by Ammar Habib
In our age of information and connectivity, social justice and civil discourse seem to be key buzzwords. There is a constant exchange of information, whether online or in-person, and this exchange is a major driving force in the educational, business, and political world of today. As a place of continuous and constant communication of ideas, writing center’s across the country play a major role in this flow of ideas, and they thus play a major role in civil discourse.
Civil discourse is described as conversation that is meant to enhance understanding. A tutoring session in its basic form is an exchange of ideas between the tutor and student, therefore playing into the realm of civil discourse. It is a chance for students and tutors to share their ideas, whether those ideas are written on the page or simply spoken. No tutoring session can end without both the tutor and student making some sort of an impression on each other, big or small.
A writing center is a place for ideas and philosophies to meet. While the writing assignment is the spark that gets students thinking about certain topics, it is the tutoring session that allows them to express their opinions and have their opinions meld with those of the tutor. The tutoring session is the catalyst and the place where ideas are developed and matured. It’s a place where free-thinking and free-expression won’t be discouraged; instead, they will be upheld and all views will be met with respect.
An easy example that illustrates this is a scenario where a student has a paper from their government class in which they need to discuss the 2nd amendment to the US Constitution. They come to the writing center to get help with researching their argument. Whether or not the tutor agrees with the student’s viewpoint, the tutor is still going to discuss the student’s topic with them, asking questions about why the student believes the way they believe and from what angle they want to frame their argument. Through this conversation, the civil discourse will arise. The tutor will ask questions that get the student talking about their feeling on the subject, and in the conversation the tutor’s own opinion may be said as well. With respect, both the tutor and the student will get the chance to say some of their opinion and both will make an impression on the other.
Similar to a public forum, the writing center promotes the free flow of ideas, thus playing a role in the realm of civil discourse. It is this discourse and safe space for ideas that make the writing center and similar facilities so vital to any educational institution.
Ammar Habib is an award-winning & bestselling author based out of Lake Jackson, TX. He is a part-time writing consultant at Brazosport College.
