UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Integrated Writing Center

UP Writing Center Offering Virtual Writing Assistance

The UP Writing Center has transitioned to an online/virtual service for as long as classes are not meeting in person. Writing assistants have completed training on using MS Teams for videoconferences, and the Writing Center Scheduler has been updated to indicate to students seeking writing assistance that their conferences will now be virtual rather than in-person. We have many open spots on our scheduler, and since students will overall have less contact with their professors and peers, a one-on-one conference with a writing assistant could be a great way for them to find support in this strange time. Please consider encouraging your students to meet virtually with a writing assistant for any writing project they have still to complete this semester. From brainstorming ideas to putting finishing touches on a paper, we can help!

Appointments can be made at: https://up.mywconline.net/

Feel free to contact Writing Center Director Molly Hiro with any questions: hiro@up.edu

UP Writing Center and Integrated Writing Program At Your Service

The Integrated Writing Program and the Writing Center are gearing up to serve the UP community in spring 2019, according to Molly Hiro, English. The Writing Center (BC 163) is a completely free resource, staffed with trained writing assistants who can help students at all levels, from all disciplines, at all stages of the writing process. The center opens for the semester on Sunday, January 20 (open daily except Saturdays). Please visit the Writing Center website to learn more and make appointments.

One of the best means of getting students to bring their work-in-progress to the Writing Center is for faculty themselves to encourage them to do so (some professors require at least one visit; some give extra credit to students for using our services). When talking to your students about the UP Writing Center, you might keep in mind the following:

  • Our goal is not just to inspire better papers, but create better writers. This means we don’t “fix” papers; we work with students to improve their overall writing skills for this and future tasks.
  • Writing assistance isn’t just for students with major grammar or mechanical problems. Instead, we focus on higher-order concepts such as argument, organization, development, and other areas. Even accomplished writers can make progress on their work in a half-hour session.
  • While our writing assistants represent most majors as well as the professional schools, they are trained in a semester-long course to work with students from any discipline.
  • When a student meets with a writing assistant to discuss a paper for your course, you’ll get a copy of the conference report—a brief summary of what the student and writing assistant worked on (This is an easy way of keeping track of who visited the WC for assigning extra credit, e.g.).
  • An effective way to familiarize your students with the Writing Center and to demonstrate your support for our services is to invite a writing assistant to visit your classroom with a 5-10 minute presentation during the first few weeks of the semester. Email our hotline at writing@up.edu with the day and time of the class you’d like a writing assistant to visit and we’ll get back to you shortly.
  • Lastly, all Moodle pages now have a link to the Writing Center—see the top left corner, under “Learning Resources.”

To foster student writing integrity at UP, consider using the Turnitin function through your class Moodle page. Instructions for using this paper-authentication software can be found here.

All of your students should possess The Pocket Cengage Handbook since it is required in their two writing-embedded courses. The handbook helps keep our campus on the same page when it comes to grammar, punctuation, citation styles, and basic expectations for essay writing across the University. If you need a desk copy of this reference, please contact the Writing Center director by the second week of the semester.

As the director of the Integrated Writing Program and the Writing Center, Hiro is happy to be a point of contact on all writing-related matters this semester. Need insight on crafting better writing prompts? Resources for integrating writing instruction into your class-time? Help with language to use when evaluating student writing? Please feel free to contact her at hiro@up.edu or x8031.

Integrated Writing Program and the Writing Center: Resources for Faculty and Students

The Integrated Writing Program and the Writing Center are gearing up to serve the UP community in 2018-19. The program has a new director, Molly Hiro, English, whom you are welcome to contact with any writing-related questions or concerns at x8031 or hiro@up.edu. The Writing Center (part of the Learning Commons, housed in BC 163) opens Sunday, September 2.

The University’s Writing Center will be open from the second Sunday of the semester (Sept. 2) through finals week, daily except Saturdays. A link to the Writing Center has been added to all Moodle pages, in the top left corner, under “Learning Resources.”

To familiarize students with the Center and its value to them, email writing@up.edu to have an assistant visit your classroom to give a 5-10 minute presentation during the first few weeks of the semester. That email address is also the hotline students can use to make appointments outside the established slots, should all slots be filled. There are no longer walk-in hours at the Center, so students need to book appointments in advance (no later than midnight the day before the conference).To foster student writing integrity at UP, consider using the Turnitin function through your class Moodle page. Instructions for using this paper-authentication software can be found here.

Finally, all your students should possess a common writing handbook – The Pocket Cengage Handbook as it’s required in their two writing-embedded courses. It helps keep our campus on the same page when it comes to grammar, punctuation, citation styles, and basic expectations for essay writing across the university. If you need a desk copy of this reference, please contact Hiro at hiro@up.edu by the second week of the semester.

Integrated Writing Program Changes, Summer Availability

hersh copyCara Hersh has replaced Lars Larson as the University Integrated Writing Program director. For questions regarding the Writing Center, the campus writing handbook (The Pocket Wads­worth Handbook, 6th ed.), Turnitin.com, or other campus resources for writing assignments, contact Hersh at hersh@up.edu.

The Integrated Writing Center (in Franz 120, the Learning Resource Center) is available to Summer Session II students as a resource for writing assignments. In contrast with regular semesters, where students make appointments via an online schedule, summer appointments are made via e-mail to writing@up.edu on an as-needed basis. Summer writing assistants are Megan Lester, Sara McCrohan, Erin Savoia, and Andrea Turel. See the Writing Center website at www.up.edu/lrc/writing/ for information about UP writing resources. For questions contact Cara Hersh at hersh@up.edu.