Today@Dal

The Writing Centre has had a very successful fall with 5694 individual appointments. Students came from all faculties including 24% from FASS, 19% from Science, 13% from Computer Science/Engineering, and so on. And, according to the fall evaluative survey, 99% of students found the tutoring sessions valuable and plan to return with future assignments.

Now we are finishing up the preparations for the winter term with students returning today. To that end, consider the following information as you plan your winter courses.

The Writing Centre supports the writing skill development of ALL students at Dalhousie. Whether students are transitioning from high school, beginning professional or graduate programs, or completing degrees, the Writing Centre staff and tutors can help students develop their communication skills so that your students can be successful here at Dal and, in time, successful in the workplace.

Please make note of the following:

1. If you would like a member of the Writing Centre to visit your class and give an introduction to our services, please contact Dr. Margie Bohan at c.bohan@dal.ca. Most visits take only 5-10 minutes and that is time well spent. (Students are able to put a face to the service.) When booking a quick class visit remember to provide your name, course name, a preferred time, and the class location.

2. In-class workshops can also be arranged. Normally, these workshops are tailored to the specific class and last for 30-60 minutes. One of the most popular is a review workshop where 2-4 Writing Centre staff and/or tutors come in to facilitate a peer review session of assignment drafts. Through peer review, students recognize and understand our writing expectations.

3. Please include the following note in your syllabus and/or on your BBLearn/OWL class site. You can make any changes necessary so that the message reflects your course(s) and the value of the Writing Centre.

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Learning to write well contributes to good marks, completion of degrees and, later, success in the workplace. Now is the time to improve your writing skills. You can visit the Writing Centre for assistance with your assignments. Staff and tutors help you to understand writing expectations and disciplinary conventions. The service is available six days a week. (See our website for hours of operation at the various Writing Centre sites.)

To book an appointment call 494-1963; email writingcentre@dal.ca; visit the website for online booking at dal.ca/writingcentre; or drop in to the Killam’s main floor Learning Commons (G40). (Tutors work in other locations such as on the Sexton Campus, Weldon Law Library, Black Student Advising Centre, and Native Education Centre.)

Visit the Writing Centre’s Resource Guide at http://dal.ca.libguides.com/writingcentre for online guidance. Finally, see the website for the schedule of seminars on writing issues, including how to integrate source material appropriately into your work (avoid plagiarism).