Welcome to the Writing Program!
It’s my pleasure to invite you to the Writing Program’s website. Whether you are a prospective or current student or community member, we are glad you are here!
Because of our small-sized classes, many writing students meet some of their best college friends in our courses. There, students have the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions regarding how texts are produced and their meanings, how to ask probing questions, when and how to use sources in their writing, and how to draw upon their own lived experiences, languages, and cultures to craft inspired and interesting writing that can be either print or audiovisual.
For current students, writing courses teach you to not only be consumers of knowledge, but also creators of it. Although it is important to understand how knowledge is constructed and how we build upon it, our classes teach you how to move your own ideas forward based on your own personal experiences and/or primary or secondary sources. You will learn the tools for writing well, discerning how to find information and understand and weigh its value, while crafting original ideas through a writing process.
You will have expert guides in this endeavor, including your classmates. Faculty come from a wide variety of experiences, academic backgrounds, and artistic abilities. One thing we all share is a passion for teaching and caring for our students. Our faculty members win teaching awards, write scholarly books and articles, write poetry and fiction, and live rich lives. You are in good hands.
We look forward to getting to know you better and thank you for joining our UCSC community!
Warmest regards,
Kimberly Adilia Helmer, Ph.D.
October 2025