The Writing Center Can Help!
Here at the Southwestern Oklahoma State University Writing Center, we strive to encourage
writers to be advocates of their own writing and their own voice. Our mission is to
guide writers to the message they wish to convey by helping them tap into knowledge
they either already possess or helping them discover where that knowledge can be found.
We achieve this by developing a unique and necessary level of trust. That trust is built on the understanding that everyone can learn with the right guidance and support. We start by building trust within ourselves and acknowledging that we possess the skills, compassion, and drive needed to support and assist writers. We then build a trust between each member at the WC by viewing each other as valuable advocates and resources, respecting that we are not intended to know everything, and it is okay to ask for help. We then take the levels of trust built in the WC and apply that to the writers we encounter, ensuring they feel comfortable enough to make mistakes as it is through these mistakes where growth and betterment are born.
Since we at the WC do not present ourselves as experts in any field, including writing, we consult under the strict understanding that every consultation should be a collaboration between us and the writer. This is ultimately why we refer to ourselves as “consultants” and do not proofread, for we are here to aid the writer where they feel help is needed. We do not proclaim to “fix” writers or their writing, for neither is broken.
This mindset also ensures that we can be a resource to anyone who enters the WC, from students to faculty and even permitted community members. We understand that everyone benefits from a collaborative voice. In the end, our mission is to guide writers and help them grow their abilities so they will always be heard.
We achieve this by developing a unique and necessary level of trust. That trust is built on the understanding that everyone can learn with the right guidance and support. We start by building trust within ourselves and acknowledging that we possess the skills, compassion, and drive needed to support and assist writers. We then build a trust between each member at the WC by viewing each other as valuable advocates and resources, respecting that we are not intended to know everything, and it is okay to ask for help. We then take the levels of trust built in the WC and apply that to the writers we encounter, ensuring they feel comfortable enough to make mistakes as it is through these mistakes where growth and betterment are born.
Since we at the WC do not present ourselves as experts in any field, including writing, we consult under the strict understanding that every consultation should be a collaboration between us and the writer. This is ultimately why we refer to ourselves as “consultants” and do not proofread, for we are here to aid the writer where they feel help is needed. We do not proclaim to “fix” writers or their writing, for neither is broken.
This mindset also ensures that we can be a resource to anyone who enters the WC, from students to faculty and even permitted community members. We understand that everyone benefits from a collaborative voice. In the end, our mission is to guide writers and help them grow their abilities so they will always be heard.