Like the classroom, the UWC is a learning space. We don’t look at a writer’s current project only as an end in itself, but as a means to teach reading and writing strategies students can use throughout their lives. As a result, students won’t leave a consultation with every aspect of their papers “fixed”—but they should leave with new insights about how to revise their work.

The writing center is not just for students; faculty are encouraged to visit as well!

• Talk to your classes about the writing center.
  • Show video introduction to your students, showcase the UWC using the introductory slideshow, or print/upload handouts for your students.
• Assist your students in learning about any stage of the writing process, including choosing a topic, conducting research, developing an argument, writing and revising a draft, citing sources appropriately, and learning to proofread and edit.
  • Request a class presentation from a UWC faculty member or tutor.
• Help you design writing assignments that include writing center visits.
• Work directly with you to provide tailored support to your students on a specific assignment.
  • Contact us at uwc@ucf.edu for more information.
• Work on a recurring basis with individual students who may be struggling with writing in your class.
  • Refer individual students to the UWC for recurring appointments.
• Provide a range of writing resources for use both in and outside the classroom.
  • Request printed material (brochures/flyers) about the UWC for your class.

Another important writing resource for faculty at UCF is the University Writing Center’s sister program, Writing Across the Curriculum.

• UCF’s WAC program works with faculty across the university on incorporating writing into disciplinary courses and designing writing assignments that improve learning outcomes for students. So far, faculty from such diverse fields as Chemistry, Nursing, Psychology, Hospitality Management, Computer Science, and History have joined our flagship WAC Fellows program and changed the way their departments look at student writing.

• The UWC discourages faculty from forcing students to use the UWC without a rationale or context. Too often, students see required visits as a punishment for bad writing. As a result, they come without a purpose other than to earn points. Helping students to understand the value of working with the UWC around their writing will help them to get the most of their sessions.
• If faculty elect to require or offer credit for writing center visits, then we recommend a wide window for scheduling appointments, staggering consultation deadlines for large classes, and guiding students on how to make the best use of their time with us.
• Writing center visits help writers revise. With this goal in mind, we request that faculty send students to the UWC with writing that they intend to work on further, after the consultation.
• If you would like to see some examples of how other UCF faculty have successfully integrated UWC services into their courses and class schedules, please see this document.
• If you have questions or would like to brainstorm with a UWC administrator about how to incorporate writing center sessions into your courses, please email uwc@ucf.edu and we’ll be happy to collaborate with you.

Encouraging your students to visit the writing center in small groups can be helpful, especially for large classes. For group appointments, consultants do not respond to each individual paper but facilitate peer review to help writers learn to read and respond to one another’s writing.

You will find some best practices below for recommending groups to come to the writing center:

For ALL sessions (face-to-face and online)

• Group members should designate a team leader who will schedule the appointment at the writing center. When making the appointment, the team leader can make a note that this consultation will be a group appointment.
• All members of the group should attend the session. Sending one member of the group to have the writing tutor “look over the paper” doesn’t facilitate learning for anyone in the group. In order to learn, the members of the group must be present.
• Groups should be no more than three to four students. Our space can only accommodate five people at a table (4 writers + 1 tutor), and that’s really tight.
• Sometimes, group papers or projects can be a large undertaking. Because consultations can only last up to the 45-minute mark of each hour, it is best for the group members to identify segments of the project that they may want to focus or work on during the consultation.
• There can be no more than one appointment per group per day, and no more than three appointments in a seven day period.

For ONLINE groups, follow these additional steps:

• After making an appointment for the Online center, the group leader must forward the log-on instructions and Zoom meeting room link (which is sent to the group leader) to each member of the group. Zoom should be functional on every writer’s computer before we can hold online group consultations.
• To maximize the time to discuss your writing, please be sure that all members of the group are in the Zoom room at the start of the appointment hour. At the beginning of the consultation, the consultant will pull everyone into a breakout room and will ask for your NIDs so that we can log each writer into our system.
• Online appointments are limited, as we have only one online tutoring location. Sometimes, these appointments book up a week in advance. Please consider staggering deadlines so that students are not frustrated when no online appointments are available. Encourage students to not wait until the last minute to schedule appointments.

University Writing Center, Trevor Colbourn Hall 109
Satellite Locations: Main Library, Rosen Library, Online
407-823-2197    http://uwc.cah.ucf.edu/

The University Writing Center (UWC) offers writing support to students from first-year to graduate in every discipline. Peer writing consultants provide help at every stage of the writing process, including understanding assignments, researching, drafting, revising, incorporating sources, and learning to proofread and edit. The UWC’s purpose is not merely to fix or edit papers, but to teach writing strategies that can be applied to any writing situation. Consultations are available for individuals and small groups. You may schedule a 45-minute appointment by clicking the Success Resources tab on Webcourses, calling the UWC at 407-823-2197, or through the UWC website.

The UWC seeks graduate and undergraduate writing consultants from all majors. To learn more about becoming a writing consultant, please contact us.

• Provide a student perspective on an assignment or other course document you’ve drafted.
  • Schedule a consultation with an undergraduate or graduate peer writing consultant.
• Serve as test audiences and collaborative reviewers for your own writing (e.g., articles, grant proposals, presentations, and more) at any stage of the process.
  • Schedule a consultation or email us at uwc@ucf.edu if you’d like to schedule a time to meet with one of the faculty administrators about your writing.