Group items tagged

Article in NCTE's Forum by Nicole Caswell, Jackie Grutsch McKinney, and Rebecca Jackson, "A Glimpse into the Working Lives of New Writing Center Directors." pp. A3-7. This issue of Forum focuses on "Issues about Part-Time and Contingent Faculty." Vol. 18.1 (Fall 2014). Access on the NCTE site is limited to NCTE members, but readers may have access through institutional libraries with databases of online publications. Article focuses on who does the work of directing and what work do new directors perform.

The goal of the WPA Census is to create an online database that would serve as a first stop for people to find answers to questions that come up often in writing program administration practice and research.  The WPA Census embodies the idea that the administrative work of WPAs, WCDs, and WAC directors is scholarship. By ultimately providing these directors with a database that catalogs and organizes the diversity of writing programs, the Census will allow researchers to analyze macro- and micro-trends in the landscape of US institutions.

From Praxis: "University of Northern Colorado Writing Center Director Julie Garbus reflects on her transition from consultant to professor and administrator. My experience at the Undergraduate Writing Center (UWC) at the University of Texas at Austin definitely got me my job, a tenure-track position as assistant professor of English and director of the Writing Center at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC)."

Do directors also spend time offering one-on-one writing assistance?

discussing how one gains the experience necessary to become a wc director

discussing how directors find or recruit applicants for peer tutoring positions see also: http://lyris.ttu.edu/read/messages?id=2776226

An example of the University of Montana Writing Center's Annual Report (2014-2015 academic year). The purpose of this report is to showcase for administrators the scope of our work as well as make visible a handful of the Writing Center's programs that reach across the curriculum. Authored by Kelly Webster, Director of the Writing Center.

a discussion of where directors' private spaces are located within the center see also: http://lyris.ttu.edu/read/messages?id=19637347

An extensive, detailed, widely viewed YouTube video on writing a literature review, by the Assoc. Director of the Writing Center at Texas A&M University

a discussion of among directors who have hired tutors with ASD

see also: http://lyris.ttu.edu/read/messages?id=24251331

"Birthing a Writing Lab" (advice for new directors starting brand new labs); "The Writing Laboratory at William Carey College: A Tutorial Approach"; mailing list

discussing how to handle a situation in which a staff comes appointed by a graduate department rather than hired by the WC director

This video presents a workshop in which Dr. Monique Akassi, Director of Morgan State University's Writing Center, teaches students to code switch and code mix from Ebonics to English. Dr. Akassi stresses how code switching and mixing can help students write in English and incorporate both languages in their writing.

This open-access book is a collection of twenty-two articles provides practical information on establishing a writing center and monitoring its daily operation. Born of the practical experiences and theoretical insights of editor Pam (Farrell) Childers, it addresses "problems and frustrations, shares successes and failures, and offers suggestions. In general, it addresses the issue of establishing and maintaining a successful high school writing lab/center. It also provides college and university writing lab/center directors with insight into what the high schools are doing." The Table of Contents is listed on this page, and the whole book is free to download through the WAC Clearninghouse link provided here.

crowdsourcing a list of resources on WCs and student learning/retention; research on cost-effectiveness; individual reports from directors that demonstrate value of WCs see also a discussion on writing centers and grade improvement: http://lyris.ttu.edu/read/messages?id=18268126

a discussion of how to best approach training veteran tutors when one is a new director (changing policies, new training, etc.)

job descriptions/policies governing grad students as assistant directors

book announcement, report on grammar workbooks, report on faculty outreach; "Questions Which Need Answers," a questionnaire for directors covering scope of writing labs, staff, problems, materials, financing, details of operation, evaluation; mailing list