The Writing Center offers three types of support for writing classes: in-class workshops, in-class advertisements, and Writing Assistants. To learn more about each form of class support, see below and our page on the Writing Assitance Program.
To request an advertisement or workshop, please use this form.
Through our Education and Outreach Committee, the Writing Center offers in-class workshops focused on foundational concepts in academic writing. Workshops are delivered by undergraduate Writing Center Tutors, and feature a mix of participatory presentation and hands-on exercises. Faculty may request these workshops for any undergraduate course. They are designed with first-year writing audiences in mind, but can be adapted slightly for other curricular settings. Without modification, each workshop takes approximately 45 minutes.
Crafting a Thesis: Our "Crafting a Thesis" workshop teaches students how to unpack complex assignments that, for example, pose multiple questions or ask the writer to make connections between seemingly disparate ideas. Our workshop identifies three primary pillars of thesis-writing — scope, significance, and stance — and gives students strategies for handling each via interactive discussion of sample prompts and theses. These strategies will help your students prepare to navigate different writing scenarios. This term, we include an option for your students to review their own theses at the end of the workshop.
Writing with Style and Clarity: Based on Joseph Williams' Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace, our "Writing with Style and Clarity" workshop covers concision, nominalization, quote integration, flow, and passive vs. active voice. We will help your students identify stumbling blocks in their own writing, understand the problems they cause, and develop strategies to deal with them. This interactive workshop includes hands-on exercises that help students grasp these important concepts by finding and revising stylistic inefficiencies together. Your students will leave the workshop better equipped to revise their writing for style and clarity.
Using Zotero: This presentation teaches students how to use the Zotero citation management system. Students will learn about citing and organizing sources in support of writing projects, and we will underline the importance of accurate, thorough referencing throughout. We will help students navigate the software and apply their news skills to practice scenarios. Students will try the text annotation and key words features to strengthen their research skills. After this presentation, students will feel equipped to use Zotero for future assignments.
Custom Workshops: If you would like to develop a specific workshop not listed here - for example, a workshop focused on understanding the genre conventions of a particular assignment for a larger course - please contact us at rwit@Dartmouth.edu.
Dartmouth faculty can invite RWIT Writing Center tutors to visit their classes and deliver a brief (~5 minute) presentation to your students about our services. Tutors will explain what our Center does, help students understand the learning benefits of peer writing centers, and demonstrate how to make an appointment. We can help students manage complex projects, understand your assignments, develop ideas, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their compositions, and much more.
Inviting a tutor to your class is a great way to de-stigmatize help seeking and to foster a culture of collaborative learning in your classroom. We know that students are more likely to make an appointment if their faculty member endorses the practice during class.
Writing Assistants (WAs) are Writing Center Tutors who partner with faculty to support students in a specific course. Under the directon of faculty, WAs enrich instruction by providing support during the drafting and revision of writing or communication projects. Depending on faculty preferences, WAs may offer asynchronous written feedback, one-on-one meetings, or another kind of support for students. Unlike Teaching Assistants, WAs are not involved in grading. To learn more about the Writing Assistance Program or to request a WA for an upcoming course, visit our WA Program Pages.
Writing Assistants can make your assignments and learning goals more accessible to students; they can help students develop new ideas, critically assess their own work, and make more effective plans for accomplishing complex writing projects.