Spotlight on... The SVSU Writing Center SVSU’s Diane Boehm Writing Center is perhaps best known for its staff of tutors who help SVSU students at all stages in the writing process, in all majors, and throughout their academic careers. As such, these tutors, who are predominantly undergraduate students, may help a student in a firstyear writing class brainstorm ideas for a paper, they may work with a student drafting a lab report, or they may help a student nearing graduation with a personal statement. Some tutors offer more specialized services, working with graduate students, working with those for whom English is a second (or third or fourth) language, or working with students in an online environment. The Writing Center typically completes approximately 3,500 individual tutoring sessions each academic year. Although the Writing Center provides help with more traditional papers, the Center also strives to create opportunities to generate and celebrate writing. To meet this goal, the Writing Center coordinates the art contest “Write Space” and the poetry contest “Writing on the Wall.” The Center also helps with the “Red Pride” essay contest (sponsored by Alumni Relations), a Veteran’s Day contest (sponsored by SVSU’s Military Affairs Office), and the “In My Skin” contest (sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs). The Writing Center is also involved with the larger community, often conducting workshops for local residents. For instance, in 2017, with funding provided by the SVSU Foundation, two tutors attended the Bear River Writers’ Conference and then designed a three-week workshop for retirees enrolled in SVSU’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). Writing Center tutors also present original research at state, regional, and national conferences, and they often provide orientation sessions for students who are new to SVSU. Some tutors have additionally worked with faculty members to develop workshops on various topics as part of the Center’s Writing Across Campus (WAC) seminars. On the following pages, we share some of the writing generated at the Writing Center through its contests, workshops, and various community initiatives. More information about the SVSU Writing Center’s services and programs can be found at www.svsu.edu/writingcenter.
Writing@SVSU
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