Collaborating to Support International-Student Writers

Abstract

Picciotto and Bauer discuss collaborations between academic and non-academic units at a large public university experiencing rapid growth in its population of international undergraduates. Focusing specifically on the writing component of a summer transition program for first-year international students, the authors discuss efforts to bridge the gap between academic affairs and student affairs in order to effectively introduce students to the conventions of American academic discourse. Picciotto and Bauer detail the successes that emerged as a result of cross-campus collaborations; they demonstrate that such collaborations, while sometimes challenging, can promote intellectual growth of students as well as of the collaborators themselves. However, they also point to the need for meaningful institutional commitment in order to sustain the positive effects of collaboration in the long term.

Postscript from the Editors

Complex Collaboration—Picciotto and Bauer overcame multiple challenges, not the least of which was the sheer number of units involved in this project. At a minimum, there were eight major participants—nine if one views the body of international students as one entity. However, at one point, they write, “Now, with common goals and a shared vision, we had established a relationship of mutual trust,” and it is clear that respect was a major factor in the success of the venture. The authors note that this respect was earned by both sides: the SAA respected their expertise regarding methods and practices, while the academic WCD and WPA gained deeper respect for the “practical challenges” and the “complexity involved in dealing with the whole student.” The authors also offer us a model for assessment of collaboration, and they model the evolution of complex collaboration by their willingness to “rethink and revise” the program in order to more effectively support the international students whose needs were the impetus to the initial collaborative effort.

Practical Implications—Picciotto and Bauer suggest ways distinct campus writing programs can come together for the good of students. Recounting their experiences working with incoming international students as a case study, the authors demonstrate how six undergraduate writing programs and the writing center transcended boundaries by reaching out to other campus organizations (i.e., student affairs) to create a more meaningful experience for new international students—a program that considered not only disciplinary concerns but also information that students needed to succeed on their campus. Summer Bridge and International Transitional programs are destined to fail if student need is not at the center of program design. Given shifting institutional strategic plans and funding models, writing programs would also do well to collaborate in the name of self-preservation. Picciotto and Bauer’s case study offers specific ways to begin this process. By integrating various writing programs with other campus organizations, administrators can increase the chance of student success/retention and continued center funding.