Pop-Ups
THE CHALLENGE
At the start of the 2023-2024 academic year, our center primarily attracted traffic from faculty referrals and returning students. In the weeks leading up to midterms, we found ourselves reaching 85% weekly utilization (with the remaining empty slots coming from no-shows) and turning more students away than ever before.
With limited resources, we sought innovative ways to reach a broader student audience, even if it meant providing shorter, less intensive support.
OUR SOLUTION
To foster organic connections with students during high-stress periods, we introduced the concept of a "tutoring pop-up." By situating our team of tutors on the ground floor of the library building - a high-visibility, high-traffic space - we aimed to engage students who might not have previously interacted with the Writing Center or had trouble accessing our limited number of regular appointments. This initiative provided an opportunity to showcase our services and still offer targeted support. Tutors were stationed at inviting tables equipped with loose leaf paper, writing utensils, and, of course, candy.
Students were encouraged to chat with our team, sign up for a time slot, and participate in 10-minute mini-sessions focused on specific aspects of their writing assignments.
FALL 2023: OCTOBER 19TH
FALL 2023: NOVEMBER 28-29TH
THE OUTCOME
The success of our first pop-up, which effectively addressed the pent-up demand during midterms, motivated us to organize two additional pop-ups around finals. Furthermore, by collaborating with the Communications department, we were able to invite two faculty members to assist with cross-disciplinary tutoring and support students who were preparing for their final public speaking presentations. As anticipated, our weekly utilization surged to 90% during this period, and the pop-ups once again allowed us to ease some demand by providing targeted and timely support with limited resources.
Overall, the pop-ups allowed us to engage directly with over 40 students and register 26 more on WC Online. Each event contributed to sustained appointment levels throughout the semester, with many students returning to follow up on their mini-session assignments or to discuss new work when appointments became available.