Re: wc adverts

[JANE NELSON <JNELSON@UWYO.EDU>]

I'll echo what Mickey and others are saying:

There is an ebb and flow in writing center usage, and I suspect that we'd find
some commonalities in our various ebbs and flows.  We experienced a drop after
the week after midterm, and then the climb started again.  We're at full
capacity again--which is to say, we book up completely nearly every day.  In a
week or two, we will be back to beyond capacity, which is to say, we will be
booked up two, three, and four days in advance.

When we do get booked up so completely, I open up drop-in hours (which I staff
myself so as not to increase hours for tutors)--two hours a day or so, at
different hours every day.  My staff insists that I not create a regular
schedule so that writers do not get used to a regular drop-in time.  They would
rather that the writers get in the habit of calling for appointments.  The
drop-in hours work very well to relieve the stress that writers begin to feel
if they have to make appointments so far in advance, and, so far, by some
magic, I've never had a long line-up of people.  They seem to space themselves 
through some kind of ESP.

So, for centers who are just starting (like Neal's), your administrators need
to know that even the most established of writing centers have times when the
center is not being used and  also times when they could hire extra help
for two or three weeks.  If you'd like some ideas on how to use the Center
effectively during those off times when writers aren't coming in because
assignments aren't due or because the entire campus is exhausted, let me know.

Jane
jnelson@uwyo.edu