At the Writing Center, we are committed to supporting all writers, at all levels, from all disciplines, at all stages of the writing process. We recognize that vital cognitive work takes place at all of these stages; moreover, there are many affective/emotional concerns surrounding the process of getting words onto the page. Many students have received feedback at some point in their educational careers that convinced them they are “bad” writers; many struggle with getting started or putting their ideas into writing. Our Writing Center consultants are uniquely positioned to support these writers: to help build their confidence, to talk through the parts of the process that are difficult for them, to ask challenging questions, and to provide space and time and companionship as they write.
Because we believe students learn most effectively from interactions with fellow humans, we hope you’ll encourage them to talk with a Writing Center Consultant at every stage of the process. Many student writers are unaware that they don’t have to have a single word written down before they come to see us. They can make appointments simply to brainstorm, and they can also make accountability appointments, which offer human companionship while they write.
For more about the Writing Center’s perspective on generative AI in education and in writing, we invite you to read this co-written blog post articulating concerns around ethical usage of AI, as well as another that makes a case for keeping writing a human-centered process, both hosted by the Center for Transformative Teaching.
If you would like to talk with fellow teachers about the impact of generative AI on the teaching of writing in your courses, we’re more than happy to do so! Syllabus design, assignment creation, evaluating student writing—if it has to do with writing or the writing process, we’re delighted to discuss it with you. It’s inevitably a challenge, figuring out how to handle these issues pedagogically in our changing technological landscape. If you’d like to chat with us, please feel encouraged to reach out to Dr. Rachel Azima, Writing Center Director, and/or Dr. Benjamin Reed, Associate Director of the Writing Center and Writing Fellows Program.