"Nearly all the highly successful people I have observed over a long period, regardless of their professions, are clear and persuasive communicators in writing. It seems to be a common thread."
Roger '57 and Joyce Lutz Howe '57 of Cincinnati have given a $10.5 million gift designed to make Miami the nation's best university at teaching undergraduates how to write. The importance of good writing has long been recognized by Roger, retired chairman and CEO of U.S. Precision Lens, and Joyce, an artist. They have a history of supporting efforts to enhance writing, including a previous $1.8 million gift that established the Roger and Joyce Howe Professorship in Written Communication. "For some years we have been concerned that too many college graduates, although impressively educated in most areas, cannot express themselves well in writing," Roger Howe said. "Nearly all the highly successful people I have observed over a long period, regardless of their professions, are clear and persuasive communicators in writing. It seems to be a common thread." Miami President David Hodge praised the gift and the importance of writing in his October 2006 inaugural address: "Good writing is an active endeavor. While a primary goal is to ensure that our students can express themselves clearly and persuasively, writing is also a primary vehicle by which we learn." The Howes' gift creates the Roger and Joyce Howe Center for Writing Excellence, where faculty can learn about incorporating writing into their areas of expertise and students can improve their writing skills. Emerging from a faculty-initiated project that began seven years ago, the program already encourages writing in all courses, gives grants to particular departmental writing initiatives, and helps faculty use writing effectively in their courses. The Howes, who were honored in October at a dinner that capped a day of writing sessions and activities for faculty and students, want the center's results to be measurable - and its success to be on a national level. With that in mind, an advisory board has been formed with highly regarded writing experts included. Jayne Whitehead, vice president for University Advancement, acknowledges the gift is the latest in a long history of commitment to Miami from the Howes, the parents of two Miami graduates, Edwin '89 and Karen Howe Gingold '83, and Mary, a graduate of Bowling Green State University. Roger Howe served on Miami's business advisory council 1977-79, was a member of the steering committee for the Campaign for Miami 1990-95, is a member of the current campaign, For Love and Honor, steering committee, and serves on that effort's corporate gifts committee. His nine-year appointment on Miami's board of trustees culminated in a three-year term as chair. "This incredible commitment from the Howes helps create a culture of writing excellence that will prove to be transformative for Miami University," Whitehead said. Provost Jeffrey Herbst said the center will help faculty
improve the writing and learning process by: Hodge said the work of Kate Ronald, who has held the Howe Professorship in Written Communication almost since its inception 15 years ago, shows that an initiative that provides support for both faculty and students can bring about great results. Paul Anderson, director of the Howe Center for Writing Excellence, couldn't agree more. He recognizes Miami has the "terrific potential for transforming higher education. When a student is writing, he or she begins to pursue ideas at a deeper level. Writing is the best way to think critically." The Howes established three goals for the new center - to measurably improve the writing skills of all Miami students, to foster a love of writing that is a central and extremely valuable aspect of their college education, and to distinguish Miami as a university known for producing graduates who are excellent communicators in writing. For more about the Roger and Joyce Howe Center for Writing Excellence, visit www.muohio.edu/write.
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