CAPE Banner Helps Writing Center Foster Writing Confidence

Elmira, NY (03/09/2022) — This is the third in a 5-part article series highlighting the Center for Academic & Professional Excellence (CAPE). See below for links to previous articles.

When Writing Center Peer Tutor Salem Jordan '23, a double major in Psychology and Sociology, meets with a student in the Writing Center, the first step Jordan takes is to help calm the student down. That's because students often seek help soon before a paper is due and they are overwhelmed and fearful. It's also because many students find the skill of conveying meaning in writing challenging. But the Writing Center directors and peer tutors are eager to help students gain a sense of writing confidence.

"There's this real myth that you only go into the writing center if you aren't a good writer," said Autumn Watts, Lecturer in Academic Writing. "There are no bad writers, just different levels of learning, and there are all different types of writing."

Peer Tutor Hayley McDaniels '24, an English Literature Major, agrees.

"It's not just a place where you go if you think 'I'm a bad writer,'" she said. "You can always go. There are ways to improve even if you are a really good writer or if you want a second set of eyes."

The Writing Center staff all expressed a desire for students and faculty across the campus to view the Writing Center differently. They want it to be a place where students can come and collaborate on assignments, find sounding boards who will listen and provide feedback, and get a different set of eyes to catch typos or awkward phrasing that often get missed in spelling and grammar checks.

McDaniels explained that the tutors aren't focused on helping students write and edit just one paper. Instead, she finds herself giving people tips on how to find and cite sources. Tools that will help them throughout their time in college.

"Students could come into the center to work on things even if they don't need someone," said Watts. "This is a community space for writing, learning, and fun."

Dr. Annaliese Hoehling, Assistant Professor of English & Director of Academic Writing Program, is eager to take advantage of the increased collaboration between the academic services under the CAPE banner to help the Writing Center grow and expand and become the place the staff members hope it can be.

The biggest advantage of the CAPE structure is the ability to streamline. The increased efficiency makes room for more opportunities. For example, this year, the Writing Center and Tutoring Center combined forces to recruit new tutors. They will also combine much of the peer-tutor training. A little further down the road, Hoehling hopes to build a "living" tutor handbook with policies and shared tips that tutors help build and update with each other.

"The new structure makes us feel more empowered to make changes, which can speed things up," Hoehling said.

Hoehling wants her peer tutors to be a part of shaping the new processes and ultimately help to build the next round of tutors. They'll begin in Term III this year with a new peer tutor training course for new and returning tutors. "Our plan for the course is that students will not only gain specific skills and knowledge associated with standard peer tutoring practices but that they will also build a cohort of expertise and shared experience with each other while getting some hands-on practice with resource-building and tutor facilitation," she said.

"One thing we want is to build the morale of our tutors," she added. "They are hard workers and they are giving back to the campus, not just the Writing Center. We need to celebrate their work."

"I'm really excited about the changes, which mean we can do more promotion and workshops throughout the year," said Jordan. "This is really positive, and being a part of the change is amazing to me."

Interested in becoming a peer tutor? The Tutoring and Writing centers are seeking applications now. Sign up here by Sunday, March 13.

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