The Writing Center at California Lutheran University has made adjustments for the fall 2023 semester, which includes a smaller team and reduced working hours.
“It’s a reflection of the university budget. We also look at the data of our utilization. Over the pandemic, it was really bad, and the utilization went down,” Scott Chiu, director of The Writing Center and associate professor of English, said. “So we don’t need that many people working here. We don’t need to cover so many hours because the resources will go to waste.”
The Writing Center’s operating hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Writing Center also offers off-schedule hours, which can be booked through their website.
According to Writing Center Coordinator Jessamine Rodil, The Writing Center’s hours have also been adjusted so they are more in line with the library, which has adjusted its hours too.
“Usually, the only thing with the few consultants is that there’s only one, maybe two consultants available at any moment when you walk in. In past years, it might’ve been two or three consultants at a time,” Senior and Writing Consultant Cori Pizano said.
Despite the change in operating hours, Pizano said shift hours for writing consultants have remained the same.
According to Rodil, writing consultants typically sit next to their students to provide a greater sense of comfort and to make sure the two are working together. When writing consultants are not helping a student, they can work on their research papers.
“All of our consultants are working on projects right now that are geared towards research they’re interested in,” Rodil said.
Chiu said every student worker representing The Writing Center wants to have their supervisor’s support, and it was not as strong as he wanted it to be in the past. He also said that fewer students are aware of the resources that The Writing Center provides, which is something they hope to change in the future.
Chiu has been teaching a tutor training course for several years. Rodil said the course covers theory and pedagogy, where one can better understand what it is like to be a writing consultant.
The Writing Center has also recently started to collaborate with Thousand Oaks High School, as they have been in the process of opening a writing center. Chiu said Cal Lutheran’s Writing Center is looking into doing more projects and outreach.
“We wanted to support them because we’re very excited for them. High school writing centers do exist, but a lot of them are on the East Coast. There are a couple of them here, but there’s a little far and few between,” Rodil said.
Rodil said that all students are highly encouraged to walk into The Writing Center, even if they have a simple question about their work or where to put a comma.
“Even after you graduate, you can come to The Writing Center once you’re an alumni. So it’s very helpful, can help with your CVs, resumes, and cover letters,” Rodil said.
Moving forward, Chiu said that they might change back based on the conditions, and that The Writing Center will adapt based on what needs to be done.
