In a "bias statement" required as prewriting for this project, I wrote that it "has been difficult to focus on questions about The Writing Center and remote learning and give them serious consideration while I worry about things that I consider far more important.” The unfortunate reality I have to accept is that life will go on for most of us in America, despite the overwhelming tragedy that is the COVID-19 pandemic. In all likelihood, the University of Richmond will continue to operate in the fall semester, either in-person or online. President Crutcher sent an email to the UR community on April 29 which stated that “[we] intend to complete a full academic year of on-campus instruction beginning in fall 2020.” He noted, however, that classes could be forced to go online, depending on the progress of the virus. As uncomfortable as I might feel doing it, I must consider how our center would best operate if the university were to conduct classes remotely. I believe The Writing Center can continue to succeed in an online format if it makes video conferences between Consultants and students mandatory, along with adopting an increased focus on assignment sheet and error analyses.

I would say the effectiveness of remote tutoring is contingent on the video conference that would theoretically take place between tutor and student. It would be incredibly difficult for a tutor to convey anything of relative value via Google Docs without overloading the student with comments. Furthermore, there is much more to pick up on for both the student and tutor when there is a visual component to the dialogue. As Cooper et al. observe, “[despite] all the strategies tutors use to re-create a dialogue online, one element of conversation remains irrecoverable -- body language” (135-136). These concerns would be ameliorated if tutors and students were to conference over Zoom to supplement the Writing Consultant's written comments. Some students and Consultants, however, might not have access to the technology necessary for a video conference. I do not see a reasonable workaround for this issue, assuming that the university could not supply cameras.

Limited time and money complicates matters further for UR students. A UR student facing a 72 hour advance planning delay might not consider remote tutoring worth his or her time without the added benefits of a video conference. In the past, The Writing Center made walk-in appointments an option for students. Could student tutors viably be put on shifts so that students could contact them for an impromptu appointment? Possibly, although an online walk-in system might be difficult and costly to implement and maintain. All Richmond tutors are, as of now, paid; Bryan Alexander claims that “[closures] are now more on the table than they have been for the past decade” (COVID-19 versus higher ed: the downhill slide becomes an avalanche). UR’s Writing Center could very well face cuts that other programs experience. As of now, I’m not sure there is a way to analyze the expected costs of an effective online writing center in comparison to the potential benefits.

I believe UR is particularly susceptible to the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of retaining students. The university website notes that “UR's Dining Services has won a grand prize from the National Association of College and University Food Services for residential dining and catering, is in the top 50 best dining experiences by College Rank and also in the top 100 nationwide for best campus food with an "A" grade by Niche.” UR’s campus is picturesque and student housing along with extracurricular opportunities are top-quality. Suffice it to say that academics are far from the only reason students come to UR. I would not be surprised if gap years and transfers to less costly online learning institutions became the norm at UR if remote learning stays on the table for another semester. Alexander theorizes a “down-shifting” for families looking to spend less on higher education (COVID-19 versus higher ed: the downhill slide becomes an avalanche). Since UR is at the top of the tuition pyramid, so to speak, it would suffer the most from this, as nobody would “shift down” to UR.

Even still, thousands of students would remain or enroll for one reason or another, and many of those would value an online writing center. Written assignments such as essays seem to be especially favored during remote learning periods because of increased difficulty administering tests. Even if the demand were not as high as it was before the pandemic, it will still exist in some form at UR. Consultants working remotely could focus specifically on analyzing assignment sheets, for example. Anna Kendall explains that:

[the] assignment sheet, as illustrated through [her] experiences as a writing tutor, is often neglected or misunderstood by student writers … If tutors work with their tutees on analyzing the assignment sheet and providing strategies for interpreting it, then students may not only understand the assignment better but also become aware that the assignment sheet is a significant text that must be incorporated into their planning processes. (5)

It follows that a professor working remotely would supply a thorough assignment sheet to his or her students. In some cases, the assignment sheet could be the only form of instruction the student receives regarding an essay. Classes which do not meet via Zoom could leave students without sufficient clarification of what exactly they are expected to do. A tutor working remotely could easily help students work through the strategies Kendall outlines, provided they have the ability to video conference with the student.

David Bartholomae's system of "Error analysis" is another aspect of tutoring that could become increasingly relevant in an online forum. Bartholomae argues that:

[error] analysis can assist instruction at another level. By having students share in the process of investigating and interpreting the patterns of error in their writing, we can help them begin to see those errors as evidence of hypotheses or strategies they have formed and, as a consequence, put them in a position to change, experiment, imagine other strategies. Studying their own writing puts students in a position to see themselves as language users, rather than as victims of a language that uses them. (258-259)

If anything, Writing Consultants will have more patterns of errors to analyze in a remote setting. Consultants often work with students taking first-year seminars. Considering the fact that incoming freshmen will have lost some of their final years of high school and will likely be especially rusty in terms of writing academically, the “basic writing” Bartholomae attempts to describe will be especially fluid. I anticipate a steeper learning curve for students enrolled in first-year seminars, making error analysis even more important than it already is. Cooper et al. encourage starting the conversation with a rhetorical question, meant to promote dialogue and “[suggest] an openness, a give-and-take between writer and tutor … the uncertainty expressed in the rhetorical nature of the question indicates the tutor’s intention to proceed with an open mind” (132). That give-and-take is key to presenting a virtual environment where a student can feel comfortable expressing his or her ideas. The writing center would have to reestablish its inherent value to students if it transferred to an online format. While there would certainly still be a student demand for writing assistance, there could be a sense of skepticism in regards to The Writing Center’s effectiveness. An increased focus on error analysis in the style that Bartholomae promotes would help students overcome that skepticism along with helping them become stronger writers.

It goes without saying that there are more important subjects than written assignments on UR students’ minds at this time. Still, there is value in preparing for the scenario that COVID-19 forces UR to conduct classes remotely in the fall. There will likely be a record number of gap years and withdrawals in lieu of paying $65,000 for online classes, but there will still be plenty of students enrolling in rigorous classes and wanting help with their writing. Academics might not be the only factor bringing students to UR, but we do have an esteemed faculty that will likely approach an online fall semester with a more concrete plan to teach effectively. Even if this pandemic were to continue indefinitely, there will be a constant demand for writing skills. I am confident that minor adjustments will preserve the integrity of the tutor-student relationship and that The Writing Center at UR can continue helping students hone their writing skills, despite a hypothetical online setting.

Works Cited:

Alexander, B. “COVID-19 versus higher ed: the downhill slide becomes an avalanche.” Bryan Alexander (March 2020). https://bryanalexander.org/future-of-education/covid-versus-higher-ed-the-downhill-slide-becomes-an-avalanche/

Bartholomae, D. “The Study of Error.” College Composition and Communication 31.3 (Oct. 1980): 253-269.

Cooper, G. et al. “Protocols and Processes in Online Tutoring.” A Tutor's Guide to Helping Writers One to One 2 (Aug. 2005): 129-139.

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