{"id":4881,"date":"2014-09-01T20:27:53","date_gmt":"2014-09-02T01:27:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/writing.wisc.edu\/blog\/?p=4881"},"modified":"2017-07-12T15:07:31","modified_gmt":"2017-07-12T20:07:31","slug":"summer-on-the-north-coast-whats-new-with-uw-madison-writing-center-programs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dept.writing.wisc.edu\/blog\/summer-on-the-north-coast-whats-new-with-uw-madison-writing-center-programs\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer on the North Coast: What’s New with UW-Madison Writing Center Programs"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Brad Hughes<\/strong><\/p>\n

Brad Hughes is the director of the Writing Center and director of Writing Across the Curriculum at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is delighted to be starting his 31st year as director of the Writing Center.<\/em><\/p>\n

Welcome to a new academic year at UW-Madison\u2019s Writing Center! With contributions from my wonderful colleagues, I\u2019d like to celebrate some of our program\u2019s accomplishments during the late spring and the summer of 2014 and share some of our plans for the fall. Throughout the summer, our staff have been busy collaborating and venturing out\u2014as always\u2014to offer instruction across our campus and around the city of Madison and beyond. Here are some highlights. . . .<\/p>\n

Writing Fellows Consulting with Visiting Students from Nazarbayev University<\/h3>\n

During the summer of 2014, 60 undergraduate students from Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan, were in Madison to study at UW-Madison, and our undergraduate Writing Fellows program was a key partner in this summer exchange program. Nazarbayev University (NU) is a new English-language research university, and UW-Madison is one of NU’s seven international partner universities.<\/p>\n

\"Writing<\/a>
Writing Fellow Anna Lynn (right) consults with visiting students from Nazarbayev University, working on a group project for Professor William Barker’s Geosciences 376 course.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Writing<\/a>
Writing Fellow Adelina Yankova (left), discussing ideas with visiting student from Nazarbayev University, for a final paper for Political Science 401, taught by Professor Lisa Martin.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During their time in Madison, students from NU enrolled in either a geoscience or a political science course, and writing assignments were a central part of both courses. For two drafts of papers or for presentations, NU students submitted drafts in advance of final deadlines, received detailed written feedback and advice from Writing Fellows, met with Writing Fellows in half-hour conferences to discuss plans for revisions, and submitted final revised papers to their UW-Madison professors for grading. Under the guidance of Writing Fellows assistant director Kim Moreland, the Writing Fellows earned rave reviews from Nazarbayev University students and from the UW-Madison faculty teaching these summer courses.<\/p>\n

Preparing Future Faculty Leaders for WAC Programs and Writing Centers<\/h3>\n

I\u2019ve long argued that writing centers at research universities have an important opportunity and obligation to help graduate students who are interested prepare to lead strong and visionary writing centers and WAC programs in their faculty careers. For decades, our Writing Center has sponsored the Madison Area Writing Center Colloquium<\/a> as one way to invite graduate students to explore writing center research, theory, and leadership.<\/p>\n

\"Three<\/a>
Three of the participants in the spring 2014 leadership series–Chrissy Stephenson, Peter Mayshle, and Chris Earle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In addition to the colloquium, every spring semester for the past three years, I have offered a five-part discussion series for doctoral students here at UW-Madison who are interested in preparing for this important kind of leadership work. Over 30 doctoral students have participated in those discussion series. Through readings, writing activities, and discussion among ourselves and with guest speakers from other universities, we explore these kinds of topics\u2014<\/p>\n