OCA Creative Writing: Goodbye from your Programme Leader

After twelve years as a creative writing tutor, and ten years as course programme leader, I’ll be leaving OCA this month.

When I first joined the organisation, the higher education sector and indeed the world was a very different place. In 2013 we had not imagined things like Covid, and OCA was the only organisation offering a single honours online creative writing degree. Other universities have latched on to the idea of remote teaching since we had lockdown, but OCA had a long tradition of it.

As programme leader I was given autonomy to make some changes that enriched the course. These included widening the choice of specialisms students could take, and our Stage 2 students get a chance to try their hand at things like Narrative Journalism or Writing for Children and Teens/YA that are rarely on offer in other universities. We can do this because of the expertise and knowledge of the tutor team. It’s been a personal commitment of mine that students are only tutored by those who are published experts in their field: so if you study Writing for Children then you will be taught by a published children’s author, if you opt for poetry then your tutor will be a published poet, and if you choose screenwriting then you will only be tutored by one of our excellent screenwriters with their extensive industry experience. I know other institutions do not always have this commitment. Our final Stage 3 unit enables students to think about their next steps with their writing, which for many students is an important way of achieving their publication goals.

At OCA we have a global and diverse student body, and your experience also brings new perspectives to the course. One of the things we’ve tried hard to do is ensure our course remains fully accessible, and that all exercises and assignments are achievable whatever your circumstances. We’ve also worked hard in recent years to introduce a much more diverse reading list and examples within the course materials, so that we’re no longer reliant on the ‘pale, male and stale’ resources that have stultified so many students in other established writing courses.

I wanted to write this post to thank everyone I’ve worked with and all the lovely students who have made my job such a pleasure. The course has gone down in OCA history as the only one ever to achieve a 100% student satisfaction rate in the NSS! That’s down to a wonderful, professional and caring tutor team, and also to the hardworking and dedicated students who are often juggling all sorts of work, caring, health and other issues to gain their degree. I am so proud to know you all. When I start my new role, heading a face-to-face creative writing programme, I will take with me many lessons learned from you.

As we wait to hear about a replacement, I will leave you in the safe hands of programme tutors Gerry Ryan and Suzannah Evans Furnass and the tutor team. And I wish everyone the best of luck in their studies and future writing.