RE: Goal of writing center

[Lerner Neal <NLerner@mcp.edu>]

Whoah, sorry to truncate that last message below, but some combination of
keystrokes sent it away prematurely.  Don't you hate when that happens?

One last thing:  Is the writer/writing bipolar yet another example of a
continuum with where we are on that continuum dependent upon a bunch of
factors?  I'm specifically thinking of helping students with resumes,
something my staff does a lot of.  Those sessions sure are about the
writing, while we hope the writer incorporates concepts and techniques into
her repertoire.  And that's a very different session (in my mind and
practice, at least) than one with a FYC student working on his very first
college essay.

Neal

Neal Lerner, Ed.D.
Writing Programs Coordinator & Assistant Professor of English
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
179 Longwood Ave.; Boston, MA  02115-5896
voice: (617) 732-2824; fax: (617) 732-2801; nlerner@mcp.edu

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lerner Neal [mailto:NLerner@mcp.edu]
> Sent: Friday, October 01, 1999 12:55 PM
> To: 'wcenter@ttacs6.ttu.edu'
> Subject: RE: Goal of writing center
> 
> 
> Donna, I'd like to think that the goal of a writing center is 
> to contribute
> to student learning.  Heck, I'd like to think that's the goal of the
> institution as a whole (though it seems low on the priority 
> list for some
> people and places).  So are WC's about writers or writing?  
> Both, I'd say,
> for both have to do with learning.  It seems the 
> manifestation of learning
> to write will show up in the writing itself 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Donna_Sewell [mailto:dsewell@valdosta.edu]
> > Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 1999 4:31 PM
> > To: wcenter@ttacs6.ttu.edu
> > Subject: Goal of writing center
> > 
> > 
> > Hi folks,
> > 
> > In being interviewed for an ethnographic study of our writing 
> > center, I
> > claimed that my vision for the writing center is prompted by Stephen
> > North's famous statement that the goal of a writing center 
> is to help
> > people become better writers, not necessarily to improve the text. 
> > 
> > The interviewer asked me if that goal is acceptable to most 
> > writing center
> > directors and staff members. Unable to imagine who wouldn't 
> agree with
> > such a goal, I said that I assumed there was some consensus 
> > in the writing
> > center community about such a goal. But the more I think about her
> > question, the less comfortable I am claiming such consensus. 
> > 
> > Do you think there is a consensus in the writing center 
> > community? And do
> > you mind my sharing your responses with the students in my 
> > graduate class
> > who are conducting the ethnography?
> > 
> > 				Donna
> > 
> > Dr. Donna Sewell
> > Director of Writing Center
> > Assistant Professor of English
> > Valdosta State University
> > Valdosta, GA 31698
> > (912) 333-5946
> > 
> > Email address: dsewell@valdosta.edu
> > 
>