History

If you look back to the history of writing centers, you will discover that few existed before the 1970s. The ones that did exist were under the auspices of English departments and were mainly laboratories to assist under prepared freshmen writers. These centers targeted students who struggled with grammar problems and/or required remedial attention. Faculty members and graduate students staffed the centers, and most centers were closely connected to composition courses. Early centers were located at the University of Minnesota and the State University of Iowa (Clark 6). One impetus for growth occurred in the 1940s, when the Armed Forces urged colleges to train future military leaders in the areas of written and oral communication. Time was limited, and the students required much attention. Consequently, college programs integrated a laboratory approach and emphasized tutors and one-on-one conferencing (Carino 107).

By the 1960s writing centers or labs became even more common because many schools initiated open admissions policies resulting in a clientele with a wider variety of needs. At this time, the field of rhetoric (the study concerned with speaking and writing effectively) changed, and more instructors became involved with the “process” approach to writing, an approach that focuses on the writer and his activities rather than the product. With the onset of the 1970s, universities declared a literacy crisis due to the large number of students who were ineffective readers and writers, and this provided yet another catalyst for the increase in writing centers (Yahner and Murdick 13). Open admissions and returning soldiers from the Viet Nam War brought many under-prepared students to college campuses (Carino 103). Administrations attempted to provide the assistance students needed. Although these centers continued to be, for the most part, under the supervision of the English departments, the structure varied among institutions.

Writing Centers received an additional impetus in 1977 with the inception of The Writing Lab Newsletter and in 1980, with the first edition of The Writing Center Journal. These publications have been vital in creating a community of scholars who are interested in the world of writing centers. The Writing Center Journal continues to be a forum to present new ideas among institutions.