WcORD: The WLN Writing Center Online Resource Database

From Praxis: "The warm glow of a computer screen can never replace face-to-face training courses, workshops, or advice from colleagues. But electronic training resources can be engaging supplements; they give us perspectives from outside the walls of our own centers, and they let us move at our own pace through training activities."

The Writing Space was developed by Elizabeth Busekrus. Missouri Baptist University Writing Coaches post prompts in the hopes of creating a conversation between students and the coaches. She has written an essay about this project in WLN Sept. Oct. 2014 titled "The Writing Space: A Forum for the Technological Age."

From Praxis: "The notion that writing is a constantly negotiated activity with no clear-cut right or wrong answers may be a cliché among writing center professionals, but among undergraduate tutors, especially newly hired ones, it can be an earthshaking realization."

From Praxis: "The Merciless Grammarian spews his wrath on nasty problems of grammar, mechanics, and style."

From Praxis: "Welcome to Praxis: A Writing Center Journal. We are a new publication devoted to the interests of writing consultants: labor issues, writing center news, training, consultant initiatives, and scholarship. Because this is a publication whose first issue's theme is "Who We Are," introductions are in order."

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)."

From Praxis: "Former university writing consultant Michael Erard has made a living as a writer and writing consultant outside the university. He shares his wisdom about the challenges and advantages of consulting in the wild. You don't need to be in a university-based writing center to do the writer-centered, process-positive, and culture-sensitive work of a writing consultant."

From Praxis: "Writing centers are feeling the effects of budget reductions across higher education nationwide. Like other student services that don't offer credits or produce revenue, writing centers are particularly vulnerable to budget cuts. Community colleges, four-year colleges, and universities across the country are asking writing centers to make hard choices- choices that will affect consultant hiring, pay, and benefits as well as hours of operation, services, technological resources, and administration."

From Praxis: "California community colleges were especially hard hit by higher education funding cuts. Diane Putnam explains that those cuts are profoundly affecting the Cabrillo College Writing Center, its students, and its tutors. A year ago, the Writing Center at Cabrillo College in Aptos, California was at the top of its game."

From Praxis: "The Merciless Grammarian spews his wrath on nasty problems of grammar, mechanics, and style."

Kristin Cole at the University of Texas at Austin and Sue Mendelsohn at the University of Texas at Austin discuss the use of rhetoric in consulting sessions.

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.

This site is designed to help new attendees at the Computers and Writing Conference feel welcome. You will find materials for first-time attendees and for mentors. It has Facebook groups and pages, plus mail  discussion lists.

This spreadsheet presents the years that over 1,000 writing center were founded. It may be of interest to those doing historical research. You'll note that the spreadsheet lists about 3,000 centers in total, many of which don't have founding years listed. If you know of a founding date that's missing, please submit it here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1CAMEiTQaiAUCDG5s7ImJVtfbHpvuPtVvS0tjq7rmRA4/viewform. And if you'd like to see some data visualizations of these dates, visit https://suemendelsohn.wordpress.com/.

Excelsior College created a virtual online writing lab. 

Kyle Bell's "Multiliteracy Memes" was published in the Fall 2014 issue of the student journal Tutors.

SUNY Plattsburgh's Jonathon Martinez sits down with Tom Halford to chat about writing tutoring. Martinez talks about learning to speak English fluently as a child, and he explains why he wanted to become a writing tutor.

John Martinez's "Tutoing Podcast" was published in the Fall 2014 student journal Tutors.

Jennifer L. Haden's "Avoid the Awkward Silence: Tips for Creating Conversation and Getting Students Involved in Tutoring Sessions" was published in the Fall 2014 issue of the student journal Tutors.

M. Blake Reichenbach is a writing consultant at Bellarmine University's Writing Center. He delivers a witty monologue about the connections between working at a trendy Mexican restaurant and consulting a fellow student during a tutoring session.

M. Blake Reichenbach - "Making Tacos, Saving Grades" is a short monologue that was published in the Fall 2014 issue of the student journal Tutors.

Allie Squires's "How to Get Off Topic and Still Save Your Essay in One Tutoring Session or Less" was published in the Fall 2014 issue of the student journal Tutors.