Seven tutors and one Writing Center for 3,941 students.
This semester, the Fairfield Writing Center faces rising numbers of students in need. At the same time, the Writing Center staff has dropped from 11 tutors to only seven.
“We’re just feeling the pressure of having all of our slots filled,” said Alexandra Gross ’09, a tutor since the fall of her sophomore year and current assistant managing editor of The Mirror.
Beth Boquet, former director of the Writing Center and co-author of “The Everyday Writing Center” went on sabbatical during spring 2007 and did not teach ENW 290: Writing and Responding, the class that normally preps students to become tutors. This, combined with one current tutor studying abroad, left the Writing Center in need of tutors.
Meanwhile, student use of the Writing Center continues to climb. The number of appointments made during the 2006-2007 school year – 1,532 – increased by 33 percent since the 2003-2004 academic year.
Boquet, who has overseen the writing center since 1994, said she did not foresee a staffing problem when she left on sabbatical.
“I wasn’t that concerned,” she said. “We’ve had that many in the past.”
While on sabbatical, Boquet learned of an opening in the College of Arts and Sciences for the position of assistant dean. Before applying for the job, she consulted Betsy Bowen, English professor and current acting director and former interim director of the Writing Center, to see if she would fill in at the Writing Center.
Bowen agreed to take on the position but found herself dealing with an escalating number of appointments this fall.
“It’s a lot of pressure on the tutors,” said Bowen. “They have almost every session filled.”
Gross agreed with Bowen’s sentiments: “We’re stretched so thin. We’re not super-tutors.”
Tutors are not the only ones feeling the pressure of understaffing.
Jenn Zocco ’10, an international studies major who has been to the Writing Center several times in the past, could not make an appointment when she needed it most.
Zocco said that she was particularly shocked because she logged on to the Writing Center Web site to make the appointment five days in advance and found only two slots open, both during her class times.
“I was frustrated because I really wanted to do well on the paper,” said Zocco.
Zocco also said that the lack of available hours on Fridays, her only free day during the week, has lowered her faith in the Writing Center.
History major Vivian Carballo ’10 tried to make an appointment early in the semester but found herself thwarted by the lack of Friday hours as well.
“I understand that it’s Friday and people have things to do, but still, they should at least go until 2 o’clock,” said Carballo. “It’s the best day for me to have someone proofread my papers.”
The Writing Center is only open for three hours on Fridays, from 10 a.m.-12 p.m., and from 2-3 p.m. However, on every other weekday, it is open for appointments anywhere from seven to nine hours.
But not everyone has had problems with the Writing Center this semester.
Dan Kagdis ’10, a communications major, is what his friends call a “frequent flyer” at the Writing Center.
He said that he has not had a problem making an appointment yet this semester.
“It was good, I just went online and did it,” said Kagdis.
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