Date: April 11, 2007
Contact: Lindsay Gladstone
Governors State University
Phone: (708) 534-7090
Fax: (708) 534-8399
Email: l-gladstone@govst.edu
For Immediate Release
University Park, IL, April 11, 2007 – In an age when computers make everything easier and more accessible, it is no wonder that Governors State University (GSU) has offered its online tool to help the students of area community colleges improve their writing skills more effectively and conveniently.
The Writing Center at GSU offers its students and the students of Kankakee Community College a fast, concise review of their papers online. According to Dr. Becky Nugent, Writing Center Coordinator, students email completed papers to tutors who provide revision suggestions within 24 hours.
“We offer convenient and easy access to tutors,” said Nugent. “Our students are busy with work and families, as well as school. This service enables them to get the guidance they need without having to come to the university, wait in line, or lose precious time.”
In an effort to expand the service to include students from area community colleges, representatives from Joliet Junior College, South Suburban College, Prairie State College, and Moraine Valley Community College met with Kankakee Community College and GSU Writing Center representatives last week.
“The most important result of our meeting is that in addition to the online writing center service, we will all work together to begin a south suburban college writing consortium, which will be open to all writing center personnel and writing teachers at colleges in the south suburban area,” said Nugent. “The first meeting will be in the fall. The planning committee will begin work soon.”
Nugent explained that the consortium will examine methods to improve the writing skills of the students attending college.
“Improving students’ writing skills is the goal of each college’s writing or tutoring center. We hope to develop methods together that help all of our students succeed.”
The success of the GSU and KCC collaboration illustrated the possible benefits of each institution pooling their education resources. According to Nugent, 129 KCC students used the GSU Writing Center services online during the fall semester.
“The collaboration between our schools was vital,” said Julia Walsh, Dean of Learning Services at Kankakee Community College. “It allowed us to provide additional resources for our students.”
According to Nugent, Governors State University has also seen how effective the Online Writing Center’s services are in assisting students taking classes at GSU campuses in Kankakee and Naperville. “Students at the Kankakee Education Center and the Naperville Education Center do not need to come to the main university campus to access the support services that help them succeed. This online service makes writing guidance readily available.”
