Writing & Academic Communication Consultations

Access and Accessibility
We are committed to centering accessibility in our work. We strive to build accessibility and universal design into all material and resources from the beginning of resource development. We provide multiple ways to engage meaningfully with self-guided materials and one-on-one appointments that are available on campus, online, and in a written format.

Collaborative Learning
We provide writing and academic communication support that is learner-centred, collaborative, and multidisciplinary, to flexibly meet the needs of all who are engaged in research writing and communication at UBC Okanagan.

Confidentiality
We are committed to confidentiality. We know that writing can be highly personal and difficult to share, and we are committed to creating a confidential, low-risk environment to share with us.

Inclusivity and Citation Justice
We aim to create an inclusive space that centers diverse knowledges and contributions to research. We promote the use of citation justice2 in scholarly work to reflect and prioritize voices, stories, and perspectives from marginalized communities (Conference on College Composition and Communication [CCCC], 2022).

Linguistic Justice
We acknowledge the ways language has historically been used as a tool of oppression against Indigenous Peoples in Canada. We acknowledge that the UBC Okanagan campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Syilx Peoples3, who speak the nsyilxcən language. We recognize and value Indigenous languages, traditional knowledges, and ways of being.

We reject the existence of a standard academic English4. We affirm the value of multiple Englishes in a global academic setting as well as a learners’ right to make language choices and use their own English in their communication (National Council of Teachers of English [NCTE], 1974).

We affirm the value of linguistic and cultural diversity in research and challenge educational practices that disadvantage multilingual learners (CCCC, 2020). We aim to empower multilingual learners to develop their scholarly voice and make language choices in their writing and academic communication. Towards the aim of supporting multilingual learners, we use evidence-based communicative practices that are centred on the learners’ goals.

Referrals and Recommendations
Though meeting with the CSC is always voluntary, we appreciate instructor referrals and word-of-mouth recommendations for support related to academic writing and communication, including theses, publications and other research outputs, and graduate coursework. 

We do not proofread papers or provide advice on research design or methodology; instead, we provide feedback attuned with the learners’ goals, support learners to develop effective strategies for writing, revising, and editing, and empower learners to make decisions about their scholarly voice. Writing is an ongoing iterative process and we are engaged with supporting the growth and development of writers. 

Footnotes 

1 Please consider providing us feedback on accessibility so that we can support you better. When you book an appointment, you can let us know what access needs you have by filling in our online form or you can email csc.ok@ubc.ca 

2 UBC Citation Justice LibGuide 

3 Learn more at the Syilx Okanagan Alliance website 

4 For more information on standard language ideology and the myth of standard English, see p. 67 of What Color Is My Voice? Academic Writing and the Myth of Standard English by DeMint Bailey, Ha, & Outlar (n.d.). 

References 

Conference on College Composition and Communication. (2020). CCCC Statement on Second Language Writing and Multilingual Writers. CCCC. https://ncte.org/statement/secondlangwriting/ 

Conference on College Composition and Communication. (2022). Position Statement on Citation Justice in Rhetoric, Composition, and Writing Studies. CCCC. https://cccc.ncte.org/cccc/citation-justice 

National Council of Teachers of English. (1974). Resolution on the Students’ Right to Their Own Language. National Council of Teachers of English. https://ncte.org/statement/righttoownlanguage/ 

Further Reading 

Dolmage, J. (2018). Academic Ableism Disability and Higher Education. University of Michigan Press. https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.9708722