Unexpected Power Boost: Persona 5 & Writing Center Tutoring


Peer Tutoring, Technology, Tutor Publications, Tutorial Talk and Methods, Writing Center pedagogy

By Niccole Carner When I began working at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center this past fall (2017), I was in the midst of my first play-through of Persona 5, a Japanese role-playing game developed by Atlus Games for the PlayStation 4. My approach to the first weeks of teaching was subtly and inadvertently influenced […]

November 27, 2017

Toward a Writer Future: New Writing Fellows Leading Campus Collaboration


Tutor Publications, Tutorial Talk and Methods, Writing Across the Curriculum, Writing Fellows

By Ishita Aghi and Erika Gallagher  At UW-Madison, the Undergraduate Writing Fellows program is composed of 50 students who assist other undergraduates with academic writing in courses across the College of Letters & Science. Fellows are undergraduate tutors from a variety of disciplines who possess a passion for helping others. They undergo extensive training and […]

November 15, 2017

Chasing after an Emerging Genre: Creating a Writing Center Workshop on Diversity Statements


Diversity and Inclusion, Tutor Publications, Writing Center Tutors, Writing Center Workshops, Writing Centers

By Antonio Byrd—As this academic year’s assistant director for the UW-Madison Writing Center, I teach a few sections out of more than 70 sections of free non-credit workshops in academic writing for undergraduate and graduate students. The Writing Center has offered these workshops since its inception in 1969, and I’m proud to have contributed to this stellar history by creating a new workshop this year simply called “Writing Diversity Statements for the Academic Job Market.” […]

November 6, 2017

Writing Center Outreach and Leading from the Middle


Higher Education, Outreach, Technology, Writing Across the Curriculum, Writing Centers

By Angela J. Zito  Last week, the Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network held its annual conference in Montreal, Quebec, where the keynote speaker Randy Bass called upon all of us in attendance (and the programs and institutions we represented) to help steer higher education in the direction of increasingly inclusive and integrated learning by […]

October 31, 2017

Increasing Intercultural Competence through Consultant Education


Multilingual Writers, Writing Center pedagogy, Writing Centers

By Christa Tiernan and Kelly Wenig  The recent upsurge in international student enrollment in American public research universities has prompted us to think about the adaptability of writing centers during periods of changing university demographics. How do writing centers respond to enrollment trends? Let there be no mistake: the demographics of American public research universities […]

October 23, 2017

Let’s Chat: Considering “Friendly Talk” in the Writing Center


Tutor Publications, Tutorial Talk and Methods, Writing Center pedagogy, Writing Center Tutors, Writing Centers

By Tori Thompson Peters Last year, I had several appointments with an advanced writer named Linda Park who was working on an article for publication about language and cultural barriers in our healthcare system. As we were discussing the project, Linda explained to me that even though she was studying communication between doctors and patients with […]

October 9, 2017