English 103: Writing
Workshop  The
Writing Center at St. John Fisher College
FAQ: The 1-Credit Writing Workshop
What is the Writing Workshop?
Who can take the Workshop course?
How does the committee choose students for the Workshop?
How do I sign up for the Workshop?
How do I get started?
What if I can't make it to an appointment?
What is the Writing Workshop?
The Workshop is a 1-credit course designed to help you meet or exceed
Fisher's writing goals for first-year students. The Workshop is designed
to help writers who need extra structure and/or writing feedback
in order to succeed in English 101 or their writing intensive Learning
Communities. For the Workshop, writers will attend regular appointments
at the Writing Center, do some extra work revising papers for their
final portfolios, and, in some cases, meet out of class with their
instructors.
The Writing Workshop has many advantages. It gives students lots of
consultation with experienced writers outside of class. It puts writers
in closer contact with their instructors and allows them to set and achieve
goals. Most importantly, it provides writers with a structure that offers
them the additional instruction and support they need to succeed in English
101 or their Learning Community.
Who can take the Workshop?
Only students enrolled in English 101/102 or a writing intensive Learning
Community are eligible. Some writers will be required after evaluation
of their writing skills to take the Workshop. If you are so notified,
you do not have the option of refusing to take the Workshop; this assignment
is mandatory. Then, depending on space, a limited number of volunteers
will also be given the opportunity to take the Workshop. You can either
request to participate in the Workshop, or you may be assigned by a
faculty committee to take the Workshop.
How does the committee choose students for the Workshop?
Based on your performance on the first major writing assignment in
English 101/102 or a writing intensive LC, your instructor may either
require or recommend that you take the 1-credit Workshop. For English
101 or a writing intensive LC, a faculty committee will read all
student assignments and make recommendations. For English 102, your
instructor may make this decision in consultation with you and/or
your LC instructors.
During the third week of classes your instructor will notify you about
placement .
How do I sign up for the Workshop?
To enroll, see Dr. Nicolay, the Writing Center Director, to complete an
Add form . You will be adding a 1-credit course, English 103, with its
own CRN.
How do I get started?
Call 385-8151 or drop by the Writing Center to make an appointment.
Writing Center visits must be scheduled weekly and cannot be made
up if a writer fails to show up for a scheduled visit. The average
visit lasts about 30 minutes.
The Writing Center encourages writers to build relationships with individual
Writing Center Consultants, and we also encourage writers to request
their favorite Consultants when scheduling their weekly appointments.
Writers don't necessarily need to be working on a draft to profit from
a visit to the Writing Center. However, students must be prepared to
work during each consultation (i.e., readings should have been completed
prior to the consultation; assignments and guidelines should be on hand).
Consultants can help writers with brainstorming, revising, polishing,
and other issues, including developing an effective writing process.
What if I can't make it to an appointment?
If you are unable to keep an appointment, we ask that you call the
Writing Center to notify us in advance. The Writing Center notifies
your instructor when you fail to show up for an appointment. Students
who fail to show up for a scheduled Writing Center appointment or
repeatedly cancel appointments will no longer be allowed to sign
up in advance for appointments. Multiple no-shows may cause you to
fail the Workshop. Consult your instructor about his or her policy. |
