Purpose

It seems like there's not enough confidence in the tutors to really be proud and certain of the purpose of their job. What is the purpose of the writing center??

We've have been discussing how students are having a harder time writing scholary material for professors and we explored reasons of why that is. Today's secondary education do not encourage writing which require the writer to be knowledgeable. In Bartholmae's article "Investing in the University", he uses the example of describing baseball to an eskimo to explain the level of writing that college students are used to writing. More and more students are needing help with not only the basics in writing and organization but to develop skills of analysis and "scholarly academic writing". I've noticed that our writing center brings in many freshmen students who need help with their english and core papers. I think as more and more students get to know more about the uses of the writing center and how they can use it, more upperclassmen will come to the center with their more academic required papers.

why do writers need the writing center and tutors?

interesting quotes "The writing center... it develops tutor's own writing, interpersonal skills, and teaching abilities."

But I can resist their efforts. In the classroom, I can’t get away from making assignments, and as long as I make them, no matter how englightened or open-ended they may be, they’re still mine.

"introduces middle person, the tutor inhabits a world somwhere between writer and teacher."
I think this implies that the tutor is in effect on a different level from the student. But not necessarily on a higher level.

This passage goes on to compare teachers from writing tutors: " In the center, writers may try to invest me with authority but I can resist their efforts. In the classroom, I can’t get away from making assignments, and as long as I make them, no matter how englightened or open-ended they may be, they’re still mine.