After more than 40 years of supporting writers and educators across Tucson, the University of Arizona’s Writing Skills Improvement Program is closing its doors this fall, marking the end of a longtime resource that served not only university students but also middle and high schoolers.

The program’s director, Andrea Hernandez Holm, sent a statement to the campus community July 17 letting them know the program had been terminated.

The decision to close the program was made by the college of humanities.

The Writing Skills Improvement Program was created in the early 1980s with the goal of supporting writers and teachers of all grades. The program provided:

• Training, mentoring and guidance to UA students, faculty and staff;
• Support and training for middle and high school students to improve their writing and critical thinking skills;
• Training and mentoring for teachers to further their professional development.

Holm said the change wouldn’t happen immediately, but is expected to take effect by early October. UA officials are finalizing the logistics of the transition, and writing specialist support will continue on a limited basis until the center closes.

“The university continues to offer a wide range of resources to help students grow as writers, including the award-winning Foundations Writing Program and the THINK TANK writing center,” UA spokesperson Mitch Zak wrote in an email to Tucson Spotlight. “These programs support students in the classroom and equip them with the communication skills they’ll need to thrive in any career.”

The Foundations Program consists of two English classes students are required to take as part of their general education requirements. If a student has honors or AP credits, they’re only required to take one class.

The THINK TANK Writing Center offers similar assistance as the Writing Skills Improvement Program, except it’s staffed by peer tutors. WSIP was staffed by writing professionals, including teachers, writers, tutors and editors.

Both programs are available to UA students but not to people outside the campus community.

“The program was born from a desire to uplift those students from marginalized and underserved communities, offering opportunities and resources they lacked,” Holm wrote in her email. “Unlike traditional writing centers, (the program’s staffers) could provide expert support to undergraduate and graduate students as they mastered academic writing for courses across disciplines.”

The center’s staff focused on providing support that acknowledged writer autonomy, even as their services extended beyond campus and into the greater community.

“The staff have remained committed to the belief that all writers are good writers, and with quality support, such as that provided by WSIP writing specialists, they can reach their goals and become the writers they wish to become,” Holm wrote. “It has been our pleasure to work with each person we have met, from the high school students to undergraduate and graduate students, to faculty and novelists, to case workers, and many others.”

Sarah Arellano is a journalism major at the University of Arizona and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at saraharellano@arizona.edu.

Tucson Spotlight is a community-based newsroom that provides paid opportunities for students and rising journalists in Southern Arizona. Please consider supporting our work with a tax-deductible donation.