Fretwell 220, Atkins Library 109, Cone 268 (Center for Graduate Life), and CHHS 240

Based on the view that knowledge is fundamentally social, the WRC fosters an environment of active, collaborative learning outside the classroom.  The WRC provides one-to-one writing instruction to students, faculty, and staff from first-year to graduate in any discipline.  Our goal is not to fix papers, but to develop better writers.

The Center includes computing facilities that integrate word processing, research, tutoring, and assistive technologies.  Online tutoring extends writing instruction beyond daytime hours to serve nontraditional and distance education students.  In addition to its Web-based resources, the WRC houses a library of writing-related instructional materials.  Consultation is available, on a limited basis, to support faculty in teaching writing across the curriculum.   WRC staff also offer presentations and host workshops on such topics as avoiding plagiarism, documenting sources, peer response, and revision strategies.

Staffed by undergraduate and graduate students from a variety of disciplines, the WRC offers teaching experience and leadership opportunities to tutors, many of them future educators, as they develop their own writing abilities and interpersonal skills.  Both novice and experienced writing assistants participate in ongoing professional development, including a semester-long training course, English 4400/5400: Theory & Practice of Tutoring Writing.  Integral to that training, the WRC is a rich site for literacy research for students and faculty alike.

As a university-wide service invested in the teaching and learning of writing in every discipline, the WRC coordinates its efforts with other academic support services.  The Center participates in university policy-making concerning writing and joins in the design and implementation of campus writing initiatives.