Faculty Support

The Earlham Writing Center supports active, involved learning as consultants work one-on-one with students beginning with the writers’ needs and concerns. We use our knowledge and expertise to enhance writers’ understanding of a variety of rhetorical issues, such as purpose, audience, organization, format and conventions. We strive to help writers across all disciplines and skill levels develop a repertoire of strategies for making effective choices in any writing situation.

Like faculty, the Writing Center is student centered, however, we are also excited to work closely with and provide support for faculty members as they work toward inspiring the best writing from their students. Please contact [email protected] if you are interested in any of the resources below or would like to schedule a workshop or classroom visit.

Each time one of your students visits the Writing Center, they receive a report via email that confirms their attendance and summarizes what they worked on. If you wish to know about a student’s visit to the Writing Center, perhaps to offer extra credit for visiting, ask the students to forward those reports to you.

• Process presentation – Remind your students that writing is a process! Successful writers plan, draft, revise, polish and then publish. This interactive workshop (meant to take about an hour) is a great refresher just before a paper is assigned/due.
• Effective peer review – Do you have high hopes for peer review workshops, yet your students insist on meticulously pointing out each grammar infraction? If so, allow the Writing Center director to talk to your students about the ways in which they can effectively give and receive feedback. The director will explain to students how to avoid evaluative language, give specific and constructive criticism, and identify and discuss (rather than re-write). 
• Create-your-own workshop – We can also work together to tailor a workshop that is suited to your class! Consider a workshop to discuss academic integrity or a workshop where we develop a rubric for a writing assignment together with your students.

Prompts and assignments: If you’re looking to mix up your writing assignments this semester, look no further than the Writing Center. We have writing prompts and assignments designed to help students develop a variety of writing skills. We would also be happy to collaborate on new and exciting assignments based on the goals and demands of your individual course.

Peer review activities: Many of us see the potential for peer review activities and workshops in class; however, the standard trade-papers-read-silently-and-correct-grammar-model can become standard rather quickly. The Writing Center has an assortment of different workshop models and activities for peer review days that offer a fresh approach. Pair these new activities with our Peer Review Workshop..

If you are working with a student who you feel would benefit from more intensive and long-term, one-on-one writing support, contact [email protected].