UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Writing Center

NOW OPEN: The UP Writing Center

The UP Writing Center—an awesome peer-tutoring resource that can help student writers from any discipline—is open for the Fall 2024 semester. We count on faculty to get the word out to students about this valuable resource, so please consider encouraging your students to seek us out. Students can meet their Writing Assistant in person in the Learning Commons (BC 163) or online. Our 21 Writing Assistants (WAs), representing majors and colleges from across UP, can help writers from all disciplines, at all levels, and at any stage of the process, from brainstorming ideas, understanding assignments, outlining, to revising.

Students can book appointments through our online scheduler  and explore our website for writing-related resources. Note that in addition to making appointments through the Writing Center, students can request a “Dedicated Writing Assistant” for regular meetings throughout the term and faculty may request a “Dedicated Class Assistant” to assist students from a particular class.

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.
  • In addition to being available for half-hour appointments via the online scheduler, WAs are also available during drop-in hours at the Learning Commons. 
  • 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.).
  • Flesh-and-blood writing assistance has some clear advantages over AI; remind your students that they can lean on our Writing Assistants for support and that visiting the Writing Center can help alleviate their anxiety and provide companionship during the writing process.

A highly 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 drop in to your  classroom to give a 5-10 minute presentation during the first few weeks of the semester. Email our hotline writing@up.edu with the date, time and place of the class you’d like a Writing Assistant to visit and we’ll get back to you shortly.

UP no longer requires students in writing-embedded courses (English 112 and Philosophy 150) to purchase the Pocket Cengage Handbook, so if you’d like to refer your students to a reputable resource for issues of grammar, mechanics, and citation, we recommend the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL). 

Would you like a designated Writing Assistant to work with you and your students this term? Do you need insight on crafting better writing prompts? Help with strategies for evaluating student writing? Email Sara Weiger (weiger@up.edu) for additional information.

The Writing Center Welcomes Your Students! 

The UP Writing Center—a terrific peer-tutoring resource that can support student writers from any discipline—is open. Students can meet their Writing Assistant in person in the Learning Commons (BC 163) or online (via Zoom). We count on faculty to get the word out to students about this valuable resource, so please consider encouraging your students to seek us out. Our 22 Writing Assistants (WAs), representing 14 majors and all five UP colleges, can help writers from all disciplines, at all levels, and at any stage of the process, from brainstorming ideas, understanding assignments, outlining, to revising. Students can book appointments through our online scheduler and explore our website for writing-related resources.  

Note that in addition to making appointments through the Writing Center, students can request a “Dedicated Writing Assistant” for regular meetings throughout the term and faculty may request a “Dedicated Class Assistant” to assist students from a particular class. Email (weiger@up.edu) for additional information.  

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.  
  • You may have found that your students weren’t able to find appointment times in past semesters, especially in early fall as we await the newly trained Writing Assistants to come on staff. We’ve fixed that problem this semester, preparing the new Writing Assistants to begin working earlier in the term—so reassure students that if they want writing help, they should be able to get it!  
  • 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.).  

A highly 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 drop into your classroom to give a 5–10-minute presentation during the first few weeks of the semester. Email our hotline writing@up.edu with the date, time, and place of the class you’d like a Writing Assistant to visit, and we’ll get back to you shortly.  

UP no longer requires students in writing-embedded courses (English 112 and Philosophy 150) to purchase the Pocket Cengage Handbook, so if you’d like to refer your students to a reputable resource for issues of grammar, mechanics, and citation, we recommend the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL).  

To foster student writing integrity at UP (i.e., find cases of plagiarism when they occur), consider using the Turnitin function through your class Moodle page. When creating the online assignment to which students will upload their papers, simply toggle on the “Turnitin” switch and papers will be automatically screened for plagiarized content. 

Finally: My name is Sarah Weigler, and I am happy to be a point of contact on all writing-related matters this semester. Would you like a designated Writing Assistant to work with you and your students this term? Do you need insight on crafting better writing prompts? Help with strategies for evaluating student writing? I may not have all the answers, but feel free to try me: weiger@up.edu. 

The Writing Center Will Be Back in Business This Fall!

The UP Writing Center—an awesome peer-tutoring resource that can help student writers from any discipline—is open for the semester. We count on faculty to get the word out to students about this valuable resource, so please consider encouraging your students to seek us out. Students can meet their Writing Assistant in person in the Learning Commons (BC 163) or online (via Zoom). Our 22 Writing Assistants (WAs), representing 14 majors and all five UP colleges, can help writers from all disciplines, at all levels, and at any stage of the process, from brainstorming ideas, understanding assignments, outlining, to revising. Students can book appointments through our online scheduler and explore our website for writing-related resources. Note that in addition to making appointments through the Writing Center, students can request a “Dedicated Writing Assistant” for regular meetings throughout the term and faculty may request a “Dedicated Class Assistant” to assist students from a particular class. Email (weiger@up.edu) for additional information. 

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. 
  • You may have found that your students weren’t able to find appointment times in past semesters, especially in early fall as we await the newly trained Writing Assistants to come on staff. We’ve fixed that problem this semester, preparing the new Writing Assistants to begin working earlier in the term—so reassure students that if they want writing help, they should be able to get it! 
  • 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). 

A highly 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 drop in to your classroom to give a 5–10 minute presentation during the first few weeks of the semester. Email our hotline writing@up.edu with the date, time, and place of the class you’d like a Writing Assistant to visit and we’ll get back to you shortly. 

UP no longer requires students in writing-embedded courses (English 112 and Philosophy 150) to purchase the Pocket Cengage Handbook, so if you’d like to refer your students to a reputable resource for issues of grammar, mechanics, and citation, we recommend the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL).  

To foster student writing integrity at UP (i.e., find cases of plagiarism when they occur), consider using the Turnitin function through your class Moodle page. When creating the online assignment to which students will upload their papers, simply toggle on the “Turnitin” switch and papers will be automatically screened for plagiarized content.  

Finally, as the new Director of the Writing Center, I (Sarah Weiger, English) am happy to be a point of contact on all writing-related matters this semester. Would you like a designated Writing Assistant to work with you and your students this term? Do you need insight on crafting better writing prompts? Help with strategies for evaluating student writing? I may not have all the answers, but feel free to try me: weiger@up.edu.

Writing Assistance Available for Summer Classes

Summer faculty who assign writing: the virtual Writing Center is open and ready to help your students with their papers-in-process. Rather than using our online scheduler, in the summer, students can email writing@up.edu to book appointments, which will be held on Zoom.

Please visit the Writing Center website for more information and for online writing resources, or email Writing Center director Molly Hiro, hiro@up.edu, with any questions.

Faculty: Please Promote the Writing Center in Your Classes!

The Writing Center is gearing up for another virtual semester of helping student writers at any stage of the writing process, at any level, and in any discipline, according to director Molly Hiro, English. The center’s 23 writing assistants (WAs) held hundreds of Zoom appointments last fall, and are ready to field that many more in Spring term. Students book appointments through the online scheduler (see our website at this link for more), and when their appointment time comes, meet face to face on Zoom with their writing assistants. Students can also email writing@up.edu to request an appointment time outside of our scheduled available times.

Faculty, please consider plugging the Writing Center in your classes and encouraging students to use our services. One of the best means of getting students to bring their work-in-progress to a Writing Center appointment 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 drop in to your online classroom to give 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, remember that all Moodle pages have a link to the Writing Center—see the top left corner, under “Learning Resources.”

The Writing Center website also includes other writing-related resources for faculty. Here you can find information about using the Turnitin function through your class Moodle page to help you detect cases of plagiarism and foster student writing integrity.

As the director of the 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? She may not have all the answers, but feel free to contact her any time at hiro@up.edu.

Writing Center Ready to Help Writers Online This Fall

Student typing on laptopAfter a successful test run in the spring, the Writing Center is gearing up for a fully remote fall, and the center is counting on UP faculty to get the word out that writing assistants (WAs) are ready and able to help UP writers throughout the term. WAs can help writers from all disciplines, at all levels, and at any stage of the process, including brainstorming ideas, understanding assignments, outlining, and revising.

Online appointments can be made through the appointment scheduler. When it’s time for the meeting, students simply click on “Meet online” and the 30- or 60-minute appointment will happen over Zoom. Students can also email writing@up.edu to request an appointment time outside of regularly scheduled available times.

New this year, the center is offering a limited number of “dedicated writing assistants” to work directly with writing-intensive courses. If you’re interested in having a writing assistant assigned to your course (to introduce the Writing Center to your students, meet with you to talk over assignments and expectations, and serve as the go-to writing assistant for any student from your class), please reach out to Writing Center Director Molly Hiro (hiro@up.edu) for more details.

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:

  • The center’s goal is not just to inspire better papers, but create better writers. This means writing assistants don’t “fix” papers; they 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, the focus is 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 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.
  • You may have found that your students weren’t able to find appointment times in past semesters, especially in early fall as we await the newly trained writing assistants to come on staff. That problem has been fixed this semester; the new writing assistants are prepared to begin working earlier in the term—so reassure students that if they want writing help, they should be able to get it!
  • 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).
  • An effective way to familiarize your students with the Writing Center and to demonstrate your support for the center’s services is to invite a writing assistant to drop in to your online classroom to give a 5-10 minute presentation during the first few weeks of the semester. Email writing@up.edu with the day and time of the class you’d like a writing assistant to visit and the center will get back to you shortly.
  • Lastly, remember that all Moodle pages have a link to the Writing Center—see the top left corner, under “Learning Resources.”

To foster student writing integrity at UP (i.e., find cases of plagiarism when they occur), consider using the Turnitin function through your class Moodle page. Instructions for using this paper-authentication software can be found 0n the Learning Commons website.

All of your students should possess a common writing handbook—The Pocket Cengage Handbook—as it’s required in their two writing-embedded courses. The Cengage 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 Writing Program and the Writing Center, I am happy to be a point of contact on all writing-related matters this semester,” says Molly Hiro, English. “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? I may not have all the answers, but feel free to try me!”

Contact Hiro at hiro@up.edu.

Virtual Writing Assistance Available All Summer

While the in-person Writing Center will remain closed until further notice, virtual writing assistance is available for all students taking courses at UP this summer. If you’re teaching a summer course, especially one involving writing, will you let your students know about this service? One-on-one sessions with our experienced writing assistants will happen via video, by way of Teams + Google Docs. Our goal is to not just to inspire better papers, but to empower students to become better writers.

To make an appointment, students can simply email writing@up.edu and a writing assistant will get back to them within 24 hours (we do not use the scheduler at WCOnline in summer). Another option we are piloting for summer courses is to offer faculty the option of a “Dedicated Writing Assistant” for their course. Dedicated writing assistants will meet with faculty members to learn about the course’s writing assignments and then be available for students seeking assistance with those assignments.

Please contact Writing Center director Molly Hiro (hiro@up.edu) if you’d like to learn more about this option.

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 2020. 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 spring semester on Tuesday, January 21 (open daily except Saturdays). Please visit the Writing Center website at this link 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 as it’s required in their two writing-embedded courses.  The Cengage 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.

Finally, as director of the Integrated Writing Program and the Writing Center, Molly 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? Hiro may not have all the answers, but feel free to ask at hiro@up.edu or x8031.

UP Writing Center and Writing Program At Your Service

The Writing Center and Writing Program are gearing up to serve the UP community in fall 2019, according to Molly Hiro, English. The Writing Center (in the Learning Commons, 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. We open for the semester Sunday, Sept. 1 (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.
  • You may have found that your students weren’t able to find appointment times in past semesters, especially in early fall as we await the newly trained Writing Assistants to come on staff. We’ve fixed that problem this semester, preparing the new Writing Assistants to begin working earlier in the term—so reassure students that if they want writing help, they should be able to get it!
  • 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 to give a 5-10 minute presentation during the first few weeks of the semester. Email our hotline writing@up.eduwith 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 (i.e., find cases of plagiarism when they occur), 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 a common writing handbook – The Pocket Cengage Handbook—as it’s required in their two writing-embedded courses.  The Cengage 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 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.

Writing Assistance Available for Summer Sessions

The Writing Center—where students in all disciplines can find help at any stage of the writing process—is open during both summer sessions in the Learning Commons, BC 163. To book a 30- or 60- minute session with a writing assistant, please email their hotline, Writing@up.edu , including the times and days you are available to meet with a tutor, and someone will get back to you to schedule an appointment. Happy writing!