Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Apr 2017

WIDE Research Center as an Incubator for Graduate Student Experience

Heather Noel Turner Michigan State University ; Minh-Tam Nguyen ; Beth Keller Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne ; Donnie Johnson Sackey Wayne State University ; Jim Ridolfo University of Kentucky ; Stacey Pigg North Carolina State University ; Benjamin Lauren Michigan State University ; Liza Potts Michigan State University ; Bill Hart-Davidson ; Jeff Grabill

Abstract

This article describes graduate mentorship experiences at the Writing, Information, and Digital Experience (WIDE) research center at Michigan State University and offers a stance on graduate student mentorship. It describes WIDE’s mentorship model as feminist and inclusive and as a means to invite researchers with different backgrounds to engage in knowledge-making activities and collaborate on projects. Additionally, the article explains how WIDE enables growth for its researchers, teachers, and leaders. To illustrate these ideas, the authors provide multiple perspectives across faculty mentors, former graduate students, and current graduate students in order to discuss how WIDE researchers practice mentorship and how this mentorship prepares students for future work as scholars and researchers. Finally, the article suggests ways other research centers can adapt WIDE’s approach to their own institutional context.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2017-04-01
DOI
10.1177/0047287517692066
CompPile
Search in CompPile ↗
Open Access
Closed
Topics
graduate education gender and writing
Export
BibTeX RIS

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (4)

  1. Gaillet et al. (2025)
    Symposium on Intergenerational Graduate Mentorship
    Rhetoric Review
  2. Tham et al. (2020)
    Toward a Radical Collaboratory Model for Graduate Research Education: A Collabo…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Rosselot-Merritt et al. (2020)
    Mentoring in Business and Professional Communication: Case Study of a Multiyear…
    Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  4. Shivers-McNair et al. (2019)
    An Intersectional Technofeminist Framework for Community-Driven Technology Innovation
    Computers and Composition

References (28) · 2 in this index

  1. Baake K. (2008)
    Stories of mentoring: Theory & praxis
  2. Bannon L. J. (2013)
    Routledge international handbook of participatory design [Kindle Version]
  3. Haas et al. (2002)
    Mentors versus masters: Women’s and girls’ narratives of (re)negotiation in web…
    Computers and Composition
  4. Bloom L. (2007)
    Composition Studies
  5. Cain M. (1994)
    Feminist Teacher
Show all 28 →
  1. 10.2979/NWS.1996.8.3.79
     ↗
  2. Clary-Lemon J. (2008)
    Stories of mentoring: Theory & praxis
  3. 10.1007/978-94-6209-368-3_13
     ↗
  4. DeVoss D. N. (2005)
    CCC
  5. Ebest S. (2002)
    Preparing college teachers of writing: Histories, theories, programs, and practices
  6. Enos T. (1996)
    Gender roles and faculty lives in rhetoric and composition
  7. 10.3200/TCHS.78.3.100-101
     ↗
  8. Henry J. (2010)
    International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
  9. 10.2307/256064
     ↗
  10. McGrath L. (2011)
    Collaborative approaches to the digital in English studies
  11. 10.2979/NWS.2003.15.1.54
     ↗
  12. Miller S. L. (1997)
    CCC
  13. MIT Media Lab. (n.d.). Program overview. Retrieved from https://www.media.mit.edu/admissions/program-overview.
  14. Moore, C. (2000). A letter to graduate student women on mentoring. Profession …
  15. Okawa G. Y. (2002)
    CCC
  16. Rickly R. (2000)
    Kairos
  17. Ridolfo, J., Rife, M. C., Leon, K., Diehl, A., Grabill, J., Walls, D. & Pigg, S. (2012). Collaboration and gr…
  18. Royster J. J. (2012)
    Feminist rhetorical practices: New horizons for rhetoric, composition, and literacy studies
  19. Sharer W. (2008)
    Stories of mentoring: Theory & praxis
  20. 10.1080/0968465960030302
     ↗
  21. Stowers et al. (2010)
    The Coaching and Mentoring Process: The Obvious Knowledge and Skill Set for Org…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  22. Sullivan, P., Simmons, M., Moore, K., Meloncon, L. & Potts, L. (2015). Intentionally recursive: A participato…
     ↗
  23. Thomas T. (1991)
    WPA: Writing Program Administration
CrossRef global citation count: 6 View in citation network → Build reading path →

Related Articles

  1. Pedagogy Jan 2026
    Contributors ↗
    rhetorical criticism genre theory writing pedagogy graduate education two-year college teacher development social media race and writing gender and writing affect and writing literary studies editorial matter
  2. Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology, and Pedagogy Jan 2026
    Conference Creatures: An Experiment in Feminist New Materialist Praxis ↗
    Hannah Locher; Olivia Rowland
    graduate education gender and writing
  3. Composition Forum Oct 2025
    Collaborative and Equitable Assessment: Graduate Student Responses to Co-Creating Feedback Guidelines in a Graduate Composition Pedagogy Course ↗
    writing pedagogy graduate education teacher development collaborative writing assessment literacy studies race and writing gender and writing disability studies editorial matter
  4. Pedagogy Oct 2025
    Teaching Intersectionality in the Age of Intersectionality ↗
    Elisabeth Windle
    writing pedagogy graduate education teacher development race and writing gender and writing literary studies
  5. Pedagogy Oct 2025
    Contributors ↗
    modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism genre theory cultural rhetorics first-year composition writing pedagogy advanced composition creative writing writing across the curriculum graduate education two-year college service learning teacher development technical communication professional writing labor and working conditions archival research multimodality artificial intelligence literacy studies race and writing gender and writing disability studies literary studies editorial matter