About

Eloquentia Perfecta

Eloquentia perfecta is one of the chief aims of the Jesuit Liberal arts education. The Writing Center offers participants the chance to develop this Jesuit education ideal that began over 400 years ago. Eloquentia perfecta refers not only to “perfect speech,” that traditional meaning of correct or elegant speech, but rather to speech which is perfect for the task of acting on the human spirit towards good and just action.

In the Jesuit tradition of working with others to reach a common goal, the Loyola Writing Center understands that writing requires input from others. The Loyola Writing Center offers consulting for the entire Loyola community of writers, including undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty and staff.

A Short History of the Loyola Writing Center

The current Loyola Writing Center is built on important Writing Across the Curriculum initiatives at Loyola University in Maryland implemented across the 1980’s and 1990’s.

To continue Loyola faculty and administrators’ commitment to writing across the curriculum, a Writing Center Task Force was formed in 1999, and Jennifer Follett joined the college community as interim coordinator of “The Write Place,” the LWC’s pilot peer-consulting program.

In 2002, Cinthia Gannett came to Loyola as Director of Writing Across the Curriculum and the Loyola Writing Center. A new, three-credit course, Writing Center Theory and Practice, formalized training of undergraduate peer consultants.

Across the next five years, the Writing Center strengthened the services offered to students with the introduction of graduate writing consultants and a senior consulting staff composed of writing department faculty. Each year, the WAC Program and Writing Center has increased the number of workshops for faculty and students offered; expanded one-to-one consulting to meet growing demand; sponsored speakers and other events; and continued action-research projects that not only meet the needs of the Loyola community, but also explore the LWC’s role in the greater Baltimore community and regional, national and international writing centers and WAC communities.

Fall 2007 marked the publication of a customized edition of A Writer’s Reference, built on the work of the writing center; Writing Department Director of Composition, Peggy O’Neill; and faculty liaisons from every department at Loyola. At the end of the 2007-2008 academic year, the writing center was sorry to say goodbye to Director Cinthia Gannett and Associate Director Karen Madison.

During the 2010-11 academic year, Lisa Zimmerelli began as Director of the Writing Center. The current staff continues to work with the students, faculty, and staff in the Loyola community.