WNCC 2010 Self-Study Report - Western Nebraska Community ...

other areas, and in Alliance, the Student Services Director for the campus makes arrangements.
At times, instructors are also granted release time to offer tutoring at the other campuses. That
has happened several times over the years at the Scottsbluff location as well, but it is more likely to
occur at Sidney or Alliance since Scottsbluff has a Coordinator designated to manage the Center.
Writing Center
The WNCC Writing Center, now housed in a remodeled space in the main building at Scottsbluff,
serves the writing needs of the entire WNCC student population through face-to-face tutorials with
a staff of certified tutors and qualified student tutors, or via an Online Writing Center equipped to
handle live chats with students. Writing Center staff members assist students in understanding
their assignments, encourage their participation in the writing process, and help develop student
critical thinking and editing skills. Twelve computer stations and a reference library are provided.
A full-time faculty member serves as the Writing Center Coordinator.
In addition to serving drop-in students, the WNCC Writing Center oversees mandatory labs for all
students enrolled in either the Basic Writing or Developmental Writing courses. These students
must attend a regularly scheduled one-hour lab session once a week throughout the semester.
Lab students are required to complete a short survey upon completion of their lab experience, and
recent responses show that 93% of the students had a beneficial experience in the Writing Center
(RR 86).
Since 2006, the Writing Center has experienced an increase each term in the number of drop-in
students using its services (RR 87). This increase can be attributed to more streamlined tutorial
practices and an engagement in sound pedagogy, as well as efforts to increase the awareness of
the services. Beginning in the fall semester of 2009, drop-in students will be required to fill out a
short survey regarding the help received and facilities at the Writing Center. Continued training
opportunities for Writing Center tutors are being sought to ensure that the Writing Center staff stays
current in practices and supports student learning. A full-time faculty member at Scottsbluff serves
as the Coordinator for the Writing Center, getting teaching release time for her duties. The
information below details the usage of the Writing Center at Scottsbluff.
Term
Table 7-45 Writing Center Statistics
Number of Basic & Developmental
Writing Lab Students
Number of Drop-In
Student Visits
Total Contact
Hours
Summer/Fall
2005
114 449 1339
Spring 2006 71 441 1103
Summer/Fall
2006
117 403 1480
Spring 2007 55 606 1094
Summer/Fall
2007
95 699 1466
Spring 2008 62 710 1205
Summer/Fall
2008
102 833 1731
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