Peer-Mentor Allies Help Students Navigate Intensive Writing Courses

Hosted by the English Department Writing Center, the Language Policy Ally (LPA) program is designed to protect students’ language rights and promote language diversity in academic institutions. This program trains graduate students to become peer-mentor allies who help other students navigate inequitable situations in writing intensive courses. The first part of the program, created by Bonnie Williams, associate professor of English and comparative literature, includes a 3-week summer institute, where students will have the opportunity to work one on one with a faculty mentor who specializes in language policy and writing studies. The second part of the program resumes in the fall/spring semesters. In Fall, LPA’s will give presentations to writing intensive classes about the newly updated CSUF writing policy and how it helps protect students’ rights as speakers of multiple varieties of English. In Spring, LPA’s will co-facilitate a workshop with the Language Policy Committee for the national Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC).