Panel: Writing Centre Space
Zoom Link: https://ubc.zoom.us/j/65518067618?pwd=czlqVHNaNUVIK0FDN3hOZXMzRFQyUT09
Meeting ID: 655 1806 7618; Passcode: 119375
Session recording video: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AgYzW_UseccBkSKghzguBskNiK1e?e=R3joTr
Moderator: Jessica Lowry, University of British Columbia
Ambiguousness and Inclusivity
Renissa Gannie (University of Denver)
In many writing centers, ambiguity in what to expect can increase writers’ existing trepidation. It is crucial that the writing center deal in transparency, as being confronted with ambiguity in expectations can turn writers away. By removing opacity from the writing center, we can build a more comfortable environment and inclusive community. This presentation discusses the writing center’s ambiguity and wonders how the writing center can become an inclusive and nurturing environment where everyone feels safe, drawing on structured conversations with first-generation students, foreign-language, ESL speakers, and non-traditional learners who use the writing center.
Seeking International Tutor Training Certification During COVID
Fernanda Batista (Ontario Tech University), Tessa Troughton (Ontario Tech University)
Writing centres, while generally managed by professionals and academics with extensive education on writing instruction, also count on the work of peer tutors to deliver their services. To ensure writing instruction meets quality standards, peer tutor training and mentorship are key. This presentation will discuss the process of seeking certification for a peer tutor training by a learning centre in a mid-sized Canadian university. It will describe the characteristics of the learning centre, the certification and the motivation to seek it, and the steps and the individuals involved. It will also evaluate the application process, which is currently ongoing.
Spatial Understandings of Writing Centre Locations: Centralized, De-centralized, or Virtual Spaces
Sue Beckwith (Trent University)
Buildings are not passive containers, but, rather, are actively involved in the creation of meaning through non-verbal communication. The spatial location of writing centres affects the services that we provide our students, staff interactions, and connections between staff and faculty. The physical locations of writing centres, whether centralized, de-centralized, or located in the virtual world, have associated levels of visual interaction and varying degrees of accessibility for our student users and staff interactions.
Conference Site Map: Landing Page ◊ Day 1 ◊ Day 2 ◊ Day 3
