On Sat., March 22, Concordia’s on-campus Writing Studio staff traveled down to San Diego to attend the 2025 Southern California Writing Center Association (SoCal WCA) Conference, hosted by Point Loma Nazarene University.  

The organization began in 2003 and was formalized in 2005. Its stated purpose is to “further the theoretical, pedagogical, and political interests of writing center professionals and to encourage dialogue about writing centers and writing tutoring from all levels of public and private education.” The 2025 theme was “Navigating Today’s Writing Center: Inclusion, Affect, and Impact of Tutoring Practices.”

“The SoCal WCA Annual Conference is a wonderful opportunity to meet with other tutors and writing consultants to present research and encourage one another to serve more excellently,” said Professor Zoë Litzenberg, Assistant Director of the Writing Studio. “This year was a chance for both professionals and students to learn from each other.”

“It was the second in-person conference after COVID, and it's great to see conference attendance numbers coming back after the pandemic,” said Professor Kristen Schmidt, Director of the Writing Studio. “Concordia brought two Writing Studio presentations and two professional staff presentations, which were well received. We represented the university well!”

All three Writing Studio administrators and ten staff members participated in the conference, with seven hosting interactive workshops, guiding roundtable discussions, or leading informative lectures. Months of research, preparation and practice went into these presentations, which had to be submitted and accepted by the SoCal WCA board. 

“This experience helped me learn how to better serve those around me through the Writing Studio and its practices,” said Liana Nguyen, junior Writing Studio consultant. “The WCA conference was a valuable experience that provided us a chance to participate in an exchange of knowledge and practice.”

In addition to introducing new and relevant concepts to the staff, the conference was also a time for the writing center community to bond and reconnect. A particularly special moment occurred when Litzenberg took the stage to acknowledge and celebrate Schmidt's years of service and commitment to the SoCal WCA. 

“The conference day was well planned and executed—and the surprise tribute by Zoe and the staff for my years of service as a member of the SoCal Writing Centers Association and my upcoming retirement made it a day to remember,” said Schmidt. 

“As a Writing Center Professional, my favorite part of being a part of SoCal WCA is the spirit of kindness and care that writing centers create for their writers and for each other,” said Litzenberg. "Very few professional organizations are centered on practice like the SoCal WCA, and I think that enhances our work—and gives our Writing Studio staff unique and valuable experiences.

Tags: Writing, Writing Studio, Conference

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