Mississippi Writing Center Association Books Conference

Lingshan Song, chair of the Mississippi Writing Center Association

About 100 educators and students will attend the Mississippi Writing Center Association’s 2019 conference.

Writing Center advocates at Hinds Community College in Raymond and Mississippi College in Clinton will partner to sponsor the sessions on their campuses. The dates are March 22-23. The meetings will draw educators and students from colleges statewide.

The conference’s keynote speaker is Ball State University English professor Jackie Grutsch McKinney. She serves as Writing Center director on its Muncie, Indiana campus. In addition, McKinney is the president of the International Writing Centers Association.

It promises to be a busy two days for Lingshan Song, assistant director of the MC Writing Center at the Leland Speed Library. She serves as chair of the Mississippi Writing Center Association.

Song is delighted to see the cooperative spirit between Hinds and MC educators along with other talented writing center practitioners. The annual conference is designed to further enhance those relationships. “It’s a great chance for people across the state to make connections and explore collaborative opportunities.”

Presenters are scheduled from schools including Hinds CC, Mississippi College, Mississippi State University and Jackson State University. They are also coming from Millsaps College, Alcorn State University, the University of Mississippi and Northwest Mississippi Community College.

Conference events begin on the Hinds campus in Raymond March 22 at 5 p.m. Participants move to Mississippi College’s Clinton campus for day two. MC events are set for the B.C. Rogers Student Center.

Presenters include English professor Steve Price, director of the MC Writing Center. Others are Mississippi College student tutors such as Christine Anderson, Katherine Parker, Isaac Jackson, Sydney Nicholson and Cassie Holcombe.

The conference is titled “Connect and Collaborate: Moving from Vision to Action.”

Song says it is a privilege to serve with the association and work closely with so many writing centers at Mississippi institutions.

The Mississippi Writing Center Association “is growing strong,” she said.

In addition to her duties at Mississippi College, Song serves as outreach coordinator of the Southeastern Writing Centers Association. The MC graduate is an at-large member of the International Writing Centers Association.

A key part of the Department of English, the MC Writing Center assists many undergraduates and graduate students with their writing from any discipline. Scores of student tutors working at the center promote a community of learners and writers on the Clinton campus.