Re: An idea for NWCA

[Joan Mullin <jmullin@UOFT02.UTOLEDO.EDU>]

Keep talking! We're listening!
joan

At 10:05 PM 8/5/96 -0500, you wrote:
>
>I agree, the NWCA home page links are great.  I have certainly used them, 
>and enjoyed the serendipity of finding something other than what I 
>initially started looking for.  (Better even than browsing the shelves in 
>the library, because I can do it sitting down with a drink in hand!)
>
>I was thinking that it would also be nice to have all forms of a certain 
>type--such as all syllabi, all evaluations, etc.--be in one place so we 
>didn't have to spend time surfing the web to find them here and there.  
>Plus, many writing centers don't have web pages (I know ours doesn't).  
>Plus some of these things may not appear on the web pages.  I mean, who 
>would post a consultant training manual?  Or a lesson on how to teach 
>listening skills to consultants?  Or end-of-year reports to our deans?  
>Or publicity booksmarks?  (OK, actually, it might be nice to post 
>some of these things, but there may be internal documents we don't 
>really want to post.)
>
>So let's say we each put together a copy of these things, plus a disk 
>with the information on it.  We'd label everything: "training syllabus," 
>"record-of-session form," "consultant manual," etc.  (We might have to 
>decide on categories ahead of time and send out a call for materials.)
>
>NWCA (assuming available staff time & $) could collate packets of 
>photocopies & figure out the cost of copies and mailing per packet.  
>Distribute a list of what's available, with the price.  Then whoever 
>wants to could send in a check for, say, $5.20 for all the collected 
>training syllabi, the NWCA person would slap a label on the packet, and 
>out it would go.
>
>The diskfiles would be posted, also in collections according to what they 
>are, on the NWCA homepage.  We could download from the web, or send email 
>to the listserv ("get syllabi" "get evaluation forms" etc.) and receive 
>within minutes a file of everything collected--for free!
>
>If we wanted to get fancy, someone could collect all the wcenter posts on 
>particularly helpful subjects (open space vs. cubbyholes in the writing 
>center, how to use [or not use] grammar checkers in the center, etc.) 
>and put them in one file on the listserv &/or the homepage.  On the 
>homepage, &/or in the wcenter welcome message, could be a list of what 
>files are available.  Then we could download this information, too.  It 
>would be easier than searching the archives, which are organized by 
>date.  Sure, maybe we'd miss a related post here or there, or some 
>interesting angle wouldn't be included in the collection, but it would 
>still be great to have the info easily at hand.  Especially when you 
>consider that many wctr directors will balk at searching the archives 
>(despite Lady's great directions!).  And those who are new to the list 
>won't necessarily know what to search for.  
>
>This is somewhat like belling the cat--who would be able to do it?  It would 
>involve lots of time, especially in the beginning.  I know _I_ don't have 
>the time, and I don't imagine I'm busier than anyone else.  But wouldn't 
>it be great?  
>
>BTW, Joan, I'll for sure be at the NWCA meeting at CCCC.  It's one of the 
>CCCC events I look forward to each year!
>
>Beth
>
>Dr. Beth Rapp Young
>U of Alabama in Huntsville
>YoungBR@email.uah.edu
>
>
>

joan
jmullin@uoft02.utoledo.edu

When the only tool you own is a hammer, every problem begins to resemble a nail.
                -- Abraham Maslow