"A good writing assignment deepens students' engagement with course materials, promotes critical thinking, and helps them learn the discipline's discourse--its characteristic methods of inquiry, analysis, and argumentation."

--John C. Bean, Engaging Ideas: The Professor's Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom

Download the Faculty FAQs.

The Writing Center offers several support services to assist faculty in the use of writing in the classroom:

Class Visits

By request, a Writing Center representative will visit your class to discuss the services and resources available. You may also provide your students the following handout: Student FAQs.

Writing Specialist Program

Many services are available to individual faculty and departments through the Writing Specialist Program, which allows faculty from any department to collaborate with a Writing Specialist. Through the Writing Specialist Program, your students will be better able to complete written assignments by receiving specific or individualized instruction. For examples of the kinds of projects available, click here.

Creating Written Assignments

Writing is instrumental to learning, so creating effective written assignments is important. Use the online resources for creating effective written assignments to prepare written assignments, grading rubrics, and comments on student work.

Workshops for Students

Several workshops are available to assist students in the completion of assignments. You may require or suggest that students attend one or more of the scheduled workshops.

Upon request, tailored workshops for students are offered to focus on a specific writing topic or course assignment. These workshops can be held in class or in the Writing Center. They can be for the entire class or for a select group of students you refer to the Writing Center.

Some examples of possible workshops are:

• Literature Reviews
• Reaction Papers
• Annotated and Working Bibliographies
• Editing and Proofreading Strategies
• Paragraph Development

To request a workshop, submit a request at least two weeks, preferably more, before the desired workshop date. Let us know how many students will likely attend the workshop, the nature of the assignment, and the assistance desired.

Online Writing Resources for Students

Refer students to the online writing resources for guidance through the writing process, including writing for specific purposes, such as in-class writing, oral presentations, abstracts, and literature reviews. Discipline guides assist students with specific kinds of writing expected in courses.