Academic Writers as Interdisciplinary Agents in the University Access Programme

Abstract

The paper reports on academic writers as interdisciplinary agents in the University Access Programme (UAP). Among the many challenges, UAP students experience is academic writing. Due to student assignment performance in the first semester of 2022, the sociology module coordinator identified challenges students experience in sociology, particularly in the first year of study. Identified academic writing challenging matters in this regard refers to paragraph construction, referencing and/or citing, and paraphrasing. The challenges mentioned above seem to be addressed in one developmental module (academic literacy) students undertake. With that in mind, our students seem to treat modules in isolation. The academic literacy module teaches students how to reference, paragraph construction, and paraphrase. However, when students engage with modules like sociology, they seem not to apply what was taught in academic literacy. This paper reports on the important role academic writers play in assisting students in academic writing matters via a boot camp (refresher camp) conducted for students. The boot camp's focus was assisting sociology students with academic writing in preparation for their final assignment. Data were gathered from students via written feedback and evaluation of the boot camp. The results from the university gradebook indicated significant improvement in assignment writing matters; this improvement was also expressed in students’ feedback.