This is great, Betsy!
Thanks so much!
Wendy
-----Original Message-----
From: CASLL/Inkshed [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Betsy Sargent
Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2006 3:56 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: When Writing Centres in Canada were established
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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For the list archives and information about the organization,
its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to
http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/
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