Hi All,
It's been a week since my query, and I have received a great deal of
valuable information from members of the list. Thanks so much to all who
responded.
All best,
Scott
On Sun, Nov 30, 2008 at 7:38 PM, <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Scott,
> My only advice is dream bigger. We had a space that was great 6 years ago,
> with three offices for the full-time faculty as well as a tutor's office and
> a meeting space (and a common area shared with the math tutoring office). It
> seemed brilliant at the time.
>
> We managed to snag one more office as the staff grew, but we now are spread
> out in three different spaces with 5 full-time people and a slew of contract
> and TA people. Our writing centre has lost it's sense of "hub". We don't
> have a receptionist, but need one, yet have nowhere to put him/her.
>
> Rob Irish
> Engineering Communication Program
> University of Toronto
>
>
> Quoting Roger Graves <[log in to unmask]>:
>
> I think Theresa has described the major components that you would need
>> to account for in any layout:
>> reception area, reference area, tutoring spaces/tables, office for the
>> director.
>>
>> I'd reinforce the importance of a water cooler/kettle area for tutors
>> to get a cup of tea between sessions; if budgets allow, it would be
>> nice to extend this to the students who come by for tutoring. This only
>> needs to be about 3 feet along a wall somewhere.
>>
>> I'd also like to emphasize the attention to making the space
>> inviting--Theresa's done it with plants and couches; we added some
>> posters as well. We also added a couch for students who arrive early or
>> are hoping for a drop-in session to open up. So you'll want to account
>> for the ambience of the space in your layout designs--perhaps by
>> requesting glass walls on the front wall to allow light to pass into
>> the interior.
>>
>> One thing to consider--a small cubicle/office for online tutoring
>> sessions. When we have had 7 sessions going on at once in our space the
>> noise was quite pronounced, but even a couple of sessions make it hard
>> for a tutor working online with a client to screen out background noise.
>>
>>
>> Roger Graves
>> Director, WAC and Acting Director, Centre for Writers
>> [log in to unmask]
>> http://www.ualberta.ca/~graves1/index.html
>>
>> On Nov 29, 2008, at 6:19 AM, Scott Pound wrote:
>>
>> 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
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
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>>>>
>>>> For the list archives and information about the organization,
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>>>> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Scott Pound
>>> Associate Professor
>>> Department of English
>>> Lakehead University
>>> 955 Oliver Road
>>> Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1
>>> 807-343-8298
>>> [log in to unmask]
>>>
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>>>
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>>>
>>>
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>>
>
> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
> To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to
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>
> For the list archives and information about the organization,
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>
--
Scott Pound
Associate Professor
Department of English
Lakehead University
955 Oliver Road
Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1
807-343-8298
[log in to unmask]
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To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to
[log in to unmask] or, if you experience difficulties,
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