Writing Center Story

This is my first that I wrote while in MASC 303. It was about the renovated Writing Center.



Sources:
Patty Strong (prstrong@vcu.edu )

Writing Center (ucollege@vcu.edu )

Amanda Adams (adamsar@vcu.edu mailto:adamsar@vcu.edu)

A new chapter for VCU’s Writing Center

By Bobby McBride

Two years ago, if you tried to get an appointment at the VCU Writing Center, you might have been out of luck, because the facility had only three computers.

"Now, we have 15," said Patty Strong, who is in her sixth year as the center’s director.
After about a year of reconstruction at Hibbs Building, the center has reopened with more space, more resources and more staff.

But the center’s purpose hasn’t changed. Students still come to get help with their writing. The assistance may involve finding a focus for an essay, doing research, producing a draft or proofreading a paper.

"The original Writing Center was not very welcoming to our students. We did not have the facilities for an open lab," Strong said. "Now, we are able to address people in a more effective way."

For example, the number of desks at the center has tripled from three to nine - and the center has a bigger staff, as well.

"In the beginning, we had eight English graduate students as part of our staff. We currently have 17, and hope to increase it by a little more over the next few weeks," Strong said.
One of the new assistants is Ben Dembroski, who is currently working on his master’s degree in the Fine Arts Program. Dembroski works 10 hours a week: two hours on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and four hours on Tuesdays.

Strong said 30-40 students visit the center on a typical day.

Not all of the visitors need help with their writing. Some simply want a nice place to study. On a recent day, a few students were using the computers to do research and homework. Amanda Adams, a freshman at VCU, was one of them.

"I find my time here to go on the computer and do my homework here in order to fulfill my obligated credits to keep going in women's tennis," Adams said.
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About the Writing Center
The center is located in the renovated Hibbs Building, 900 Park Ave. It is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays. The center has undergone significant expansion from two years ago:

Old:
Three computers
Three desks
Eight English graduate assistants

New:
15 computers
Nine desks
17 English graduate assistants