“Dear Colleague”: Upholding Multilingual Voices and Pedagogies in Writing Centers Against Flattening Forces

Authors

Melanie McNulty, CUNY College of Staten IslandFollow
Amina Selimaj, CUNY College of Staten IslandFollow

Abstract

Drawing on the dual perspectives of a writing center administrator and a tutor, this paper explores how political symbolism—such as the Department of Education’s 2025 “Dear Colleague” letter—technological homogenization, and institutional consolidation are contributing to a resurgence of standard language ideology and attempting to erode linguistic diversity. We argue that writing center administrators and tutors must confront their own biases, reflect on their positionality, and adopt pedagogies that prioritize inclusion and agency over assimilation; and must refuse these pressures that seek to judge diversity as deficit and flatten difference into sameness.

Recommended Citation

McNulty, Melanie and Selimaj, Amina (2025) "“Dear Colleague”: Upholding Multilingual Voices and Pedagogies in Writing Centers Against Flattening Forces," The Writing Center Journal: Vol. 43 : Iss. 3, Article 3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7771/2832-9414.2107