RE: WC as student advocate?

[Mary Wislocki <mapedaan@worldnet.att.net>]

Dear Jeanne and Chauna -- Thanks to both of you for responding. This
situation makes me realize how inexperienced I am in the politics of
administration -- and so I'm really glad you've asked your tough questions.
This is not an area I want to find out about things the hard way.  

Jeanne, when I said I wanted to have control over the situation, I meant
that I want to hear as much as I can (and as quickly as I can) about how to
proceed before I start with the official stuff. Writing to the wcenter was
my first step in trying to develop a point of view.  I realize now that my
inclination to be "careful" went overboard with the idea of starting a file
in the grad student's folder.  A paper trail has to be the student's
responsibility, not ours.  Chauna, I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do
if the student wants to bring a letter to the WC that asks her prof for her
notebook back.  The student is moving very slowly on this -- the first step
is to talk to him and that process will take weeks.  But my thinking about
this has moved  -- at this point I'd say that if she wants help with a
letter that has the potential to become a legal document, then she should
get legal rather than "writing" advice.  I guess the WC is the place for
small solutions -- we can tell the student that she can ask for her notebook
back and not much more.  

The writing consultant who worked with the student is a grad student herself
-- and one who has taught a course in social justice at the university for
the past two years. This case pushes lots of buttons for both of us. But I'm
in much better shape to talk to my boss about the situation than I was a few
days ago.  

Thanks again for your help. 

Mary Wislocki