Christine Cummings and Nicole MacLaughlin of the University of Notre Dame presented “The Writing and Rhetoric Tutorial: Relationship Building as Basic Writing Pedagogy.”
The course is designed as an extended bridge program focused on extending the summer bridge program. Students apply to take it (rather than being required to take it). It draws on existing supports for the student at the university but puts the support personnel and faculty in conversation with one another such as counselors, advisors, undergraduate teaching assistants, and tutors. It features tutoring and wrap around services. The tutorial focuses on meta-cognition about writing. The students are put into small groups based on something students have in common, such as their experiences as international students or as athletes. The model focuses on a network of supportive relationships to support struggling writers.
MacLaughlin ended the discussion with the question of how they can roll this out to a larger group of students. Does it need to grow?
Council on Basic Writing 
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