How Writing Center Consultants View Writing at DU
Jennifer Campbell

Facilitator: Geoffrey Bateman
Panelists: Christina Cain, Kristy Bertrand, and Chris Newton

For this session, three Writing Center consultants from different backgrounds discussed the multiple types of transfer involved in Writing Center work. Their brief presentations generated a wide-ranging and useful discussion that gave all participants a better understanding of what consultants in the Writing and Research Center do (and dont do). The consultants were also able to give advice to teachers about how to make their assignments and relationships with the center more effective.

Graduate student and Writing Center consultant Christina Cain talked about the importance of letting clients guide sessions and act as agents of transfer. She shared the story of an advanced ESL student who, in addition to seeking advice about her formal writing, would consistently ask Cain to explain the phrases and idioms she heard throughout the week to gain a better understanding of the language. This side work became the real transfer work of their tutoring sessions.

Former instructor and graduate student Kristy Bertrand, also a consultant in the Writing Center, explained how her teaching experience transferred to her tutoring, but noted that the consulting relationship isnt limited by the same power dynamics as the teacher-student relationship, which leads to more productive sessions. Bertrand made the important point that the goal of Writing Center consultations isnt to produce a perfect paper but to help students gain skills and an understanding of their writing that will transfer to other situations.

Undergraduate consultant Chris Newton discussed what happens when campus-based tutoring and teaching skills are transferred to community contexts. Newton serves as a consultant at the St. Francis Center day shelter as part of a Writing and Research Center outreach project to consult with their clients on any type of writing from resumes to poetry. Newton shared a moving story about a homeless client who hadnt written for many years but who felt compelled to visit at the shelter with Newton and John Tiedemann, a Writing Program faculty member and Writing Center consultant. Newton and Tiedemann talked with the client and casually prompted him to write down something that he had said, but instead the client wrote a full page about his mother and told the two consultants they had helped him find his voice. While this was a very different situation than most on-campus consultations, one thing that did transfer was the consultants interpersonal negotiation skills and their faith in the importance of writing.

While the audience members enjoyed each anecdote and appreciated the consultants discussion of transfer, they also had plenty of questions about the role of the Writing Center and how they might use what the consultants know to improve their own teaching. Panel facilitator Geoffrey Bateman, a faculty member in the Writing Program and a consultant in the Writing Center, explained how students can make appointments for individual papers or schedule multiple sessions to work on their writing challenges over time. When faculty asked about what types of students the Writing Center serves, the consultants elaborated on how they work with a variety of students on many types of writing and vary their strategies accordingly. For example, one third of the Writing Centers consultations are with non-native speakers. These ESL consultations focus on explaining concepts not just correcting mistakes. With graduate students, who make up about half of the Writing Centers clients, consultants tend to target the writing process and asking questions to help writers think though their projects. Bateman also emphasized that the Writing Center is happy to work with groups, full classes, and faculty members.

In response to participant questions, the consultants also offered some advice for faculty members. First, they said that faculty can encourage student visits to the Writing Center but that they should never require students to go to the Writing Center, as this can result in student resistance and less productive consultations. In terms of assignment design, the consultants suggested that faculty should clearly explain their assignments and should provide specific guidelines about format and citations. At the same time, the consultants said, it is a good idea to avoid laundry-list assignments that dictate too much about the content or structure of the paper. While open-ended assignments might frustrate students at first, they often result in better projects that students enjoy and learn from. They also noted how beneficial it is when teachers make their expectations clear and explain what they will emphasize in their evaluations of student work. Finally, the consultants urged faculty to consider the rhetoric of their feedback and the value of specific, constructive comments. Writing Program faculty and Writing Center consultants are happy to consult with faculty about assignment design and writing instruction in their classes.

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