Mina P. Shaughnessy - Carnegie Foundation Grant and Director of The Writing Program

Carnegie Foundation Grant and Director of The Writing Program

In 1972-73 school year Shaughnessy was awarded a Carnegie Foundation grant to research and create “a report on the writing problems of disadvantaged students” (122). The duties of the directorship of the SEEK program went to another for a year as she did “more work,” and worked “better and faster than most humans” (136). This sabbatical was eventually extended for another year. Throughout this time she continued meeting with the SEEK faculty and collaborating with them to put together a report of her findings. Her persistence and hard work paid off when she was promoted to Assistant Professor after much resistance, as well as praise and support, from other faculty. She became director of City College’s Writing Program in 1973.

In her reports on her findings during this time, Shaughnessy worked hard against some stereotypes of basic writing students, revealing that low-income white students make up about two-thirds of the Open Admissions freshmen with below-80 high school averages. She placed much of the responsibility for this lack in skills and education of these basic writers on the teachers and school systems, emphasizing the need for the humility of teachers to learn from their students and create pedagogy that responds to their needs.

Shaughnessy also chaired many panels, conducted an Open Admissions seminar at the Conference on College Composition and Communication, and led many other activities to promote basic writing, including creating a bibliography of articles addressing basic writing.

Returning to teaching and continuing to work on a book she would later publish, Errors and Expectations, left her with little time to spend outside of the basic writing field. She did have some family concerns which needed her attention, however. Her father’s arthritis worsened and her mother suffered several angina attacks and died in 1974. A close friend also died during this period.