Basic writing within the California State University: history, politics, and the Early Start Program

In identifying and discussing the field of basic writing, this thesis explores various facets that make up this discipline of composition studies. Basic writing students and faculty remain the subject of focus as the development of the field's pedagogical strategies throughout the decades are traced. Additionally, the political realm in which basic writing struggles to survive is demonstrated by closely looking at the field within the California State University (CSU), a substantial university system model. Despite CSU faculty and English Council pleas to the Chancellor’s Office and Board of Trustees to approach basic writing from a more pedagogical and less data-driven approach, reducing enrollment and increasing graduation numbers remain the focus of these system administrators. The Early Start Program (EO 1048), the most recent CSU basic writing initiative, and its relationship to the field of basic writing is evaluated to demonstrate that CSU system administrators are failing to effectively bring change to the field and its primary participants—students and faculty. By providing this perspective of basic writing, readers come to understand that this discipline is a complex and critical component of higher education. The historical and political perspectives of basic writing remain inextricably intertwined, demonstrating that since the field’s inception in the early 1970s, its efficacy remains a topic of debate. The CSU opens its doors to basic writing students, yet denies them the educational resources that they need to succeed in college. As proponents for basic writing, it remains our responsibility to guard and support this field, acknowledging that such instruction is deserving of a permanent place within higher education writing curricula.