Dear Friends and Alums of the Sweetland Center for Writing,
This past year has been both exciting and productive for Sweetland as we’ve advanced several key initiatives. One foundational step was the establishment of a governance structure and the drafting of by-laws. Remarkably, although Sweetland was founded in 1978, it had not formalized its governance through by-laws. As we navigate this transitional period, these by-laws will serve as a vital framework, outlining our mission and day-to-day operations to better support future Directors.
Our mission remains as relevant as ever: The Sweetland Center for Writing, a comprehensive writing center, exists to support student writing at all levels and in all forms and modes. Sweetland supports the University’s commitment to fostering critical inquiry, crafting reasoned arguments, and pursuing honest, compassionate engagement. Through courses, workshops, resources, and programs, we support writers and teachers of writing across all colleges and disciplines, from first-year students to those completing their dissertations. Sweetland’s innovative curricula embrace multimodal and traditional composition, grounded in contemporary research and best practices.
To align with our mission, we have restructured Sweetland’s organizational framework. A new internal Executive Committee (EC) now oversees key administrative and curricular functions, including budgetary planning, faculty hiring recommendations, lecturer reviews, and special initiatives. The EC, chaired by the Director, includes four faculty members, one staff member, and the Associate Director in an ex-officio capacity.
We’ve also reorganized curricular administration into five specialized committees focusing on first- and second-year courses; upper-level courses; the minor in writing; graduate programming; and diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and justice. Additionally, a newly formed University Advisory Committee—comprising key stakeholders from units both within and beyond LSA—will provide consultation and advocacy to support Sweetland’s mission in the broader U-M community.
We are excited about these changes, and look forward to reporting on their progress in future newsletters!
Sweetland Alums: we welcome you to submit or update a profile to our Alums Gallery. We love seeing the work you’re doing and how your experiences with our programs have shaped your path.
Please also consider mentoring a Sweetland student! To do so, you can sign up for LSA Connect, a program run by the LSA Opportunity Hub that connects undergraduates with alums for conversations on shared interests. You decide your level of involvement and topics to discuss. Networking with alums can greatly impact students’ professional development and influence the choices they make as they pursue their interests in and after college.
Thank you for your continued interest in Sweetland’s work. Happy reading!
