From the Center for Writing Excellence
As a Center, we stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement. There is more we can and must do to respond, including increasing the diversity of our staff. This work is on us. Additionally, we must constantly reflect on our collaborative and conversational methods, to ensure they resist myths around radical individualism (a racist logic in itself) or the idea that we are ever writing alone.
In the wake of COVID-19, the Center for Writing Excellence (CWE) has expanded its online efforts. This past spring, we operated entirely online, and we continue to do so this summer. In the fall, we will enhance the experience of interacting with our Writing Assistants online—when students sign up for sessions, they will be able to share and work on documents (simultaneously and in real time) with writing assistants. They will also be able to interact through voice or video conferencing, as well as through a chat bar to ensure accessibility.
As we continue to expand our approach to Writing Across the Curriculum, we also understand that the teaching and mentoring of writing across disciplines is a shared responsibility. As such, it should operate through a “bottom up” approach—by, most importantly, listening to the expertise and experience of teachers already incorporating writing in their courses, so that we can better support them and their departments. We look forward to this work, and to learning news ways that we might better supports student and faculty writers.
Warmly,
Dr. Jonathan Rylander
