Riley

In Riley's article he points us to the institutional hierarchy and how it measures success. He explains that "professional success is propotional to the degree to which a discipline can overcome its mixed descent and claim a purity of purpose..." (147). By abiding by these measures, Riley, believes Writing Centers will loose their "variety" and "breadth of vision" (149) and he points to the histories of American Lit, Lit theory, and composition studies as support for his claim. This ties into the discusion we had today in class in that it raises the question: is it necessary for a Writing Center to validate itself and what it does in the terms of the traditional measurements valued by the institution? Riley believes that if Writing Centers are to do so, they loose something that they valued to begin with and loose sight of why they were created. So, how do Writing Centers get around this kind of validation if they are funded by these institutions?