David Bartholomae’s article, “Inventing the University” discusses how college students strive to connect to the academic community by imitating the scholarly language to which they have been exposed. The article is meant to address teachers/professors who are hindering students by not fully exposing them to different types of language that would allow them to improve their writing. In addition, students attempt to “build bridges” between his/her own voice as well as to the intended audience’s by identifying common ground before introducing more controversial topics where they are able to share their individualized opinion. Bartholomae states that is it seemingly difficult for college level students to emulate the voice of highly regarded academic scholars and researchers in their writing pieces which is why he urges them to involve themselves in the academic community and rid themselves of their amatuer, unsophisticated status. Bartholomae states that when students engage themselves in the writings of experts and can understand what is being written, they will accurately be able to write as experts themselves.
Although Bartholomae’s piece is still relevant thirty years subsequent, universities have changed and discourse communities/academic discourse have evolved. Despite this, Bartholomae’s article is still a timeless piece of work with “staying power” that allows it to be used for many generations of students. It is still important for students to tailor their writing to a targeted audience while still maintaining their own voice. On the other hand, communication methods and forms of social media are constantly changing and advancing which contributes to the relevance of “Inventing the University.” The formality of language that is required for writing a text to a friend varies drastically from that needed to write a paper for an esteemed professor. Regardless, both have the element of invention in their way of speaking. It still holds true that writing should be used as a learning mechanism for both the reader as well as the writer. In Bartholomae’s interview with John Schilb he states, “Every time a student sits down to write for us, he has to invent the university for the occasion—invent the university, that is, or a branch of it, like history or anthropology or economics or English. I know that I was determined not to use scare quotes with either “invent” or “university.” I assumed the reference would be read as ironic, whether I bracketed the words or not, but I didn’t want to invite or insist on or authorize this distance between practice and expectation, or between the institution and the individual. So I wrote it straight, knowing that the construction was odd” (268). This depicts exactly what the point of Bartholomae’s essay is; students have to invent the university for the circumstance they are in despite what they might believe is irregular.
As a first year college student I am being encouraged to explore beyond the academic approaches of high school. My pre-college writing experiences were extremely methodized in their structure and content expectations. My high school strongly emboldened the four/five paragraph essays encompassing an introduction, conclusion and three body paragraphs. During my first week of college I have already learned that strictly methodical, standard high school writing is not what professors desire. I do not yet know what I am interested in studying, therefore I have to immerse myself in many different academic communities in order to fully understand the types of writing that are necessary in each. My goal for my four years at University of Richmond is to invent the university in my own personalized fashion while maintaining a scholarly voice and preserving academic prowess.
Bartholomae, David. “Inventing the University.” Journal of Basic Writing 5.1 (1986): 4-23.
Schilb, John, and David Bartholomae. “Reconsiderations: “Inventing the University” at 25: An Interview with David Bartholomae.” College English 73.3 (2011): 260-82.
