Hi Betsy! Huron University College's Writing Centre (at UWO) started in
1999 with one person (me) and about 8 hours/week of instruction in my
office. Now we have a dedicated writing centre and 6 staff who hold
about 27 hours/week of appointments and do customized workshops for
faculty on demand. Theresa Hyland.
Betsy Sargent wrote:
> Dear Inkshedders:
> In case anyone else would find this useful, I've compiled responses so
> far about dates when various writing centres were established. At U
> of Alberta, the Writing Task Force will find this information helpful
> SOON (which is why I've taken the time to pull it all together), so
> please--if your institution is not on the list below, see if you could
> send the information to the list ASAP. I'll do my best to do another
> compilation after more replies come in. Many thanks to Wendy K for
> asking the question!
> Best,
> Betsy Sargent
> Department of English and Film Studies
> University of Alberta
> Edmonton, AB T6G 2E5
> CANADA
> (780) 492-0457
> [log in to unmask]
> _____________________________
>
> On Jan 27, 2006, Wendy L. Karglund-Gauthier asked the question below
> on the CASLL/Inkshed listserv:
>
> The StFX Writing Centre is celebrating its 10th year this year. Our
> campus newspaper editor is wondering how old we are in comparison to
> other centres. Could you tell me what year YOUR writing centre was
> established?
> Wendy
> Wendy L. Kraglund-Gauthier
> Academic Skills Instructor
> Camden Hall 113
> (902) 867-4530
> [log in to unmask] www.stfx.ca/people/wkraglun
> The Writing Centre, StFX University
> Antigonish, NS B2G 2W5
>
> Within minutes, the INkshed listserv sprang into action! The
> following responses were received Jan 27:
>
> 1. York U. wrote--
> Ours (Atkinson) started in 1983. The Centre in the Faculty of Arts at
> York is
> older; it probably started in the early 1970s.
> Leslie
> [log in to unmask]
>
> 2. Ottawa wrote--
> The Academic Writing Help Centre at the University of Ottawa was
> started in
> 1999.
>
> Martin Holock
> Assistant aux communications / Communications Assistant
> Service d'appui au succès scolaire (SASS)
> Student Academic Support Service (SASS)
> Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
> 110, rue Université / 110 University
> 613.562.5800 poste/xt.3394
> Téléc/Fax 562.5229
> (Martin also sent the results of his recent research on writing
> centres, a list of places that do not have writing centres--or if they
> do, the WC didn't seem to have a significant web presence--then a
> bunch of other emails came in with info or URLs for writing centres at
> a few of the places on his list. I'm hoping that maybe he'll send out
> an updated list soon, once email updates stop coming in? or that
> someone else will?)
>
> 3. Wilfred Laurier wrote--
> The Writing Centre at Laurier was established in its current form in
> 1997.
>
> Emmy Misser, MA
> Manager: Writing Centre
> Wilfrid Laurier University
>
> 75 University Avenue West
> Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
> N2L 3C5
> (519) 884-0710, ext. 3339
>
> 4. Saint Mary's at Halifax wrote:
> The Writing Centre at Saint Mary's opened in 2002.
>
> Julie-Ann Stodolny
> Director, The Writing Centre
> Saint Mary's University
> Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 3C3
> (902) 491-6201
> [log in to unmask]
>
> 5. UT wrote:
> U of T always likes to claim it was first! Innis College and
> Woodsworth College started a couple of "writing labs" in the early
> 1970s -- I've been told 1972. Now we have at least 14 units, though
> called a lot of different names and doing a wide range of teaching
> (there's a list of links at www.utoronto.ca/writing/centres.html).
>
> Margaret Procter, Ph.D.
> University of Toronto Coordinator, Writing Support
> 15 King's College Circle, Toronto ON M5S 3H7
> 416 978-8109; FAX 416 971-2027
>
> [log in to unmask]
> http://www.utoronto.ca/writing
>
> Also from UT, Rob Irish responded at almost exactly the same time:
> "Actually our program in Engineering Communication Program in Toronto
> is also
> 10 yrs old this year. Our college writing centres are generally much
> older,
> but someone with a longer institutional memory/historical knowledge
> would have
> to tell you just how old."
> [log in to unmask]
>
> Also from UT:
> The UTSC Writing Lab was established in 1978. I don't know exactly
> when it changed to the Writing Centre, though ten years is a
> reasonable guess.
> Sarah King
>
> Sarah King, PhD
> ** Coordinator, UTSC Writing Centre
> *** Lecturer, Department of Humanities
> **** University of Toronto at Scarborough
> ***** 1265 Military Trail
> ****** Toronto, ON
> ******* M1C 1A4
> ******** tel(416) 287-7480
> ********* fax (416) 287-7507
>
> 6. Winnipeg wrote:
> The University of Winnipeg Writing Centre started in 1988.
>
> Janice Freeman
> Janice Freeman <[log in to unmask]>
> Also, Winnipeg has a great resource online for checking out places
> where tutoring is offered in Canada:
>
> "Many years ago, I worked with our tutors to set up a site identifying
> where tutoring was offered in Canadian Univeristies and colleges. As
> I'm no longer coordinating the Tutoring Centre here at U. of W., the
> site is embarrasingly out of date.
>
> http://io.uwinnipeg.ca/~cawtutor/Writing_Centres/Canadian_Writing_Centres.html
>
>
> If there's a group of tutors/coordinators who wants to take up the
> torch and get this resource up to date, I'd gladly pass it on. Is it a
> useful/necessary resource? Perhaps we just need to let it fade from
> the Internet."
> Janice
>
> 7. Simon Fraser wrote:
> This is an interesting question, Wendy.
> I am also wondering, watching the list of responses grow, if anyone
> knows of
> a university, other than SFU, which does not have a writing centre?
> Or even
> another post-secondary institution? [Martin responded here with his
> list.]
> Janet Giltrow and Michelle Valiquette began writing centre work at SFU
> around 1987 I think, (I'll check that) and the unit itself was dismantled
> around 1999/2000, about to be resurrected this year...or next...we
> hope...we're waiting for it!
>
> Wendy Strachan
> Wendy Strachan <[log in to unmask]>
>
> 8. McGill wrote:
> The McGill Writing Centre started as a tutorial service in 1978 and
> offered its first course in January 1980. (Boy, does that make me feel
> old!)
>
> Anthony Paré
> Director
> Centre for the Study and Teaching of Writing
> Faculty of Education
> McGill University
> 514-398-5600
> [log in to unmask]
>
> 9. U of New Brunswick at Fredericton wrote:
> The url for the UNB Fredericton WC http://extend.unb.ca/wss/
>
> Ken Craft, B.A., M.A., B.Ed.
> Student Development Coordinator
> University of New Brunswick, Saint John
> Ken Craft <[log in to unmask]>
>
> 10. Stanford U in California wrote:
> At Stanford, we started our Writing Center in 2001, so it's one of the
> "youngsters" in the U.S.
> Andrea
> Andrea Lunsford <[log in to unmask]>
>
> 11. U of Calgary wrote:
> The University of Calgary started its Writing Centre in 1978 too, so
> Anthony and I can feel old together.
>
> Dr. Doug Brent
> Associate Dean (Academic)
> Faculty of Communication and Culture, University of Calgary
> Social Sciences 110
> 2500 University Drive N.W.
> Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
> Voice: (403) 220-5458 Fax: (403) 282-6716
> http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dabrent
>
> U of Calgary also wrote in about U of Saskatchewan and Royal Roads:
> I believe the U of Saskatchewan just started its writing centre within
> the last five years. I also believe that Royal Roads was looking into
> starting one as we had a representative from their campus visit our
> writing centre last year.
> Jo-Anne Andre
> U of Calgary
> Jo-Anne Andre <[log in to unmask]>
>
> 12. University of Saskatchewan wrote:
> I can't pin point an exact date for the U of S writing centre, but I
> worked there as a grad student in 1996 and made use of it as a senior
> undergrad in 95, so it's been at least ten years.
>
> Jeanie Wills Course Coordinator Oral & Written Communication
> College of Engineering
> University of Saskatchewan
> 57 Campus Drive
> Saskatoon, SK: S7N 5A9
> 306.966.5360
> [log in to unmask]
>
> 13. Thompson Rivers (formerly U College of the Caribou) wrote:
> The TRU (formerly UCC) Writing Centre opened in 1996, but in preparation
> Susan Bell and I conducted a somewhat informal national review of
> writing centres in 1995.
> For anyone interested, a report with the results is available at
> www.cariboo.bc.ca/ae/WRTGCNTR/Survey.htm
> Henry Hubert
> Henry Hubert <[log in to unmask]>
> (that URL connects to their writing centre and they have an
> interesting page about staffing, but I couldn't find the survey there).
>
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