Student success is taken very seriously at North Idaho College. In fact, it is prominently placed as the first item in our mission statement which reads, "North Idaho College is committed to student success, teaching excellence and lifelong learning." Student success depends upon many factors, but one that is crucial is being able to write and write well. This is true across the entire college, not just in English or literature classes.

Writing well has always been a challenge for new college students, yet a skill that is demanded of them as they are required to write papers, reports and essays across the curriculum. Whether they are coming to us directly from high school or have been away from school for a while, expressing ideas and concepts in writing can be a daunting task. I believe it is even more difficult today because of texting, Twitter and other social networking where the use of abbreviations, brevity and speed erode good writing skills.

In the early 1990s, NIC made a commitment to do more to help our students succeed in writing. We established a Writing Center as an integral part of writing instruction campus wide. The Writing Center began modestly as simply a table in the College Skills Center where students could drop in, on a limited basis, for help with papers they were writing. As its popularity and use increased, it moved several times before landing at its current location in the Lee Hall Annex. Shortly after that move, the current director, English Instructor Bob Bennett, took over its leadership. The Writing Center finally had a permanent home and a director with a vision for its future.

At the time of the move, the Writing Center had 250-500 student visits a semester. Recognizing the unmet needs and seeing the potential for greater use, Bob lead a renovation of its traditional classroom space into a welcoming and comfortable space more conducive to writing. The lighting and decor changes created a space with the look and feel of a coffee shop rather than a classroom. Today it has 20 stand alone computers and space for students to use their personal laptops. Currently, the center is serving about 6,000 students each semester. While a good half of these are students are from English courses, the other half come from a wide range of programs and courses.

While the physical space for the Writing Center creates an atmosphere for student writing, the real success is provided by the writing consultants who give the personal help and attention the students need. Our writing consultants are NIC faculty members who volunteer their time to help students in the center. While help is available on a walk-in basis, students are encouraged to schedule time with the consultants in advance.

The consultants are neither editors nor proofreaders. They are however encouragers, supporters and advisers who are committed to student success. They work with the students through the entire writing process. From topic selection to drafting to revising and editing, consultants work one-on-one with students each step of the way. Students benefit by getting help with a specific assignment while learning how to approach future assignments on their own.

Recently, NIC expanded the reach of the center through agreements with both Lewis-Clark State College and the University of Idaho to provide services to their students taking course locally. Our Writing Center is also partnering with Eastern Washington University and their Get Lit! program. Get Lit! is a literary festival that seeks to engage members of the Inland Northwest community in a celebration of the written word. Our partnership brings authors to the NIC campus during the week of the festival and provides our students an opportunity to meet and discuss writing with these successful authors.

The NIC Writing Center is just one example of our commitment to student success. In the coming months, I'll share more about how North Idaho College goes the extra mile to ensure our students have every opportunity to achieve their educational hopes and dreams.

Priscilla Bell, Ph.D., is president of North Idaho College. For comments on this column, email her at PresidentsColumn@NIC.EDU.