Our Philosophy
The following principles guide the CWCC in its various endeavors:
Writing is one important modality of communication along with spoken/aural, visual, kinetic, and technological communication
Writing is a mode of learning as well as a way of communicating disciplinary knowledge
Writing is discipline-specific: i.e., people write within discourse communities, each with its own audiences, genres, forms, and standards
Writing is always a rhetorical act, emerging from a context, addressing an audience, and serving a purpose
Learning to write is a life-long process within which the four years of undergraduate study play a crucial role
Why Work With Us?
Expertise
We are the primary office for writing pedagogy on campus with particular strengths in teaching upper division writing, teaching multilingual writers, and on matters of accessibility. Collectively, our programming and consultation team has decades of experience teaching writing and communication in higher education. We’ve taught in a variety of settings, from college town to metro campus, from large public universities to private colleges, and in North America and East Asia.
Substance
We are laser focused on supporting quality teaching. You will walk away from our workshops and consultations better equipped to face your own unique challenges and, if the situation calls for it, the confidence to try something new.
Scalpels, not Hammers
Many instructors hesitate to work with consultants because of unfortunate experiences they’ve had in the past. Perhaps they had to start an assignment from scratch; perhaps they felt that their entire course might need revising. We take a more conservative approach, finding ways to reframe or transform what you’ve already done. We perform surgery, not demolitions.
Resources
Our cup runneth over with resources. Whether it’s a student handout on analysis or gold standard research on giving feedback on student writing, we can provide you with what you need quickly.
Preparation
You are not an inconvenience for us. We read any materials you send to us with care and are ready when your appointment begins.
Follow-Through
We will never diminish your concerns, outsource or forget you. We always follow-up. We want to know if the strategies we provide and create together are working.
Partnerships
We prioritize including you in the teacher development process. We look for opportunities to work with you in the future so that you can share your expertise with your students, your colleagues, and the university community.