The centerpiece of the University's commitment to writing is the
Institute for Writing Studies. The three arms of the Institute
consist of state-of-the-art Writing Centers on
the Queens and Staten Island campuses, the University's innovative
First-Year Writing
program, and a Writing Across the Curriculum program hosting
workshops and seminars on our campuses in New York and Rome.
The Institute is dedicated to fostering a
vibrant writing culture throughout the University, serving as a
nexus for research, teaching, assessment, and service in all areas
of writing: academic, creative, professional, and multimedia. Our
Institute is devoted to a collaborative ethic that includes all
constituents. Each of the four directors meet weekly and consult
one another on virtually all iWS matters. First-year writing
faculty also meet every week, and are heavily engaged in designing
program learning objectives, assessment projects, and faculty
development activities. Associate Writing Center directors work
closely with area high schools and community organizations.
Undergraduate and graduate Writing Center consultants are actively
involved in research and present at regional and national
conferences. First-year students participate in various readings,
workshops, and luncheons, while upper-level and graduate students
edit the University's literary magazines.
All of this takes place in a spacious,
multimillion dollar facility on the Queens campus, with a smaller
branch on the Staten Island campus. The IWS features conference
tables, workstations, lounges, a seminar room, a writing studies
library, and offices for faculty and graduate research assistants.
The Staten Island campus features a brand new Writing Center with
adjoining offices for first-year writing faculty. The Institute
opened in September, 2006, and was made possible through generous
donor support and the vision of the President and Provost.
Derek Owens
Executive Director, Institute for Writing Studies
(718) 990-5610
owensd@stjohns.edu
Harry Denny
Director, Writing Centers
Queens (718) 990-6919 / Staten Island (718) 390-4586
dennyh@stjohns.edu
Anne Ellen Geller
Director, Writing Across the Curriculum
(718) 990-6993
gellera@stjohns.edu
Carmen Kynard
Director, First-Year Writing
Queens (718) 990-8033
kynardc@stjohns.edu