Mission and COVID Statements: Writing Centers and Opportunities for Discussing Social Equity

This article examines the results of a study comparing writing centers' mission statements with their statements about changes due to COVID-19. Of the 100 center websites examined, 28 had both mission and COVID statements. Our study unpacks trends found across those 28 websites. Using a content analysis approach, we coded content on these websites for writing pedagogy, political identities, and strategies for addressing COVID. The results suggest that while process pedagogy is the dominant ideology invoked in mission statements, equity in the writing center is a growing concern. The results also suggest that when various centers addressed community safety when discussing COVID, they missed an opportunity to link concerns for community safety with diversity, equity, and access. The results open spaces for discussions about how centers can best convey their ideologies to students via websites and help students feel seen, heard, and understood.