Exploring the Research of Dr. Brene Brown: Leadership in the Writing Center

The University Writing Center’s staff of twenty to twenty-five undergraduate and graduate consultants complete weekly professional development (PD), reading about strategies to best support students and discussing them together as a staff.  Every semester, the PD centers on a particular theme, and for Fall 2023, the student staff of the UWC has chosen to focus on leadership.  The UWC student staff not only cares about writing, but it is passionate about advocating for fellow students and other community members.

At the beginning of the semester, University Writing Center consultants will explore different leadership styles and reflect on the ones that resonate with them the most. They will then use this information to identify their own personal values and connect them to the UWC’s mission statement.

However, the UWC consultants will spend much of the fall unpacking research by Dr. Brené Brown, a social work professor at the University of Houston.  One book in particular, Daring Greatly, will be the main topic of conversation this fall in professional development. It explores the idea that many of us are operating within a scarcity mindset, believing that we are never enough for the people in our lives.  Brown argues that people can combat shame around this way of thinking by being vulnerable with each other. True vulnerability, the author states, involves taking “emotional risk” or sharing authentic portions of yourself, even in situations that are unpredictable. The author goes on to discuss different ways that people can be vulnerable with each other, both one-on-one and in organizations such as schools.

Our student staff and administrators are going to examine other research by Dr. Brown as well, including her work on building brave spaces.  The word “safe space” has become a popular term to express the idea that a certain community is welcoming of people from diverse backgrounds.  However, this term does not fully catch the complexity of power dynamics between people in particular environments. In reality, no place ever feels completely safe because there are so many factors shaping it. Conversely, the term “brave space” has become more popular in recent years to express the idea that even safe spaces need ongoing work and reevaluation, a topic which Dr. Brown explores in her podcast Dare to Lead, named after one of her bestselling books. As she argues, people have to be able to share with each other openly in order to do to the work of actually making a place welcoming, and shame around making mistakes is one of the biggest obstacles to that. Her podcast outlines strategies for creating a culture where people feel like they can share with each other openly, fostering more vulnerability as a result.

How does Dr. Brown’s research on vulnerability and brave spaces apply to the University Writing Center?  Students can sometimes be intimidated to make appointments at the UWC because they feel shame about their writing. By exploring Dr. Brown’s work, UWC consultants will learn how to further invite vulnerability and foster more authentic connections with their peers. By doing so, they can create a space where student writers feel like they can speak freely and affect change on campus and in the community.

To learn more about Dr. Brown’s research, you can visit her website or listen to one of her podcasts.