Re: turf problems

[cph@wiley.csusb.edu (Carol Haviland)]

Pete/Deany:

Pete's illustration reminds me of how often I forget to apply the advice I
give others:  "You can't do everything directly or as quickly as you'd
like."  I would have made the same move Pete did--talking to someone with
whom he already had worked successfully who might be able to talk with the
person with whom he'd been unsuccessful.  Many links just can't be direct.
It may be that as this new instructor continues to see patterns in his
students' writing, recognizes that he too can't do it alone, and hears
others of his colleagues speaking favorably about their students and the WC,
he may revise his initial use.  This is neither direct nor immediate--and
Pete is right--sometimes it does rain--like today in So California, but it's
only the sixth or seventh time since last winter.

Carol
>
>Deany, 
>
>I have one I am willing to share publically and then another I will 
>send you directly.  This one is fairly simple. About a year or two 
>ago, I returned from class to find an Econ prof harrassing the WC 
>secretary about some student's paper.  I intervened and we went into 
>my office to discuss the problem.  He put in front of me an upper 
>division Econ paper marked all over with his bright red felt-tipped 
>pen.  Curiously the largest majority of his markings (he was 
>basically editing every sentence) came after the first two pages. He 
>started to rant that the student had worked with the tutor but that 
>the paper "still had all these errors."   I was able to produce a 
>drop-in form on which the tutor had been very specific (thank 
>goodness) about what she had done during the session. I quote: 
>"Worked on thesis and organization; student was also able to add a 
>few needed examples; started on surface errors but did not get far, 
>maybe the first page; pointed out that student had more errors and 
>should make an appointment to work on them."  I then pointed out to 
>the econ prof that the student never came back.  When we checked the 
>date of the drop in slip, it was the day before the assignment was 
>due.  Still, he was not satisfied.  He kept asking me why the tutor 
>was working on things other than errors.  I explained the typical WC 
>philosophy of how we work.  He went away still rather disgruntled. I 
>was somewhat worried because we have generally a good relationship 
>with econ.  They ask me to make a presentation in their dept. every 
>fall.  I called the chair (an old crony of mine from a couple of 
>different univ. committees and discussed the matter).  This fac. 
>member was fairly new (second year).  The chair assured me he would 
>get the fac member to my next presentation.  The fac. member did show 
>up but I have not seen his students in the Center, while many other 
>econ students come.  How would I have done things differently? I 
>don't know.  I did what I could.  I just resigned myself to the fact 
>that you win some, you lose some, some are rained out.  I would be 
>interested to hear what others think.
>
>Pete
>
>Pete Carino
>Department of English
>Indiana State University
>Terre Haute, IN 47809
>ejcarino@root.indstate.edu
>
>