arts program in 1999. This was the first master’s program in the School of Communications in over thirty years. The first one was a master's in Public Relations in 1969, created by Professor George Reinfeld and Donald Bagin. This momentous day was celebrated by hosting illustrious speakers. Gay Talese and Barbra Lounsberry attended and spoke at this event. Talese is an international best-selling author, and Barbara Lounsberry was his then-partner in editing an anthology. This event was enjoyable and impactful to both the new graduate students, and the undergraduate students as well. The Master’s in Writing Arts program by far succeeded the creators expectations, and became very successful in enrollment. In 2002, the first international students joined the Master’s in Writing Arts Program. 

Photo Credit: Cecilia Combs

Also in 2002, Rowan was chosen as a site for the National Writing Project. This was a huge honor and meant that Rowan would be hosting writing conferences in the summer and winter. The goal of this was to inform educators about teaching writing. More information about this can be found here.

The years between 2004 and 2005 were huge for what would become the Writing Arts department. To begin, in 2004 the Composition of Composition and Rhetoric was awarded the Conference on College Composition and Communication’s (CCCC)’s Writing Program Certificate of Excellence. Around this time as well, is when the departments began to be restructured. The Journalism department split from the Department of Journalism and Creative Writing. The Creative Writing specialization, now merged with the College Composition and Rhetoric department in 2005. This brought clubs Venue and Avant into the new department. It was at this point that the Writing Arts department as we know it was created.

​There had already been a focus and interest in creative writing. Writing Children’s Stories and Creative Writing I were hugely popular. This is discussed in Writing Arts intern BriAnna Sankley’s article, “Top 3 Writing Arts Classes: Makes them So Memorable?”, which reveals that Writing Children’s Stories and Creative Writing I are still the most popular classes on campus. College Composition I and II, which were a hallmark of the department, were carried over into the Writing Arts department. New classes began to be formed - chief among them, the Writers’ Mind, a course that Linda Bateman and Dr. Antoinette Libro both acknowledged by name while discussing prominent courses in the major.  

This broadening of the program led to changes in the goals of the courses and instruction. Now, the desired outcome was for an ever broader understanding of writing, according to Dr. Libro. Specialized courses, like Intro the Technical Writing, Biomedical Writing, and Writing for the Workplace were created as well as courses focusing on reactive writing. This makes the Writing Arts classes not only appealing to the fascinated lovers of creative writing, but to any major and individual on campus. 

The accessibility of writing for everyone was furthered in 2009. In 2009, the Writing Center was founded under director Deb Martin. 

​The Writing Arts program has continued to evolve and grow in recent years as well. In 2011, the Glassworks literary magazine was launched. Now Glassworks has a graduate class, an internship, and connections with influential writers. The Writing Arts Club was created in 2018, as confirmed by former president Diana DeSimine. Even this year, 2023, a new writing-themed club Poetic Justice was chartered by the SGA. 

Photo Credit: Poetic Justice

​There are lots of influential and evolving events even besides new clubs. This semester hosted the new class, Worldbuilding taught by Professor Tim Donaldson. This class has never been taught before — and was a huge success. The Spoken Word was introduced as a new special topics class in fall of 2022, and then evolved to a regular class in Spring 2023. This information is confirmed by Mia-Sara King, a former member of the class. and e-board member of Poetic Justice. This summer, the campus hosted their first ever “Writing Arts Career Day". Last semester, the Writing Arts department piloted “Writing Ambassadors Program” led by Dr. Amy Reed, Dr. Jaclyn Partyka. This program saw three Writing Arts majors, Nyds Rivera, Chloe Mortier, and myself talk to CC1 classes about possible Writing Arts classes they could take.  

The Rowan writing program has been constantly evolving since 1966. It continues to evolve and grow now. The only constant is the emphasis and support for writing and creativity within our department. 

Cecilia Combs