On Sunday, Nov. 27, an e-mail from Becky Wai-Ling Packard, Co-Director of the Weissman Center, invited all peer mentors of the Speaking, Arguing, and Writing program to meet the next day to discuss the departure of SAW program coordinator Dr. Laura Greenfield. Over Thanksgiving break, the former director of the SAW program left her position as both coordinator of SAW and Associate Director of the Weissman Center for Leadership and the Liberal Arts.
Changes have been made to fill in for her previous roles. “Christine Overstreet, the Assistant Coordinator of SAW, will assume Interim Coordinator responsibilities for the rest of the academic year,” said Packard. Christine Overstreet FP ’06 has worked for the SAW program since 2008 and will take over Greenfield’s peer-mentoring class.
Greenfield became coordinator in 2007 and is a member of the International Writing Centers Association and a state representative for the North East Writing Centers Association, according to her Mount Holyoke faculty profile. Her past research has focused on minority writers and language, including “explorations of the relationships among language, identity, and citizenship in the interdisciplinary fields of American literature, composition studies, and writing center studies.”
The SAW program is affiliated with the Weissman Center and is often known for the peer-mentoring program, among others. “SAW…offers workshops in support of other campus departments and programs, and offers a course in public speaking,” said Overstreet, who will be filling in for Greenfield’s past roles.
Many of the peer sessions take place in the SAW Center. “The SAW Center— located on the South Mezzanine of the Williston Library Reading Room— is a part of what the SAW Program does,” continued Overstreet.
For the most part, many aspects of the SAW program will remain unchanged. “To be honest, I’m not worried because I believe in SAW, and because of Dr. Greenfield SAW can run as a machine,” said SAW Program Fellow Imani Strong ’12. “I don’t know that they will be able to find anyone better for this job than Dr. Greenfield.”
Before Thanksgiving break, there were some disruptions in the SAW center. “There was a workshop canceled right before Thanksgiving on commas, correct comma usage,” said SAW Mentor Emmy Bouvier ’13. However, as a whole, SAW peer mentors were unaware of Greenfield’s departure before Monday, Nov 28.
“They sent an email the Sunday before class were going to start, after break, that we had to have a meeting. I don’t know if the term emergency, but we had to have a meeting to discuss something,” said Bouvier. “We got to the meeting, there was tension. So Becky just sat us down, and told us I wish I didn’t have to be telling you this, but Dr. Greenfield is no longer with the program, effective immediately. I think she could tell we were shocked. She went on to say it was a differing in philosophies, and we were told this because we are considered employees and staff members of the Weissman Center and the SAW Program.”
Related posts:
- Program offices relocate to new building, utilize extra space
- Payen leaves SAW Center
- Speak up on “Speaky Friday”
- SAW Center Welcomes Peer Tutors
- Open Letter to the Mount Holyoke community
