The University Writing Center

Please help us spread the word: We're hosting an event for neurodiverse writers this Wednesday!

I met Scott Blackwood in September of 2000. He interviewed me for an administrative position at the University Writing Center. He took me to coffee that day, gave me a tour of the one room writing center in the Flawn Academic Center (UGL), and then hired me. At the time, I was an unemployed, homeless musician who had just returned to Austin after living in Denmark for a year and a half. Much to my surprise, he thought I was a good fit for the UWC. It was all very casual and organic. That’s how Scott was. He was so natural in the world. Scott worked as the Program Coordinator at the University Writing Center at the University of Texas at Austin from 1999 to 2008. I was his coworker for eight of those years. During that time, he was a friend, mentor, and an advocate to me and hundreds of consultants at the UWC. For those of you who don’t know the basics of writing center theory, this is it: “Collaboration allows consultants to involve students in a dialogue which helps to get in touch with their knowledge and find their unique voices. Collaborative environment rejects any kinds of hierarchies in the writing centers, thus allowing to negotiate and set common goals.” Scott embodied this ideal. He was inclusive and supportive. In an academic setting that is often competitive and brutal, he held a non-hierarchical, collaborative, safe space for us to find our voice in the world. He gave generously with no expectations. I am forever changed by his friendship.- Michele Solberg, October 6, 2023