New WriteAway Coordinator Excited to Broaden Writing Support Access

BC ELN is delighted to welcome Ellen Flournoy as the new WriteAway Writing Services Coordinator. Ellen brings a wealth of experience in coordinating writing centres and writing programs at multiple post-secondary institutions. Her background in Rhetoric and Composition and many adventures in online teaching and academic support have prepared her to hit the ground running with WriteAway. We asked Ellen to tell us more about herself and her new role coordinating this provincial service.

What does the WriteAway Writing Services Coordinator do?

As the WriteAway Coordinator, I manage the day-to-day operations of the service, as well as its platforms and communications. I also support institutional coordinators on the ground with service providers, and work to increase the number of participating institutions. Eventually, I hope to collaborate with BC ELN’s other service area coordinators (e.g., AskAway) to generate ideas on how we can cross-promote and expand usage of and access to these excellent services.

What are you looking forward to in this position?

As a Rhetoric and Composition professional, I’ve always chosen to take action to animate my discipline’s access and social justice frameworks. Although asynchronous, online services like WriteAway increase access, these services are the underdogs in the writing support world because they do not use a face-to-face service model. As the new WriteAway Coordinator, I’m excited to augment traditional face-to-face writing support pedagogies to increase access for all, and maybe add some nuance to the B.C. conversation around writing support.

What did you do before joining WriteAway?

I immigrated to Canada with my family in 2014 to direct the Rhetoric Across the Curriculum Program at Quest University Canada in Squamish. My earlier posts were in the United States teaching academic writing and literature at Chesapeake College in Maryland and College of Coastal Georgia.

What got you interested in supporting students’ development of writing skills?

Early in my career, I was energized by the learning gains made by students upgrading their skills in preparation for post-secondary programs when just a little bit of writing support was added. Seeing those gains and the increase in student confidence was addictive.

What makes WriteAway a unique service for students?

WriteAway is unique because it meets student writers wherever they are, whenever they want to work, and offers them research-based responses using encouraging dialogue.

What kind of hobbies do you enjoy?

My partner, James, and I love to play music with our kids, even though they are much better than us. I sing and play a bass ukulele named Eva Moselle. She has rubber strings and is larger than a regular ukulele. When you plug her into an amp, she sounds like a stand-up bass! Our cat, Mütze, who is a little bit of a prickly personality, comes running anytime she hears us singing because she wants to sit on us while we make music. It’s pretty endearing.

ABOUT WRITEAWAY

WriteAway is a collaborative online writing support service for post-secondary students run by BC ELN. Qualified tutors from each participating institution staff the service and provide feedback, strategies, and resources to help students enhance their writing skills. Learn more at: https://bceln.ca/services/learning-support/writeaway