Students in the Learning Services Program are all enrolled in the same section of the freshman College Writing course. Ed McCarthy, a former counselor in the ASC's Writing Lab, has extensive experience in writing at AU and in College Writing. Ed has weekly individual meetings with LSP students to help them along every stage of the writing process. Initial brainstorming, formulation of thesis, outlining, topic sentences, transitions, grammar, and final fine-tuning are topics that are addressed throughout the semester.  

Though these meetings are designed to accomplish specific assignments for College Writing, Ed is cognizant of the writing that will be expected of students during their tenure at AU. He therefore incorporates various broader strategies so that students are well prepared for future writing-intensive classes.  

Ed, currently a student in AU's MFA in Creative Writing program, was a high school teacher for nine years. He takes pleasure in applying his experience in teaching writing to his work at the college level, and he thoroughly enjoys the one-on-one interaction he has with the students.