Basgier named acting director of Office of University Writing

Christopher Basgier, associate director in the Office of University Writing, or OUW, has been named as acting director, effective Jan. 1.

As director, Basgier will continue to promote OUW's mission of advancing Auburn's writing culture by implementing diverse programs and initiatives designed to support student and faculty development. Among the unit's many programs, Basgier will oversee the Miller Writing Center, the ePortfolio project, WriteBites and numerous other workshops and consultation services. Working directly with Auburn faculty, Basgier will also provide leadership to academic units as they develop, revise and implement writing plans for disciplinary courses and programs.  

Since arriving at Auburn in 2017, Basgier has implemented numerous faculty development programs aimed at creating meaningful writing assignments with disciplinary relevance. With an emphasis on strategically integrating writing into academic majors, Basgier has worked with faculty to promote student writing as a high impact practice and expanded OUW's support for faculty as writers by coordinating faculty writing groups and offering workshops on grant writing. In addition to his efforts to promote faculty engagement, Basgier has overseen the professional development of the Miller Writing Center's writing consultants and has taught multiple WOW Wednesday workshops on topics that include writing research abstracts and effective IRB protocols.

Prior to Auburn, Basgier spent four years at the University of North Dakota where he served as academic director of composition and acting coordinator of Writing Across the Curriculum. He holds a doctorate in English from Indiana University, as well as a master's degree from the University of Alabama and a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia. His research, which spans writing across the curriculum, genre and digital rhetoric, has appeared in venues that include Across the Disciplines, The WAC Journal and Composition Forum.