English Alum Courtney Mustoe Leads the Charge for Starting a Writing Center at Iowa Western Community College
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Courtney Mustoe, an alum of the UNO English department, is currently Co-director of the new Iowa Western Community College Writing Center. Mustoe earned her MA in English, focusing on Composition and Rhetoric, in 2012. While pursuing her MA, she was a Graduate Teaching Assistant and Senior Writing Center Consultant. Now, in addition to being Co-director of the IWCC Writing, Mustoe is a fulltime Instructor at IWCC, teaching primarily Developmental Writing and Composition.
Last year, sensing that a writing center would never gain traction until they proved its value, every full-time instructor in the IWCC English department volunteered as writing consultants two hours per week during the fall and spring semesters. They found an open room, cobbled together some supplies, and sang the praises of writing centers to anyone who would listen. Soon, many students in their writing classes were visiting them, the word gradually spread to students and instructors in other disciplines.
They were able to demonstrate that it was a service students needed and wanted. This, in conjunction with other needs at the college, convinced administration to provide them a small budget with which to pilot a more formal writing center for Fall 2016. They will be able to offer students more consistent hours and pay consultants for their time and expertise. The writing center will also be housed next to IWCC’s current academic support services, which Mustoe hopes will make them more visible and accessible.
At the moment, the two co-directors, Mustoe and a staff member from Student Services (IWCC’s Director of Academic Supports), hope to demonstrate that writing centers are an integral component of students' learning experiences at college. Perhaps they will be granted a more long-term budget with which to grow the Writing Center and, thus, its positive effects to the entire IWCC community.