Mission, Vision & Values

What We Do

As peer tutors, we serve as a second pair of eyes for writing projects, a sounding board or collaborator for getting started on or coming up with ideas for writing projects, and a support system for all aspects of the writing process, from understanding an assignment to polishing a final draft. Our services are open to all current members of the Butler community, including graduate students, faculty, and staff.

What we do not provide is traditional writing instruction, such as what a student might find in a classroom, or an editing and proofreading service. What we offer is of greater value than that, because we are able to tailor the writing resources, advice, and strategies we offer to each writer based on individual needs, and because while we do seek to help writers succeed in the short-term on specific writing projects, we are just as invested in helping writers improve in the long-term by boosting confidence in writing skills, offering resources and strategies for writing, and empowering writers to take control of their own writing processes.

What We Achieve

In the Writers’ Studio, writers are much more than “students.” They are individuals with unique histories, voices, and learning styles. As students ourselves, we peer tutors strive to understand and accommodate all writers, to forge connections with writers that support deep learning and personal growth, and to provide a safe space where all writers feel welcome, supported, and included. Our vision for each writer is an appropriate level of knowledge, skill, and confidence that will guide them through any writing project, public or private, in any genre, within and beyond the University.

What We Value

Consistent with the principles of a liberal arts education, at the Writers’ Studio, we value the writer before the writing.

  • We embrace all writers as unique individuals seeking to expand knowledge and develop skills in order to do good and live well in the world; there is no expectation for writers to conform to the ideas of others, for as peer tutors we seek to construct, and encourage in others, a genuine self-identity.
  • We seek to foster understanding and connection with the writers who visit us not as teacher and student but as two people growing together; therefore, we recognize and support writers through the concerns and struggles they may bring to a session.
  • We dedicate ourselves to the diversity of the human experience and will never discriminate against or judge a writer for their race, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religious or spiritual beliefs, economic background, disability status, or sociopolitical views; instead, we aim to be the allies and advocates of everyone who comes through our door, engaging with writers in radical openness, cultural engagement, critical empathy, and sincere validation of the power and importance of difference.