Dear Theresa,
Thanks so much for this. It's very helpful to me.
sp
On Fri, Nov 28, 2008 at 12:23 PM, Dr. Theresa Hyland
<[log in to unmask]>wrote:
> I work at Huron University College which is a small liberal arts college
> attached to the University of Western Ontario. After having put up with a
> "shared space' which was sometimes a writing centre and at other times a
> conference meeting room , we have just moved into a new dedicated Writing
> Skills Centre space. It is wonderful! We now have an administrative
> assistant who is available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. every day. She keeps
> track of our appointments and our waiting list. My office is a windowed
> room at the back of the writing centre space. These windows have blinds
> which can be closed if I need privacy. In the Writing Centre, we have
> windows all along one wall, which we have filled with flowering plants. We
> have two round tables for student appointments, which are divided with a
> space divider, and a waiting area with two couches. We also have an area
> where students and tutors can sit at our two PC's and work on their essays
> or go online to check reference materials. Finally, we have bookshelves
> filled with reference books and handouts, and a table with coffee/ tea going
> all the time. The results? Our tutors are happy, and our writing centre
> appointments are almost always completely booked. While we were always
> pretty busy before, there were times of the year when the tutors and I were
> pretty lonely. This was partly because our Writing Centre was a moveable
> feast, partly because the room was not built to house a writing centre and
> partly because it was often filled with equipment that had nothing to do
> with writing, but also because we often didn't have anyone around to book
> appointments for us. Now, students who drop into the centre always have
> someone to greet them (me when the other tutors are gone). Moreover, they
> just have to pop next door to make an appointment.
>
> So, I would add some things to Emmy's list of requirements: (1) make sure
> that you have some administrative support close by to make appointments for
> you (2) Make sure you do plan for growth as Emmy says. The only thing that
> I would change if I could, is to have three round tables for appointments
> instead of two --- I often have to take appointments in my office because we
> are so crowded out in the Writing Centre space! If you build it ----- they
> will come, and if you build it right ----- they will come in droves!!!!
> Theresa Hyland.
>
> Scott Pound wrote:
>
>> Hello List Members,
>>
>> I'm conducting research for a proposed writing centre at Lakehead
>> University
>> and am eager to hear from writing centre professionals who have info/ideas
>> about the optimal spatial layout for writing centres. It's a topic that
>> doesn't come up a lot in the literature.
>>
>> The writing centre at Lakehead will be located on the first floor of the
>> main library, possibly (probably) within a Learning Commons (that option
>> is
>> currently being studied). Enrolment at Lakehead is close to 7000.
>>
>> I'll be considering everything from optimal square footage, floorplan,
>> room
>> shape, types and shape of tables, relationship to larger spaces (such as a
>> learning commons), and anything else that seems relevant.
>>
>> Scholarly leads on the topic are most welcome too.
>>
>> Many thanks in advance.
>> Scott
>>
>>
>
> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
> To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to
> [log in to unmask] or, if you experience difficulties,
> write to Russ Hunt at [log in to unmask]
>
> For the list archives and information about the organization,
> its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to
> http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/
> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
>
--
Scott Pound
Associate Professor
Department of English
Lakehead University
955 Oliver Road
Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1
807-343-8298
[log in to unmask]
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to
[log in to unmask] or, if you experience difficulties,
write to Russ Hunt at [log in to unmask]
For the list archives and information about the organization,
its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to
http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
