Mission

Writing centers are places where writers can share their work-in-progress and talk about their writing with careful readers and writers. The University Writing Center operates on the belief that to be successful, a writer must be able to anticipate the effects of their words on readers. Consultants are committed to helping writers at all stages of the writing process, from generating ideas for a paper to developing later drafts. We aim to assist writers with specific assignments while also teaching writing strategies that can be applied to future writing projects. Our services are not remedial; rather, they are additional resources for anyone who wishes to become a better writer. We believe that achieving this goal requires our commitment to supporting all students as writers and thinkers and honoring the linguistic diversity of the ECU student body.

In accordance with East Carolina University’s Nondiscrimination and Affirmative Action Policy, the UWC is committed to equality of opportunity and prohibits unlawful discrimination based on the following protected classes: race/ethnicity, color, genetic information, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, political affiliation, and veteran status.

Our Commitment

With university values rooted in leadership, service, and respect, the East Carolina University Writing Center (UWC) will model, discuss, and promote inclusive pedagogical practices to support all student writers’ development and success whatever their language backgrounds. We believe all writers are capable of the highest level of academic performance.

We acknowledge that language is fluid and reflects the society and culture in which we live. We also know that our stakeholders continue to expect us to help student writers learn to perform well for academic audiences. Here, we choose a posture of respect for the dialects and languages that students bring with them into the UWC and a commitment to valuing different ways of knowing and being in the academy.
 

Educate

Promise #1: To educate ourselves and partner with student organizations, campus departments, and community partners.

The UWC hosts weekly professional development meetings and readings for all UWC staff during the academic semesters. Our professional development structure includes time for assigned readings, reflections, brainstorming, and discussion of ways we can improve our practices as a writing center.

The UWC is also committed to sharing what we are learning with campus and community partners and co-hosting events, open forums, and educational opportunities.

Explore

Promise 2: To explore the social implications of language.

The UWC is intentional about the ways that our language choices empower or negate; enable or constrain; embrace or reject the people, ideas, and experiences that enter our space.

Discuss

Promise 3: To discuss cultural competence and inclusive practices in writing and beyond.

Our full-time student staff use our professional development series as a medium for thoughtful discussion of inclusivity in the UWC. In our weekly meetings, employees are encouraged to use their experiences with writers and each other as case studies for handling cultural insensitivity and any other scenarios that may be challenging. We believe such open and inclusive dialogue prepares our student staff for leadership roles on campus and for future professional spaces.

Empower

Promise 4: To empower everyone as writers with distinct voices and social identities.

The UWC is not an editing service staffed with all-knowing staff; we are partners in the writing process, and student writers maintain the authority to draft and revise their own writing according to their individual writing styles. Through our professional development series, we prepare our student writing consultants not to pull out the red pen and start marking, but to ask questions that allow the writer to develop problem-solving skills.

Create

Promise #5: To create a space that encourages self-expression and critical thinking.

The University Writing Center is designed to be a flexible, conversational space. Consultants and writers are even encouraged to change the physical space to encourage innovation, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. There is no set formula as to how we work with a writer or engage in the writing process. We work to create spaces and opportunities that encourage writers to engage with the world around them.

Challenge

Promise #6: To challenge writers to substantiate their ideas with evidence.

The UWC understands the importance of citing credible sources when formulating positions, particularly in writing. Consultants are prepared to help students evaluate both academic and popular sources to help writers use them effectively. We understand that different disciplines and communities value different kinds of evidence. We encourage writers to evaluate sources carefully, read and interpret them critically, and make choices that will appeal persuasively and ethically to their audiences.

Adapt

Promise 7: To adapt to the needs of writers during a session.

We recognize that each writer visits the UWC with a unique background, certain strengths, and particular areas of concern. No two consultations will be the same. To ensure that appointments are as tailored and helpful as possible, the UWC asks a number of questions related to the writer’s assignment and reason for seeking help, such as:

• Course title and instructor
• Type of assignment and due date
• Assignment description.
• What are your goals for this session?
• What are you most concerned about with your writing?
• If formatting is one of your concerns, please identify which style you are using.
• Where are you in the writing process?

These appointments are available in-person on ECU’s main campuses and via synchronous and asynchronous online time slots.

Our student writing consultants follow several best practices related to appointments, including but not limited to:

• Reviewing the writing appointment form for assignment type, concerns, and pronouns prior to the appointment start time
• Building rapport with the writer and generally creating a welcoming environment
• Giving the writer the authority to lead the session: having them read their own paper aloud, taking their own notes on topics discussed, and answering exploratory questions posed by our consultants
• Approaching the session in a way that is in line with prior professional development and appropriate to the writer in question
• Referring writers to helpful online resources created by the UWC and other writing authorities
• Collaborating with other consultants when uncertain of how to address a topic
• Encouraging the writer to submit anonymous feedback about the appointment through our brief online survey

Respect

Promise #8: To respect different beliefs and backgrounds.

The University Writing Center upholds the values stated in the ECU Creed and enforces the ECU Student Code of Conduct. As a center and a university, we are “dedicated to providing a safe and vibrant learning and working environment for all” (ECU Student Code of Conduct). We create a welcoming space in the UWC for writers to collaborate and seek assistance with the writing process, and in return, we ensure that all visitors to the UWC are respectful of student employees and full-time staff.

We acknowledge that consultants and writers won’t always agree about the ideas being expressed in the writing that they work on together. We expect to encounter differences in opinion, belief system, and experience during consultations and we commit to being prepared to use conflicting perspectives to make writing stronger. Conflicting perspectives offer opportunities to talk about audience, sources, credibility, and evidence in ways that are productive for the writer’s revision efforts.

While we will work with all student writers, we expect all of our students to be collaborators in the learning process and not engage in any conduct that would be a violation of the Student Code of Conduct or other applicable ECU policies.  Any such behavior will be reported to UWC administrators and the Office of Students’ Rights and Responsibilities (OSRR).

As stated in the ECU Creed, University students and officials will “carry out personal and academic integrity, respect and appreciate the diversity of our people, ideas, and opinions, be thoughtful and responsible in [our] actions and words, and engage in purposeful citizenship by serving as a positive role model.” The UWC stands in full support of this messaging and will continually explore ways to promote civil discourse and the shaping of a stronger campus community.