CWC Values

What We Believe

Diversity & Inclusion

The CWC welcomes the diverse students, staff, and faculty who participate in the University of Memphis campus(es), and we are committed to adapting our instruction to the individual student to the extent of our knowledge and resources. The CWC rejects all acts, aggressions, and microaggressions that will silence, threaten, or degrade others.   

At the CWC we believe that when our students and other clients feel respected and included, it opens opportunities for them to be more creative, inventive, and successful in their writing as well as their personal, academic, and professional lives. 

We invite and encourage individuals at all levels of writing and speaking proficiency to access the CWC’s resources. Consequently, we hold ourselves responsible to a process of continual, ever-evolving professional development through research, reading, and collaboration with other University departments and professional organizations. 

Neurodivergence & Disability 

The Center for Writing & Communication is committed to building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable learning environment for everyone. As such, we strive to accommodate both those who disclose their disabilities to us and those who do not. We promise to take every step possible to ensure that our physical and virtual layouts and materials are as welcome and accessible as possible to everyone. Lastly, we earnestly endeavor to remain current and familiar with issues relevant to student learning and tutoring philosophies. Our clients are invited to speak with staff or director(s) privately if there are aspects of guidance or communication that would improve accessibility at the CWC. We do all this thoughtfully, as writing and communication centers should serve all members of our campus community equitably.  

Students’ Rights to Their Own Language(s) & Learning Styles 

The CWC supports linguistic diversity, including multilingualism and language variety. As such, we encourage students who wish to code switch or code mesh throughout their creative processes as their written or oral rhetorical situations allow. Additionally, we make every effort to support all students, staff, and faculty by considering various learning styles and ways of processing language and communication. 

What We Do 

Working collaboratively with our consultants, the CWC identified four points of action we can focus on in service of our values:

Accessibility: 

• We endeavor to make the CWC accessible for everyone. 
• We value and anticipate the varying and specific needs of our consultants and clients.  

Diversity, Equity & Representation: 

• We value the effort and the places students and consultants come from. 
• We partner with other UofM offices and departments to offer wrap-around services for students’ academic, personal, and professional needs.  
• We hope that you see you at the CWC. 

Welcoming atmosphere: 

• We work alongside you to reduce any writing or speaking anxiety you may have. 
• We always celebrate and encourage everyone. 
• We strive to maintain a safe and accommodating space for everyone. 
• We collaborate with students from all academic standings and disciplines. 

Growth mindset: 

• We view writing and speaking as skills to be practiced, not perfected. 
• We recognize that writing and speaking skills are critical to students in their personal, academic, and professional lives and seek to offer the best possible support we can to help them further develop their preexisting skill sets.  
• We consistently research ways to make the CWC more welcoming and accessible to everyone.