Episode 1 – Muriel Harris on the WLN Origin and Internationalizing Writing Centers
In our first installment in the Season 2 of Slow Agency, we are chatting with the founder and editor in chief of WLN: A Journal of Writing Center Scholarship and the CWCAB blog. Muriel Harris, or as we affectionately call her ‘Mickey’, is the brains and heart behind the journal and the blog. We are excited to have Mickey tell us about the beginnings of the blog and where she sees the writing center field evolving and internationalizing. We hope you'll enjoy it!
The Write Space at ADA University, Baku, Azerbaijan
ADA University is Azerbaijan’s first English-medium public university, which grew from Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy, a training school for diplomats. Founded in 2012, the mission of the Write Space is to foster a strong university-wide English writing community by providing individual support and organizing workshops and other writing-related events.
Academic Writing Education at Ashoka University, India — A Close Look at the YIF Critical Writing Program
Just two decades ago, there was relatively much less academic writing instruction at the higher education level in the country. However, over the last two decades, a slow but steady growth in writing programs and centers has happened. Ashoka University, which was one of the first that began this work, continues to be a significant voice and model in the expanding writing pedagogy movement in India.
A Collaborative Directorship Follow-up: Starting an Advisory or Advocacy Board, Part 2
In Part 1 of this series, Dr. Moroski-Rigney shared research on starting an advisory board with advice about naming, writing a charter, choosing members, and starting an assessment plan. In Part 2, she will focus on two pieces—the first meeting and sustaining an active and effective board.
A Collaborative Directorship Follow-up: Starting an Advisory or Advocacy Board, Part 1
This 2-part piece, written by Stacia Lael Moroski-Rigney, is a follow-up to Watkins (now Moroski-Rigney), Stacia, Scott Whiddon, and Rhyan Conyers' “Writing Center Advisory Boards: Administrative Structures and the Good Work We Do” in 2018. Part 1 presents a practical “getting started” guide to creating an efficient and effective writing center board. Stay tuned for Part 2 next week on setting up the first meeting and maintaining a successful board.
Rewind & Reset: Writing Center Wellness and Carework in Turbulent Times | Part 1 & 2
The newest Digital Edited Collection (DEC) of WLN centers on wellness and care in writing center work. In May 2020, we interviewed Dr. Genie Giaimo and Yanar Hashlamon, who were guest editors of a WLN special issue on the same theme and part of the editorial team for this DEC. Given that the Covid-19 reality continues, their insights and advice on how we might navigate and think about our personal, social, and professional lives remain largely relevant. Click to read Part 1 and Part 2 of the interview.
Announcements & Upcoming Events
Tutor’s Perspective
“Sorry I cannot hear you, I think my internet connection has been disrupted,” says the student I am attempting to have a consultation with. Just another day in our unequal online-dominated apocalyptic world. Online learning is not accessible and user friendly for many students in South Africa. This is aggregated by intermittent load shedding.
Locate our international colleagues from all over the world!
It’s been a learning experience. The writing center community remains tight knit in the online space. We hold hands and provide each other emotional support. Writing camps have gone virtual for now. Let’s keep reflecting upon our collective experiences.
