NOTES FROM TN WRITING CENTER COLLABORATIVE DIRECTORS’ DAY,
September 8, 2012
Developing Assessment Practices Session:
 Use anecdotes to illustrate the kinds of work we do in writing centers.
 Establish measurable criteria for objectives when possible (example: “the center will
increase the number of return visits by students”).
 Use focus groups (students and faculty) in order to gauge satisfaction or perceived benefits
of attending the writing center.
 Survey faculty on the perceived impact of writing center visits on student writing in class.·
Partner with other organizations on campus for outside assessment or, seek advice from
institutional research departments on campus.
 If your center is evaluated as a part of another department or organization, use the
feedback from that as a part your assessment or reporting.
 Relate your center’s goals/objectives to those of your parent institution and/or department.
 Related your goals/objectives to the mission statement of your parent institution and/or
department (example: connecting current writing center practice to research on student
retention).
 Consider creating outcomes for everyone associated with the center, not just clients
(examples: “tutors will have a chance to professionalize within the larger community of
writing center scholars” or “the center will be a space for faculty to discuss and collaborate
on writing projects”).
Tutor Training Session:
 Collaboration between writing centers that are geographically close is a good method of
tutor training. Invite others to come to trainings and staff meetings through travel or to
Skype in. Allow your writing center to become a part of the larger community.
 Larger concern: How can beginning tutors become more quickly attuned to finding a client’s
writing needs? Is there a list of questions that they should ask the client or themselves at
each session?
 Each writing center’s “Tutor Handbook” may be posted online or might be written as a blog
on the center’s site.
 Require that tutors read and write during their downtime in the center. Keep a selection of
inspirational or fun writing-related texts for them to read and explore.
 Start “groups” for creative writers, non-native speakers, research, etc… Tutors may lead
them and/or participate.
ELL/ESL/NNS Session:
 A Link to Dr. Kelly Kidder’s Prezi: http://prezi.com/vaslozjbnaax/tips-for-esl-tutors/
 Kelly also used some information from this site (http://writingcenter.unc.edu/facultyresources/tips-on-teaching-esl-students/), and the other information came from the article
on “Reassessing the Proofreading Trap”
(http://karen.stanley.people.cpcc.edu/docs%20for%20Tips%20for%20Writing%20Center/Pr
oofreading%20Trap%20-%20Myers.pdf).
Ideas for 2012-13 AY/Next Meeting
 Develop a three-part “Tennessee Tutor of the Year” Award for peer, grad-level, and
professional tutors
o Ask admins from another state to judge; we could judge their award in return
o Possibly sponsored by SWCA?
o Awarded at conference or at Tutor Collaboration Day?
 Ideas for 2013 Fall TN WCC Directors’ Day
o Topics for discussion/presentation
 Meeting the needs of distance students
 Web design
 Training
 Marketing
 Collaboration
 Technology and the teaching of writing and/or grammar
Questions and Requests for TN Writing Center Administrators
 Would you like to host a collaborative event? If so, what and when? Email
stacia.watkins@lipscomb.edu.
 Would you like to lead one of the sessions at Directors’ Day next year? Email
stacia.watkins@lipscomb.edu.
 Would any of your tutors/consultants like to lead a discussion/presentation at Tutor
Collaboration Day (date TBD, at MTSU in Spring 2013)? Email cbchapma@mtsu.edu.
 If you have a list of topics that you plan to discuss in staff meetings or other trainings and
you would be willing to allow others to Skype in or come to your campus, please email them
to me. I will send them out to the listserve and post them on our state SWCA page
(http://www.iwca-swca.org/Tennessee.html).
 Would you like a consultant or administrator from another TN institution to help you with
tutor training or staff meetings? Send me an email (stacia.watkins@lipscomb.edu), and I’ll
pass along your request.