Date of Graduation
Spring 2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
English
Committee Chairperson
Ilknur Sancak-Marusa, M.A.
Committee Member
Seth Kahn, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Patrick James, Ph.D.
Abstract
Since its establishment, the Writing Center has strived to solidify its institutional presence as a space of student-centered pedagogy, minimalist directive approaches, and collaborative learning. However, students frequently perceive Writing Centers as the polar opposite of collaboration, frequently seeking out this support for a transactional, ‘remedial’ fix to their writing product. As Writing Centers grapple with this tension that threatens their process-driven pedagogies, scholars recognize a gap in Literature regarding collaborative approaches that empower the student through the implementation of rhetorical listening. Using the foundational framework of Rhetorical Listening as a strategy to reassert the collaborative identity of the Center (Ratcliffe 1999), this project translates Krista Ratcliffe and Kyle Jensen’s “Rhetorical Listening in Action: A Concept-Tactic Approach” into a set of rhetorical listening-informed tactics for Writing Center praxis.
Final Version Confirmation
1
Recommended Citation
Samella, Abby M., "Looking Beyond Minimalist Pedagogies: Rhetorical Listening as a Framework for Ethical Collaboration and Student Empowerment in the Writing Center" (2026). West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects. 86.
https://digitalcommons.wcupa.edu/all_capstones/86
Included in
Creative Writing Commons, Humane Education Commons, International and Comparative Education Commons, Language and Literacy Education Commons, Student Counseling and Personnel Services Commons