Writing Center News

In the fall 2011semester, the Writing Center:

• saw more than 1500 clients, for a total of more than 2600 appointments
• met with 229 students in 10 workshops.

Fall 2011 Peer Tutors

Nicholas Hager, Philosophy and Government double major, with a double minor in Philosophy and Law and International/Comparative Studies

Hannah Menefee, a Global Affairs major, with a concentration in International Development and a minor in Public Health

Rachel Semenov, an Art and Visual Technology major, with a concentration in Graphic Design

Kate Shanahan, a Management major

Olivia Stockmann, a Dance major and Business minor

Fall 2011 Writing Fellows:

Michael Hecker, Government major, with a minor in Middle Eastern Studies; fellow in Systems Engineering 489 with Prof. Peggy Brouse.

Taryn Brooks-Faulconer, a Biology and Psychology double major, minor in Creative Writing; returned for a second semester as a curriculum-based tutor for 10 lab sections of the writing-intensive course, Biology 308, coordinated by Profs. Larry Rockwood and Cody Edwards.

Teaching with Writing Across the Curriculum Director/Editor: Dr. Terry Myers Zawacki; Production Editors: Sarah E. Baker (WAC Assistant Director), Jackie Brown (WAC GRA)

Does Your Department Give an Undergraduate Student Writing Award

In 2020-2011, 21 departments gave WAC-sponsored undergraduate writing awards to honor and support their excellent student writers. This also article outlines the process used by various units to select and recognize winners.

What Happens in a Tutoring Session and How Faculty Can Help Students Prepare

Faculty can help students get the most out of their Writing Center sessions by explaining how sessions work and what can be accomplished. This article also describes the roles a writing tutor can play.

Notetaking Strategies for Faculty to Teach and Students to Learn

Faculty often assume that students know how to take notes, but many students either don’t take notes or use a method they may have learned as early as middle school. Notetaking, when seen as a writing-to-learn activity for meaning-making, turns notetaking (consumption) turns into notemaking (production).

New Writing Center Initiatives and Outreach

Writing Center director, Dawn Fels, describes the programmatic changes that have been and will be implemented throughout the 2011-2012 academic year.  Fels is expanding tailored services and tutor presences on all campuses.

Grammar Corner: Tense or Aspect?

This article helps writers distinguish tense—when an action takes place—from aspect—whether an action is completed or ongoing.

And also in this issue...

The George Mason Review Wants Student Submissions!

News from/about Writing Across the Curriculum

See past issues of Teaching with Writing Across the Curriculum