Your Giving Day donation will support the Anthropology Department’s efforts to create a dynamic, interactive learning environment that provides the resources and space our students need so they can grow as critical thinkers, writers, and researchers. Currently, the department has the Ethnographic Library and the Writing Assistant (WA) Program—the former has served as meeting and study space, while the latter is a one-on-one peer mentor program focused on student writing and research development. Each on its own does an adequate job in serving our department and its students. But a university education can and should do more—it can foster community by giving students a space to work, as well as allow for the expansion and development of our departmental WA program. Excellent writing is essential to critical thinking, yet many of our students have not been taught the fundamental skills necessary for effective research and communication. Our Writing Assistant Program is a unique peer writing program that pairs Writing Assistants with at-risk and underprepared students via one-on-one tutoring and writing events. Participants report increased confidence in their writing ability, heightened awareness of the writing and research process, better time management, and a greater sense of community. So we can better serve our diverse student body, we need the resources to train more Writing Assistants (as well as employ them) and the space to hold programs and workshops that facilitate undergraduate research and writing. Because anthropology encompasses aspects of the social sciences, humanities, and physical sciences, we will offer a broad range of support for all students who take courses in our department, regardless of their major. Central to this goal is the space that facilitates interactive learning, training, and student development. The WA Program’s office is limited to a small space on the second floor of Social Sciences 1. In contrast, the Ethnographic Library is on the third floor, near the hub of all departmental activity, and it provides more room to hold writing events and tutorials, such as an all-day “Write-In” where students and faculty work collectively on current writing and research projects. Having served many functions over the years, the room’s old furniture and lack of technology limits its use. Given the campus’ increased enrollment, and subsequent conversions of residence hall lounges to living spaces, the need to renovate the Ethnographic Library is greater than ever. With improved functionality, the Ethnographic Library will be a central gathering space for undergraduates to engage in the writing process. Funding Your generosity will help us in two ways: first, through the training and employment of Writing Assistant. Secondly, through the purchase of new furniture, including convertible tables and modular lounges. Staff spent last summer curating the library in preparation for the project, and the department is now in the process of upgrading multimedia capabilities for the space. The Division of Social Sciences has contributed $1,800, which covers the cost of chairs for the room, plus furniture for study carrels (please see the Giving Day link below for more pictures and information about our renovations). Every donation helps—a small donation of even $15 will provide an hour of one-on-one mentoring for a student in need.
Your donation today can be doubled fast! Thanks to a generous donation, gifts will be matched 1:1 up to a total of $1,000 today!
For more information on the department and these projects, please visit: http://anthro.ucsc.edu/support-us/giving_day/index.html
http://anthro.ucsc.edu/undergraduate/Advising/writingassistantprogram.html http://anthro.ucsc.edu/support-us/giving_day/index.html
http://anthro.ucsc.edu/undergraduate/index.html “Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.” —Zora Neale Hurston “I write to discover what I know.” —Flannery O’Connor
