Professional Writing Course Creates Content for Meredith Intranet

Students in Meredith College’s ENG 358: Professional Writing course spent the semester doing more than traditional writing assignments—they helped shape the future of Meredith’s intranet.

Professor of English Rebecca Duncan’s class partnered with the Meredith intranet team to develop student-written content for MyMeredith 2.0, the college’s internal website. The project gave students hands-on experience writing digital content while contributing directly to campus communication and community building.

Once MyMeredith 2.0 launched, the intranet team wanted to expand content for internal audiences. That goal aligned with the objectives of ENG 358, a course that attracts students from a wide range of majors, including nutrition, pre-law, and the sciences.

“Our graduates will have skills in writing digital content in virtually any profession,” Duncan said. “This project seemed like a natural fit for the class and a great opportunity to involve students in meaningful campus work.”

Duncan said she was inspired by the chance to show students a new writing style and to connect coursework to real-world applications. Writing for an internal “client” added relevance and motivation to the assignments, she said, and departments across campus were receptive to the students’ ideas.

“I love a new adventure, and I love for students to push themselves into new writing situations. It was great that the students’ ideas were well-received and supported.”

Travis Benson, the Meredith Intranet Coordinator, praised the partnership and emphasized the value of student involvement in campus systems.

“The opportunity for students to complete coursework that directly contributes to both their own campus experience and that of other students is incredibly exciting,” said Benson. 

Benson is looking forward to the continued partnership between students and the intranet team. 

“My vision for the intranet is for it to become a hub for the daily Meredith experience. By centralizing communication, we can address challenges that come from having information spread across too many platforms.”

Students in the course said the project challenged them to rethink how they write. 

Perla Gerez Hernández, ’26, said creating content for the intranet pushed her beyond academic writing and into a more accessible, audience-focused style.

“I enjoyed stepping out of my academic writing voice to make content that was more appealing to casual readers,” she said. “It was shocking to realize how much work goes into simplifying ideas so they become accessible to the audience that needs them.”

Gerez Hernández said she sees the intranet as a future space for community-building, where students, faculty, and staff can share more than just announcements.

“The Intranet gives us the opportunity to share thoughts, ideas, experiences, and processes in ways that better resonate with our community,” she said. Students are able to provide meaningful insight about their experiences, and they can bring a fresh perspective that engages other students.”

As Meredith continues to expand the intranet, the ENG 358 collaboration highlights how student voices and professional writing skills can play a central role in shaping campus communication.