Supporting Graduate Writers Through a Writing Commons

Authors

  • Christopher Eaton University of Toronto Mississauga
  • Jill Dombroski Western University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11575/ajer.v68i4.73428

Abstract

This paper reports on how we developed a Writing Commons to support graduate student needs within our faculty. Graduate writers often require more concentrated and specific support than traditional support sources (e.g., writing centres, supervisors) can provide. We argue that local writing support spaces, like a Writing Commons, can meet these needs for graduate writers by opening a flexible, student-centric space for both writing support and time to write. We detail how faculties can go beyond just establishing graduate communities and instead provide concentrated writing support for graduate students. A Writing Commons can mitigate the isolation and pressures of the high stakes writing experiences that graduate students face by providing feedback and support, space to discuss common writing challenges within a program, and community with other writers. Near the end of the paper, we discuss steps that others can take to increase support for graduate writers.

Keywords: graduate education, graduate writing, writing support, writing groups, faculty support

Cet article rend compte de la façon dont nous avons développé un centre d'écriture commune pour répondre aux besoins des étudiants diplômés au sein de notre faculté. Les écrivains diplômés ont souvent besoin d'un soutien plus concentré et plus spécifique que celui que les sources de soutien traditionnelles (p. ex., les centres d'écriture, les superviseurs) peuvent offrir. Nous soutenons que les espaces locaux de soutien à l'écriture, comme les centres d'écriture, peuvent répondre à ces besoins des écrivains diplômés en ouvrant un espace polyvalent, centré sur l'étudiant, à la fois pour le soutien à l'écriture et pour le temps d'écrire. Nous expliquons en détail comment les facultés peuvent aller au-delà de la simple création de communautés d'étudiants diplômés et offrir plutôt un soutien à l'écriture visant les étudiants diplômés. Un centre d'écriture peut atténuer l'isolement et la pression des expériences d'écriture à enjeux élevés auxquelles les étudiants diplômés sont confrontés en fournissant des commentaires et du soutien, un espace pour discuter des défis d'écriture communs au sein d'un programme et une communauté avec d'autres écrivains. Vers la fin du document, nous discutons des mesures que d'autres peuvent prendre pour accroître le soutien aux rédacteurs diplômés.

Mots clés : enseignement supérieur, rédaction pendant les études supérieures, soutien à la rédaction, groupes de rédaction, soutien du corps enseignant

Author Biographies

Christopher Eaton, University of Toronto Mississauga

Christopher Eaton is an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream in Writing Studies at the University of Toronto Mississauga. His work focuses on how students can inform writing pedagogies, with a particular lens that examines writing and learning transfer. He often blends his backgrounds in writing and education in his current research and pedagogy. He started the Writing Commons in 2017-2018 and continued the initiative in various capacities until 2020 when he completed his PhD.

Jill Dombroski, Western University

Jill Dombroski is a PhD Candidate in the Faculty of Education at Western University. Jill was the coordinator of the Writing Commons from 2019 - 2020, and has reprised the role in 2022. She also instructs and researches early interventions for beginning readers and writers in-class and virtually.
Jill’s doctoral research informs curriculum related to death and loss in medical and teacher education. She is working on two streams of educational change to prepare these professionals better. In her doctoral research, she studies how physicians are prepared for end-of-life conversations with patients. Her other focus is professional development for educators on how different types of loss may impact learners in the classroom.

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Published

2022-12-21

How to Cite

Eaton, C., & Dombroski, J. (2022). Supporting Graduate Writers Through a Writing Commons . Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 68(4), 499–514. https://doi.org/10.11575/ajer.v68i4.73428

Issue

Vol. 68 No. 4 (2022): Winter

Section

ARTICLES

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