Re: WC as student advocate?

[Chauna Craig <Craig@uamont.edu>]

Mary,

    I agree with Jeanne that the tutor should *not* be keeping a file that isn't
about writing center work, and my last message may have been sloppy or misleading
about that point.
    I do still think it's appropriate for a tutor to help a student write a letter
of complaint if that's what the student wants to use her writing center appointment
for.  (It's a self-imposed writing assignment where issues of audience, purpose,
rhetoric, etc. are very important.)  However, I'm curious how others feel about
that, especially given the potential legal messes, i.e. can the tutor be held partly
responsible for things like wording or tone if the letter in question ever becomes a
court document?   Has anyone on the list dealt with these types of issues?  The
writing centers I've worked with have all encouraged students to bring in any type
of writing they want to work on for class or personal reasons.  Are/should there be
limits to this?

Chauna Craig
Assistant Professor of English
University of Arkansas-Monticello