Blog 9 Writing Philosophy draft

Monica Charris

ENG 5070

Dr. Sally Chandler

                                                         Writing Philosophy

The Kean University Writing Center believes that everyone can be a great writer.  Individuals only need the guidance and collaborative assistance in putting the words on paper.  The Writing Center at Kean University embraces this belief and strives to fulfill this commitment by implementing a Burkean Parlor collaborative conversation approach to teaching writing.  Collaboration aids in problem solving, in learning abstractions, in fostering interdisciplinary thinking and in achieving a higher stage of critical thinking.  This is the cornerstone of our writing philosophy. 

Our philosophy is comprised of learning what type of writer the client is and collaboratively developing an individual counseling session that will foster the undergraduate and graduate student needs in the writing process.  By integrating a variety of learning styles, diversity in teaching and working collaboratively with the writer, our clients can be assured a productive counseling session.  Our Writing Center is committed to engaging the student “not only in solving problems set by teachers but identifying problems for themselves” (Barnett & Blummer 1991).  We are committed to working mutually with our clients to facilitate in the expansion of their writing ability.

The Kean University Writing Center employees are made up of undergraduate and graduate professionals that posses and maintain a 3.5 to 4.0 grade point average in their educational field. They are a diverse group of individuals of many different cultures, learning styles and academic disciplines.  These peer instructors attend periodical training sessions on different coaching models that can be implemented in their tutoring sessions.  A hierarchical form of administration and hiring of employees, at the Kean Writing Center, ensures that each client is offered the best service available.   To fulfill this, a step by step method of informational intake is completed for each client.

Before the initial counseling session, the client is encouraged to sit down with an administrative intake specialist and fill out a background survey that will assist in properly matching the writer with the suitable peer counselor.   In this manner, our staff can offer the one to one counseling each client expects.  When meeting with their clients, the peer instructors will work hand in hand with the writer to enhance each phase of their writing process.  Tutors will review rhetorical conventions of academic writing throughout the counseling session and implement technical guidance to foster independence in writing with the student.

The use of technology in today’s institutions has become a commonplace in present society.  This is why at our Writing Center, technology is used to facilitate in the enhancing of writing.  Counselors utilize technology throughout the writing process.  When clients are confronted with an issue of concern in their writing, tutors not only offer one to one assistance but will provide them with the technical resource support that will aid in solving this matter.  This method of fostering independence in writing, promotes lifelong learning. 

We are committed to maintain excellence in our coaching sessions.  As a result of this effort, each student will be encouraged to fill out an exit survey focusing on both the negative and positive aspects of their experience with the Writing Center.  These surveys will assist us in bettering the quality of our counseling.  Andrea Lunford, writer of the essay, Collaboration, Control and the Idea of a Writing Center focuses on this point when she states that “collaboration promotes excellence”(Barnett & Blummer 1991).  This is our foundation, our commitment, and our undertaking.