Re: WC as student advocate?

[Lady Brown <ykflb@TTACS.TTU.EDU>]

Thanks, Jeanne.

LFB

Jeanne H. Simpson wrote:

> Mary
>
> Perhaps the center can help the student by commenting on the complexity of
> the situation and urge getting good advice.  Does your university have a
> student legal advocate?  Ours does.
>
> I know one thing: in such cases, following the chain of command is critical.
> The best way to help this student is to guide her through the established
> procedure and through the chain of command (dept. chair, dean, provost, in
> all likelihood).  When established procedure has been followed, then either
> it should work, or, if it does not, an appeal is far more likely to be
> heard.   And in determining what the procedures are, you not only help the
> student, you help yourself by being better informed.
>
> I think your choice to inquire here first was a good one.  That's what the
> listserv is for, and we should all thank Lady yet again for providing it.
>
> Good luck, Mary!
>
> Jeanne Simpson
> csjhs@eiu.edu
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From:   owner-wcenter@ttacs6.ttu.edu [mailto:owner-wcenter@ttacs6.ttu.edu] On
> Behalf Of Mary  Wislocki
> Sent:   Monday, October 04, 1999 12:04 AM
> To:     wcenter@ttacs6.ttu.edu
> Subject:        RE: WC as student advocate?
>
> 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


--
Lady Falls Brown, Ph. D.
Director, University Writing Center
http://english.ttu.edu/uwc/
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX 79409-3091
806-742-2476

WCENTER listowner
Ykflb@ttacs.ttu.edu