Writing Center News

So far this year, the Writing Center:

• saw more than 1900 students, for a total of more than 4200 appointments
• conducted 16 workshops.

The Writing Center is staffed by over 25 graduate and undergraduate peer tutors, who provide tutoring four days a week from 9:30 - 7:30, Fridays from 9:30 - 2:30, and, starting at mid-semester, Sundays from 11:30 - 4:30.

In Spring 2010, these students were selected to participate in the experiential course CHSS 390: Peer Tutoring in the Disciplines:

• Amy Crabtree, English
  
• Conner Morgan, Sociology
  
• Carol Petty, English
  

And this former peer tutor was chosen as a writing fellow:

• Jessica Brenchick, English/History, in Dance 390 with Kate Mattingly
  

Teaching with Writing Across the Curriculum
Director/Editor: Dr. Terry Myers Zawacki
Production Editors: Sarah Baker, Whitney Poole

Help Students Learn Better and More Deeply Through Informal Writing Opportunities
by Terry Myers Zawacki, WAC Director

If you're concerned about giving up valuable class time for writing, the pullout page has quick writing-to-learn strategies and, on the reverse side, questions to help students reflect on their own writing. (Click on title for full article.)

Writing Assessment: SCHEV, SACS, APR, Oh My!
by Sarah Baker, WAC Assistant Director

The State Council for Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV) mandates the assessment of written communication. Our writing assessment process, designed to help departments improve the teaching and learning of writing within the discipline, can also be used for various learning outcomes for SACS reaccreditation, for Mason’s internal Academic Program Review (APR), and for outside accrediting organizations. (Click on title for full article.)

by Ken Thompson, English Department

The Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) requires programs to assess students’ communication competence; an employer survey also rated this outcome as highly important in hiring decisions. Ken Thompson links Mason’s introductory composition course with Volgenau faculty-taught University 100 courses to promote a focus on writing for students interested in pursuing careers in engineering or technology. (Click on title for full article.) 

And also in this issue...

COS Offers Curriculum-based Writing Tutoring

Students as Writers-Researchers: Ethnography of Diversity Project

Social Work Begins Implementing WIN(ning) Initiative in Undergraduate Curriculum

Library Corner: An Exercise to Help Students Evaluate Information Critically

WAC News

See past issues of Teaching with Writing Across the Curriculum