History

The Writing Center at Baylor University opened on the ground floor of Carroll Science Hall in Fall 1983, one year after the English Department moved into the newly renovated building. 

The Writing Center emerged because of the collaborative effort of Dr. Dianna Vitanza, Assistant Professor of English, and Dr. James Barcus, English Department chairperson. Dr. Dianna Vitanza was in her second year as a faculty member and saw a need for students to get help “in grammar, punctuation or mechanics” (Lariat, 1983 6). The name “Writing Center” was chosen because it implied an active space where all writers could develop writing skills, practices, and processes. The Writing Center provided one-on-one tutoring for students taking English classes and was staffed by a small number of graduate assistants in English. The Writing Center did not help students on writing they were doing for class; rather, the focus was on helping students with their “writing problems” (Lariat, 1983 6). To determine their writing problems, students took a diagnostic test and results were kept on file for the consultants to review and to show students their areas of weakness. Consultations were in-person and were 30 minutes in length. Four graduate consultants in English staffed the Writing Center. The Writing Center was open Monday through Friday, 9am-3pm. 

In 1985, the Writing Center began challenging the view that it was a remedial program. The goals of the center were “to help students by giving them editing advice, showing them how to get responses from readers and how to organize and write research papers” (McCown 9). 

In 1986, the Writing Center received 14 Apple Macintosh computers as part of a donation from Apple and opened a computer lab with 18 computers and 2 laser printers. This was the third computer lab on Baylor’s campus (the first was in the Business School and the second was in Castellaw). The Writing Center expanded their hours from 8am to 5pm so that students and faculty could access the computers more often. The Writing Center was primarily used by English students taking first-year writing and advanced writing classes, but it was available for students from all majors and classifications (Dickinson 18). 

In 1987, the Writing Center began helping students on “principles of writing” and would go over a paper with a student after it was graded and returned to them (Putnam 11). It still focused on help with “sentence structure, mechanics, paragraph development, organization, punctuation, and grammar” (Merriman 16). 

In 1989, the Writing Center started helping students from all majors, as well as graduate students and law students (Lariat, 1989 2). English graduate assistants helped with “grammar, topic development, organization of ideas, or any other writing concerns” (Lariat, 1989 2). 

In 1990, Ms. Mary Massirer replaced Dr. Dianna Vitanza as director. The Writing Center also moved into Carroll Science G-06, which provided a larger space with two separate rooms, a breakroom, and an external door leading outside so that it could open after 5pm. The larger room also meant that now non-English majors could receive tutoring help. The larger space also meant an expanded computer lab, with 31 computers. The computer lab was open 24 hours a day during the work-week. There were a total of eight graduate students from English on staff, and the Writing Center shifted from a remedial center mentality to one focused on improving writing holistically. Students could now bring papers from classes to get help on their writing problems in the context of their own writing. Hours were also expanded to be 8am-9pm, Mon-Thu and 8-5pm on Fridays.

In 1994, two additional services were added to the Writing Center: tutoring for sophomore literature students and help with study skills (Adams 3). 

1996, Ms. Jerrie Callan, Senior Lecturer in English, was named as the third director. 

In 2004, Dr. Mary Lynn Klingman, Senior Lecturer in English, was named as the fourth director. 

In 2010, the Writing Center collaborated with Student-Athlete Services to establish the “Athletic Writing Center,” the first satellite writing center. Located in the Simpson Athletics and Academic Center, the Athletic Writing Center employed English Department graduate students as tutors. The Athletic Writing Center was in operation until 2015. 

From 2011-2016, the Writing Center also operated a second satellite writing center in the School of Social Work. Graduate consultants were placed in this downtown location to serve social work students. 

In 2012, the Writing Center and the Graduate School collaborated to create the Graduate Writing Center (GWC). The consultants in the GWC are advanced doctoral students from various departments who provide feedback to graduate students working on seminar papers, theses, and dissertations. The GWC does not have a physical location, so the consultants meet with writers on campus at a place of their choosing. 

In 2016, the Writing Center began contracting with WCOnline, a web-based appointment and reporting system. Previously, staff recorded appointments by hand.

In May 2017, long-time Writing Center Director Dr. Mary Lynn-Klingman retired, and Dr. Kara Poe Alexander, Associate Professor of English in Professional Writing and Rhetoric, became the new director. 

In Fall 2017, the first Graduate Assistant Director (GAD) was hired. The Writing Center also began offering online video consultations. 

In Fall 2018, with funds from the Provost’s Office, the Writing Center expanded its staff to include thirteen undergraduate consultants from across the disciplines. Consultations were also expanded from 30 minutes to 45 minutes.

In Spring 2019, (1) The Writing Center changed its name to the “University Writing Center,” or “UWC.” This rebranding helped us emphasize that we are a service for the entire university community, serving students, faculty, and staff from any discipline on campus. (2) The first tutor education semester-long course (“Tutoring Writing”) was offered to undergraduate students as a prerequisite for becoming undergraduate consultants. The course provides training in writing, tutoring, pedagogical theory, and interpersonal communication. (3) The UWC began offering asynchronous online consultations (i.e., written feedback). (4) The UWC expanded to 50-minute sessions based on feedback from writers and consultants.

Also in Spring 2019, on February 18, the UWC opened its new location in Moody Memorial Library (2nd floor West), securing a total of 2,400 square feet. This space was renovated with money from the University, the Libraries, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the English Department. A Grand Opening ceremony was held on April 9, 2019, and President Linda Livingstone attended and spoke. 

From March-December 2020, during the COVID-19 global pandemic, the UWC closed its physical location and went completely online. Consultants conducted video conferences and written feedback appointments from their homes around the country, and students participated in these appointments from their homes all over the world. Prior to this semester, only graduate consultants completed written feedback appointments, but in March 2020, all tutoring staff were available for these kinds of appointments.  

In Fall 2020, after a national search, Dr. Lauren Short joined the Baylor faculty as the first assistant director of the UWC. This position came about because of a proposal Dr. Alexander wrote about the need to hire more professional staff for coverage of the UWC and staff management. 

From 2020-2022, we navigated the Covid-19 worldwide pandemic, adjusting and accommodating as needed to protect our staff and students, while also making sure our services were not interrupted. In January 2021, the UWC reopened in person at limited capacity after having been solely online for 10 months. Our online services of video conferences and written feedback appointments continued to thrive. 

In October 2022 after a national search, Claire Seekins started in the UWC as the first full-time coordinator. This new position emerged due to a proposal that Dr. Alexander submitted to the Dean’s Office in which she argued for a new full-time staff person in the UWC to provide greater coverage of the space and staff management. 

In June 2023, the UWC moved from under the purview of the English Department to the College of Arts and Sciences. This move gave the UWC greater visibility, autonomy, and prominence within the University. 

In Fall 2023, the UWC created an official Outreach Team to formalize and operationalize our outreach. Undergraduate and graduate consultants volunteer to be on this team, and they give UWC intro presentations and writing content presentations to students and faculty.

In Spring 2024, the UWC commemorated its 40th anniversary with a celebration in the Library. We began with a formal program in the Schumacher Flex Commons and followed with a reception in the writing center space. Guest speakers included Provost Nancy Brickhouse, Dr. Dianna Vitanza (founder and first director of the Writing Center), Dr. Lee Nordt (Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences), and Kylee Schwartz (an undergraduate consultant). Special guests included all former directors, with the exception of Ms. Mary Massirer who was represented by her daughter Laura Scott. We ordered t-shirts and cups for the event and had a lovely time celebrating the past four decades of the Writing Center at Baylor.