Welcome to the
Michigan Writing Centers Association
Website
MiWCA History
The MiWCA was started by a graduate student, Jill Johnson (Reglin), when she was working in the Michigan State University Writing Center. Because she wanted to know more about the writing support offered to students in other colleges and universities throughout the state, she contacted those institutions, developed a list of writing center professionals working in Michigan, and organized an all-day special interest group meeting at the 1994 Michigan Council of Teachers of English conference. At this meeting, the Michigan Writing Centers Project was initiated. During the 1994-1995 school year, two other general meetings were held—one at the MSU Writing Center and one at the Spring Conference on English Language Arts (a.k.a. "Bright Ideas"), a conference sponsored by the MSU English Department and held at MSU every spring.
During the 1994-95 academic year, Jill also worked with Patti Stock, Director of the MSU Writing Center, and Sharon Thomas, Associate Director, to procure a grant from Michigan State University to fund the first Michigan Writing Centers Project Summer Invitational Institute. This institute, based on the National Writing Project model, was designed to bring together faculty, staff, and students who provided writing workshop support in the colleges and universities across the state of Michigan. Fourteen applicants were chosen for the two-week long institute, which offered a $750.00 stipend or up to three graduate credits. Many of the participants of that first institute are still active members of the MiWCA. During the institute, the Michigan Writing Centers Project formed a Steering Committee.
When the fifteen-member Steering Committee next met at Western Michigan University on August 10, 1995, the Michigan Writing Centers Association was born and a constitution was drafted.
The first “Ideas Exchange” was held in October 1995 at the University of Michigan—Flint. The provisional constitution and by-laws were presented and an ad hoc advisory board formed.
The goals of the MiWCA have remained largely the same since its inception. They are as follows:
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To hold one Ideas Exchange per year (for both faculty and tutors/consultants) on different campuses around the state
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To continue to encourage people to join our listserves
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To coordinate proposals for writing center sessions at state, regional, and national conferences and use those conferences for convening our own special interest group
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To support one another’s ongoing praxis-oriented research projects aimed at improving writing center practices
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To consult with one another as we develop and refine writing workshop support programs across the state of Michigan
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To provide mentoring for new writing center colleagues
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To liaison with regional, national, and international writing centers organizations
We strive to make our online resources useful in fostering these goals. If you would like more information about the organization, please feel free to send us an email under the "Contact Us" tab.
(Some of the text on this page was borrowed from Sharon Thomas’ article, “The Michigan Writing Centers Association,” which appeared in the October 1995 issue of The Writing Lab Newsletter)
Past MiWCA Conferences
OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
East Central Writing Centers Association (ECWCA)
A regional association which includes writing centers from Michigan, Ohio,
Indiana, Northern Kentucky, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
International Writing Centers Association (IWCA)
An international association that promotes development and communication among
all writing centers.
OTHER CONFERENCES
PUBLICATIONS
resources
COMMUNICATION
Websites
CONTACT US
MiWCA General Questions:
Ashley Cerku
Website Manager
2019 MiWCA Conference Questions:
Daniel Lawson
Director
Central Michigan University
Writing Center
Join our listserv
The MiWCA listserv is the primary communication tool for writing centers in the state of Michigan. If you would like to be part of the listserv, please email Trixie Smith (smit1254@msu.edu).
To subscribe:
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Mail a message to listserv@msu.edu
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In the subject of your message, type: Subscribe MiWCS
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In the message content, type: subscribe MiWCS, your first name, & your last name
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You will receive a reply letting you know that you have been added to the list. Once you have been added, you can send messages to the listserv address: miwcs@list.msu.edu