Developing grass roots writing resources: a novel approach to writing within the social work discipline

Abstract

In this case study, we report on the development of a writing-specialist position, the ‘Writing Resource Coordinator (WRC)’, in a school of social work at a large state university in the southern USA. Such programs are facing increasing budgetary pressures at the same time as their growing enrollments strain available resources. Students who arrive under-prepared or un-acculturated to the discipline often suffer high writing-related anxiety, putting them at risk for low performance, or dropping out altogether. The WRC provides discipline-specific ‘grass roots’ writing assistance to the most at-risk students through a program aimed at both students and faculty, providing a two-pronged service strategy including: (a) individual consultations and (b) group-oriented seminars and workshops. We describe the implementation of this resource and offer recommendations for improving upon and adopting this approach in social science programs at comparable institutions.

Keywords:

• writing assistance
• social sciences
• pedagogy
• WID
• WAC

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the University of Texas at Arlington School of Social Work for its support in implementing the Writing Resource Coordinator position. In addition, they would like to thank Maria Bailey and the graduate students who assisted with the literature review.