Life as we know it has halted. I should be on the University of Richmond campus, dragging myself out of my dorm room exceptionally early to set up camp in the basement of Boatwright Memorial Library with an 8:15 latte that I bought with my dangerously low dining dollar balance. Instead, I’m in my childhood bedroom drinking the drip coffee my dad made. Summer employment, study plans, and almost all of my future endeavors have been halted. It seems like yesterday that I found out that I was accepted into a program to study at the University of Edinburgh for the Fall 2020 semester. I also obtained the position of International Editor at The Collegian, the UR independent newspaper, under the assumption that I and many others would be writing news stories while abroad. My fall semester was supposed to be a dream come true. Now, after the cancellation of all international education programs for the Fall 2020 semester, that dream has rapidly slipped out of my fingers.

Not only are my future plans in limbo, but so are those of colleges and universities. Bryan Alexander’s article summarizes the possible future financial hardships of higher education institutions, specifically all those except for community or online colleges. A looming recession leaves the possibility for decreased spending and enrollment, as well as an increase in refunding. Even UR, an institution that relies solely on private donations and tuition payments, issued partial refunds for housing and meal plans.

As I am entering my new role as a Writing Consultant in the fall, I also am forced to think about the future of academics at UR. How can I, a brand new Consultant, grow my tutoring skills during this time of remote instruction? This first brought me immense fear. I was nervous enough to start a new job, especially one that had such an enormous impact on academic performance. How can I make sure that those who elect to use the writing center get the same quality of tutoring that they would in personal consultations?

My answer to this is simple. I won’t be able to. There is no way to replicate the benefits of in-person consulting in a remote setting. However, I do think that with enough determination, the Writing Center will be able to continue effective tutoring through remote means. Some of the training I and my ENGL 383 classmates received this semester has prepared us for both in-person and remote instruction.

We, as Writing Consultant trainees, have done more than simply read about this phenomenon. Since the switch to remote learning, our training has switched to a focus on online tutoring as well. Each week we have been submitting written responses for our peers to give commentary on, giving us more practice on using an informal voice in consulting. In addition, it has allowed us to familiarize ourselves with the process of offering suggestions and comments on Google Docs, which is the primary source of document sharing between Consultant and student. Remote tutoring may not be ideal. But, the abrupt switch to remote instruction may have created a new generation of Writing Consultants that are more than equipped to take this challenge head-on.

Although it isn’t ideal, I think that the writing center can continue sessions without face to face, or rather webcam to webcam, conferences. We are currently being trained in this way, so it only makes sense that we continue this practice into our time as Writing Consultants. Plus, the inclusion of video conferencing simply leaves room for error. What if the person’s wireless network cannot handle it, especially if there are multiple people in the house using it? What if a technical difficulty halts the session all together? Or what if they are working on a computer that does not have a camera and a microphone? Yes, video conferencing is most definitely the closest thing we can have to in-person consulting. However, we are currently being trained in a way that does not require it and all of the possible roadblocks that come with it. However, keeping the default conferencing on Google Docs comments will allow the process to be much more streamlined and reduce the likelihood of technical difficulties inhibiting the tutoring process. I think that video conferencing can be an option if the writer or Consultant thinks that it is necessary. This could be in cases where the writer is confused by the notes the Consultant left, or if the Consultant does not think that simply writing commentary will help the student learn.

There is one specific writing center practice that, I think, can improve with the practice of remote learning. David Bartholomae’s essay “The Study of Error” introduced me to the idea of error analysis: the practice of understanding why a writing error occurs as opposed to simply correcting an error. In the consulting process, Bartholomae suggests a very hands-off approach to understanding the root of the error; have the student read it aloud, and correct their own mistakes (Bartholomae 266). Oftentimes, errors in writing only occur because there is, as Bartholomae puts it, interference when the sentence is created and when the sentence is written down; in fact, he believes that the majority of errors only occur when the writer places their pen onto the paper (Bartholomae 259). Thus, the role of the Consultant is simple. Point out where the error is, and the writer will correct it themselves (Bartholomae 261). This is where remote learning comes in. Consultants are disconnected from writers more than ever before, making the editing process fiercely impersonal. However, Bartholomae recommends an editing approach that is completely doable, and almost improved, by remote consulting. The inability to be in the same room as the writer, although a hindrance, forces the Consultant to be hands-off in the editing process. The Consultant no longer can offer lengthy suggestions in conversation. Instead, all they can really do is make a comment on the document for the writer to look over the section again to see if there are any errors. In a way, this improves our use of the practice that Bartholomae suggests.

Now, I do think that this practice Bartholomae is effective, but only for writers who are familiar with the required writing style. ESL students or students who are taking the class as a general education requirement may not be familiar with the conventions of that specific type of writing, so they will not be able to recognize errors. These particular cases may require a video conference so that the Consultant can verbally address these issues in a more effective way.

The first assignment I received in the ENGL 383 course after the switch to remote learning was entirely about remote tutoring. We were told to read a chapter A Tutor’s Guide entitled “Protocols and Process to Online Writing” by George Cooper, Kara Bui, and Linda Riker. This chapter addressed all of the challenges and unique requirements of remote tutoring, allowing me and my fellow future Writing Consultant peers to be more aware of the type of tutoring we will be doing. The authors one major point: remote tutoring does not allow for students to hear and see the Consultant talking, causing major issues in the way commentary is delivered (Cooper et. al 131) . A Consultant can’t give oral commentary and written commentary in the same way, especially if the Consultant is unfamiliar with informal virtual correspondence (Cooper et. al 131). If commentary is given in a manner that is much too formal, the student can read those notes in a scolding tone and potentially be discouraged to return to the Writing Center (Cooper et. al 131).Another aspect of my Consultant training was learning the needs that specifically UR students have. For example, Dr. Essid always advised us to staple our commentary to the printed out essay, since he has experienced students losing paper corrections very often. This can also occur if a professor only provides a physical assignment sheet. I have had professors that refuse to have an online hub for students to have access to course documents, assignments, and grades. They never gave a reasoning why they chose to operate in this way, but I suspect that they perceived the creation of an online platform to be a hassle. These are the classes where the professor hands out an assignment sheet and expects us to keep track of it until the assignment is completed. The slippery hands of a typical UR student make keeping track of this vital document very difficult. Furthermore, as we learned in Anna Kendall’s essay “The Assignment Sheet Mystery”, this singular piece of paper can give immense amounts of information on what the professor is specifically looking for. This information can range from the type of voice the student is expected to use to the hidden questions the professor is looking for the paper to answer. In-person learning, although it is most definitely preferred, sometimes does not allow for an occasional missing document.

This is where remote learning comes to the rescue. Professors are forced to provide a digital copy of any document they share with their class, as it is the only way to share it. These documents, whether they are shared through email or an online class hub, are now almost impossible to lose track of. Can’t find an assignment in your downloads folder? Look through the emails that the professor sent you. This makes the job of a Writing Consultant immensely easier. By having easy access to the assignment sheet, the Consultant can make better judgments on what specifically the professor is looking for. Remote learning allows for students to have ready access to all course documents, and also can allow ease of sharing of these documents to writing Consultants to make their job easier. After all, it is easier to do a keyword search in your document folder than go digging through folders and folders of paper.

I do not argue with the idea that personal interaction benefits students. In fact, I think that it is the most important part of the Consultant-student relationship. But when the aspects of our training and the realities of remote learning is taken into consideration, the likelihood of this actually occurring in a social distancing context is low. Instead of in-person or video conferences, I think that the personal aspect of writing consulting can be built over email. The Writing Consultant should email the student directly and ask them questions about themselves and the class. These questions could be along the lines of “Could you explain this class to me?” or “What are your strengths or weaknesses in writing for this class?”, allowing the consultant and student to build trust with each other. These questions should be created by the Consultant so that the process is as personal as possible. As a whole, the correspondence should go as such: the writer contacts the Consultant and shares their paper with them, the Consultant immediately responds with their questions, and then lastly shares their comments on the writing in a way that is informed by the answers to these questions.

I certainly do not prefer remote consulting over in-person consulting. There are so many benefits to the act of physically sitting down with a Consultant that I simply cannot fit them into this paper. However, I do believe that remote instruction is not necessarily the end of higher educational institutions. I do not deny that the coronavirus crisis will bring upon immense financial hardship. Enrollment will most definitely decline, donations will subside, and students will most definitely weigh the options of attending a remote private school versus a remote community college. We will bounce back, though. Writing Consultants are receiving training to be prepared for more remote instruction so that we can best cater to students in the future. Plus, there are some aspects of our instruction that may even benefit from remote learning. There’s also the hope that we will soon return. I chose to attend UR because of the love I had for the community, not the quality of classes. I have seen my dad stay connected with the community he found from his time at UR, keeping contact with his classmates across the country. This is why I think that attending classes at a community college pale in comparison to remote classes at UR. Yes, you get an education at both places. However, UR offers access to an uplifting team of professors and peers that almost guarantee success. We are prepared for another semester of remote learning. UR is working hard to maintain the health, safety, and quality of education for their students. And hopefully, someday soon, I will be writing to you from Boatwright Memorial Library worried about how I’m going to pay for my next coffee.

Works Cited

Alexander, Bryan,. “COVID-19 versus Higher Ed: The Downhill Slide Becomes an Avalanche.” Bryan Alexander, 31 Mar. 2020, https://bryanalexander.org/future-of-education/covid-versus-higher-ed-the-downhill-slide-becomes-an-avalanche/

Bartholomae, David. “The Study of Error.” College Composition and Communication, vol. 31, no. 3, 1980, pp. 253–269.

Cooper, George, et al. “Protocols and Process in Online Tutoring.” A Tutor’s Guide: Helping Writers One to One, 2nd ed, Boynton/Cook Publishers, 2005, pp. 129-139.

Kendall, A. "The Assignment Sheet Mystery." Writing Lab Newsletter 33.1 (Sept. 2008): 1-5.