WAC Brown Bag Series: Bad Ideas About Writing - JSAC
This spring, join staff from the CWE for monthly discussions of selected chapters
from Bad Ideas About Writing (2017), a collection of essays by editors Cheryl E. Ball and Drew M. Loewe. Each month, we
will read two to three chapters from Bad Ideas About Writing (about 10-15 pages total) and enjoy spirited, friendly conversation about writing
pedagogy. All faculty, staff, and students interested in the teaching of writing are
welcome. Bad Ideas About Writing can be accessed for free at this link (https://textbooks.lib.wvu.edu/badideas/badideasaboutwriting-book.pdf). See the schedule below for dates, times, and topics.
Discussion 1: 1/25/2023, 3:00 - 4:00 PM - JSAC Skinner Room
"America is Facing a Literacy Crisis" by Jacob Babb (pp. 13-17)
"First-Year Composition Prepares Students for Academic Writing" by Tyler Branson (pp.
18-23)
"First-Year Composition Should Be Skipped" by Paul G. Cook (pp. 24-29)
Discussion 2: 2/22/2023, 3:00 - 4:00 PM - JSAC Skinner Room
"There is One Correct Way of Writing and Speaking" by Anjali Pattanayak (82-88)
"Official American English is Best" by Steve Alvarez (pp. 93-98)
Discussion 3: 3/22/2023, 3:00 - 4:00 PM - JSAC Markert Room
"Teaching Grammar Improves Writing" by Patricia A. Dunn (pp. 144-49)
"Grammar Should be Taught Separately as Rules to Learn" by Muriel Harris (pp. 155-62)
Discussion 4: 4/19/2023, 3:00 - 4:00 PM - JSAC Skinner Room
"Citing Sources is a Basic Skill Learned Early On" by Susanmarie Harrington (pp. 242-46)
"Plagiarism Deserves to be Punished" by Jennifer A. Mott-Smith (pp. 247-54)
WAC Speaker Series: "Using Writing-to-Learn Activities in Your Courses"
Dr. Rebecca Hallman Martini, Director of the Writing Center and Associate Professor
of English, University of Georgia and Dr. Lindsey Harding, Director of the Writing
Intensive Program, University of Georgia
March 30th
Time/Location: TBA
The CWE supports the integration of writing into all levels of undergraduate and graduate
curricula by providing faculty with resources for writing across and in the disciplines
(WAC/WID). Giving students frequent opportunities to write and reflect on and discuss
their writing at all stages of their academic career fosters student learning, engagement,
and critical thinking. The WAC Speaker Series features experts in WAC/WID pedagogy
who share tips and strategies for actively engaging students through writing across
and in the disciplines.
Publication Series
Are you new to the academic publication process and aren't sure where to start? Or
perhaps you've published in the past but need some motivation to make progress on
a new project. Academic publishing can be intimidating and overwhelming. The CWE's
five-part publishing series aims to demystify the scholarly publication process and
empower authors so they can publish with confidence. Each workshop will contain content
and interactive activities so that attendees have opportunities to practice skills
and make progress on their projects. Attendees are highly encouraged to sign up for and attend the entire series so they
can work through the publication process in a community, although it is also acceptable
to sign up only for the workshops relevant to your process. Workshops will be capped
at 15 attendees, so sign up and reserve your spot today!
Part 1: Finding a Journal and Model Texts
January 24, 6-7:30pm over Zoom
In this opening part of the publishing series, you'll learn strategies for identifying
journals that are a good fit for your work. You'll also learn ways to identify and
use model texts from your target journal to structure and draft your manuscript.
Part 2: Structuring Your Article
February 14, 6-7:30 over Zoom
In this second part of the publishing series, you'll learn techniques for organizing
your article effectively according to genre conventions in your field and target journal.
Part 3: Revising and Editing Your Article
March 7, 6-7:30pm over Zoom
In this third part of the publishing series, you'll learn strategies for revision
and editing. Revision refers to large-scale, holistic change, while editing refers
to sentence-level changes. Presenters will offer tips for developing a recursive writing
process that allows you to revise and edit efficiently.
Part 4: Writing Your Submission Cover Letter and Article Abstract
March 28, 6-7:30pm over Zoom
In this fourth part of the publishing series, you'll learn what to include in your
submission cover letter and article abstract. You'll also learn strategies for organizing
these documents effectively. The presenters will also discuss query letters and when
they might be useful for your publication process.
Part 5: Responding to Peer Review Feedback
April 18, 6-7:30pm over Zoom
In this final part of the publishing series, presenters will offer strategies for
responding to peer review once you've submitted your article and received feedback.
Revising an article can be an emotional and daunting process, but there are ways to
make it manageable and productive.
Register for the Publication Series
Grant Review Sessions
National Scholarship Review Day with Study Abroad
February 1st, 9am-11:00 pm (Health Sciences campus) and 12:30pm-2:30pm (Summerville campus)
Summerville Allgood Hall N233, HS Campus TBA
Are you working on your scholarship application to study biology in New Zealand and
you just can’t seem to say what you want? Or maybe you just need help brainstorming
a compelling story that will help you get to Salamanca? Come to the spring 2023 National
Scholarship Review Day offered by Study Abroad in partnership with the Center for
Writing Excellence. Representatives from Study Abroad who know the ins-and-outs of
the application will be there to answer your questions, and trained consultants from
the CWE will be there to help you with your writing. Two sessions will be held: one
from 9 am-11am on the Health Sciences campus and one from 12:30pm-2:30pm on the Summerville
campus. Locations TBA.
NIH F31 Predoctoral Fellowship Grant Review Session
March 27, 6-8pm
CJ 2340, Health Sciences Campus
In partnership with The Graduate School, the CWE will offer a review session for anyone
applying for an NIH F31 Predoctoral Fellowship grant. Drop in any time between 6 and
8pm to receive feedback on your grant draft. Whether you're still brainstorming and
outlining, drafting, or revising, the CWE is happy to assist. Several professional
writing consultants with training in NIH F31 grants will be available for consultations.
Reviews will be first-come, first-serve, but we ask that you register in advance so
we can better support attendees.
Register for NIH F31 Predoctoral Fellowship Grant Review
Three-Minute Thesis
Crafting Your 3MT Slide for Impact
January 24th, 6-7 pm over Zoom
Are you preparing to present at Three-Minute Thesis but don’t know how to design your slide? The Center for Writing Excellence is excited
to partner with the Augusta University Graduate School to offer a one-hour presentation
on designing a PowerPoint slide that is—as the 3MT judging criteria state—“well-defined”
and that “enhance[s] the presentation.” During this session, we’ll unpack what these
criteria mean, explain how to create coherence between the slide and the rest of the
presentation, analyze examples from past 3MT winners, and outline best practices
to make sure that your slide supports your 3MT presentation rather than distracts
from it. We will also share additional resources with you as you prepare your 3MT
slide.
Register for Crafting Your 3MT Slide for Impact
Graduate Research Day
Abstract Workshop
January 23, 6-7pm over Zoom
The Graduate School is partnering with the CWE to help graduate students submit strong
applications to present at the
38th annual Graduate Research Day. The first step toward presenting on GRD is submitting an abstract about your research.
Attend this virtual webinar on writing successful abstracts to learn concrete strategies
for writing your research abstract. The presentation will include tips for choosing
content, organizing and formatting, and writing clearly and concisely.
Making Your Research Accessible to Other Disciplines
March 6, 6-7pm over Zoom
The Graduate School is partnering with the CWE to prepare graduate students to present
at the
38th annual Graduate Research Day. GRD is judged and attended by faculty across disciplines, so research projects need
to be clear and accessible. Attend this virtual workshop to learn concrete strategies
for writing and speaking in plain language. You can be clear and accessible without
sacrificing the complexity of your ideas—let us show you how!
Register for Making Your Research Accessible to Other Disciplines
Personal Statements for Graduate Programs Series
Writing Standout Personal Statements for Medical and Dental School
February 21, 1-2pm over Zoom
The CWE is excited to partner with the Office of Health Professions to offer a workshop
on writing personal statements for medical and dental school. Since medical and dental schools use a common application process, figuring out how
to structure your statement and what content to include can be tricky. You only get one chance to impress all of the schools you will apply to. The personal
statement is especially important: most applicants will have similar credentials and the statement is one of the only places you get to put a personal touch on your application. At this
workshop, you'll learn some basic do's and don'ts for writing a strong personal statement
that will make you stand out among your peers. You'll also learn tips for brainstorming,
drafting, and revising.
Register for Writing Standout Personal Statements for Medical and Dental School
Writing Personal Statements for Health Professions Graduate Programs
February 28, 1-2pm over Zoom
The CWE is excited to partner with the Office of Health Professions to offer a workshop
on writing personal statements for health professions graduate programs. If you're applying to health professions graduate programs that do not use a common
application, you'll need to write different personal statements that are tailored
to each program you apply for. This workshop will provide strategies for streamlining
this process. You'll learn basic genre conventions for program-specific personal statements,
what content to include, and efficient ways to tailor to your programs of interest.
You'll also learn strategies for brainstorming, drafting, and revising your personal
statements so they are the best they can be!
Register for Writing Personal Statments for Health Professions Graduate Programs
