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Center for Academic Excellence Workshops Writing Center

Writing | Career Services | Study Skills | Math | Educational Technology

Writing

Writing Thesis Statements

Every writing task involves a purpose and an audience, so writers must start by asking themselves some specific questions. Why am I writing? What is the main point I'm trying to get across to my reader? Who is my reader, my audience? The answers to these questions help writers to generate focused and relevant thesis statements. In this workshop we'll review the components of an effective thesis statement, and you'll create at least one of your own. Participants should feel free to bring papers which they are currently drafting.

Developing and Structuring Arguments

There is more to an argument than just stating an opinion: once you make a claim, you've got to support it. While every argument is different, there are some basic elements of argumentation that writers can use to compose persuasive discourse. Participants in this workshop will generate claims and reasons to support them. We'll also consider the importance of counter arguments and see how they can be used to strengthen our own claims.

Coping with Grammar

Confused by commas? Wracking your brain over run-ons? Fatigued by fragments? This workshop is designed to take the mystery out of some of the most common sentence-level errors that students make. Participants in this workshop are encouraged to bring examples of their own work; however, sample sentences will be provided.

Writing assistance in cyberspace! If you can't make it to the workshops, or if you're looking for other information, help is always available. Simply go to the Fisher homepage to find the Writing Center web site. There you'll find information about the Writing Center as well as links to incredibly useful and fun sites that address issues ranging from guidelines for writing introductions to MLA and APA documentation styles

The Research Paper, Part I

This workshop will address the initial steps in writing a research paper: creating a proposal, finding appropriate sources, narrowing the topic to arrive at a thesis, effectively reading scholarly material about the topic, and writing critical reviews. Participants are encouraged to bring current research assignments. Worksheets will be provided.

The Research Paper, Part II

This workshop will follow up on the previous one by addressing annotated bibliographies, formal outlines, and scholarly perspectives in support of the thesis. In other words, we will proceed from outline to rough draft. Participants are encouraged to bring current research assignments. Worksheets will be provided.

MLA: Quotation and Documentation

This workshop will deal with the effective integration and correct citation of source material. We'll also discuss ways to avoid inadvertent plagiarism and the overuse of quotes that leads to what teachers call "mosaic" papers. Finally, we'll discuss the difference between summary, paraphrase, and direct quotation.

APA: Reference and Documentation

This workshop is designed to help students familiarize themselves with the APA handbook and APA style in general. We will also address the appropriate use and integration of source material.

Revision and Editing

Few writers get it right the first time. Writing is thinking, and that means that as we write, our ideas develop and sometimes change entirely. Revision means adding, removing, and rearranging paragraphs and ideas, whereas editing involves relatively minor changes. In this workshop we will discuss and practice strategies for both.

Career Services

Writing Your Resume

Fifteen seconds! That might be all the time you have to grab an employer's attention, so your resume must be precise and persuasive. This workshop is designed to improve your skill at creating an effective resume. Betsy McDermott, Director of Career Services and resume writer extraordinaire, will lead this workshop. Sample resumes will be provided.

Creating Cover Letters

A cover letter can determine whether the recruiter chooses to look at your resume or not. Learn how to create a letter that captures attention, highlights your unique skills in two concise, but pithy paragraphs and targets the qualifications needed for the specific position you are seeking.

Business Etiquette

What does a professional look like? Come and learn basic rules of business behavior that can help you to succeed, not only in the job search but in the daily life of business and social etiquette. This workshop had been voted the most valuable for transition into the professional life.

Email Etiquette

Is it alright to email a professor at 1 am? If you do, should you expect an answer that same day? Is it appropriate to refer to your professors as Mr. or Mrs.? Or should you address them all as Dr.? Will your professor be ROTFL if you write to say that your dog ate your paper, so it will be l8tr than expected? This workshop will answer these and other questions about just what is appropriate in cyber-correspondence.

Study Skills

Learning Styles Inventory

How do you learn best? Which classes might be best suited to your academic strengths? In which academic disciplines are you most likely to be successful? In this class you will take a learning styles assessment, score it, and discuss how those results might affect academic decisions you make in the future.

Reading Textbooks Effectively

Have you often asked yourself how you can improve your reading? This workshop will help you read more efficiently and effectively. We'll discuss ways to prepare for reading, eliminate distractions, overview chapters, and make connections that will help you better comprehend and retain information.

Effective Note Taking and Review

This workshop is designed to provide you with effective strategies for taking notes in class. We'll discuss ways to prepare for class, keep up with the lecture while taking notes, and review your notes for better comprehension and retention. We will also address effective listening skills and ways to reduce distractions.

Thinking Critically to Enhance Your Reading and Learning

One of the ways that we become more effective readers and learners is by asking questions and making connections to our knowledge in subject areas other than the one on which are focused. This workshop will help you to effectively engage with the material you're studying in order to deepen and retain your knowledge.

Study Skills for the Final Stretch

Overwhelmed by the end of the semester rush to the finish line? This workshop will help you plan your work and work your plan. Participants will learn ways to make the most of time available, develop strategies to calm and focus the mind, and increase memory by taking notes while studying.

Overcoming Writer's Block: Strategies for Getting Started

Do you ever find yourself staring at the computer screen, thinking about all the research you've done and all the notes you took, but not having the first idea about how to start the paper? Many writers, even professionals, face writer's block at one time or another. In this workshop we'll discuss easy ways to generate and organize ideas. Bring paper and pen, and be ready to invent!

GPA 101

Learn the basics of how to calculate your semester and cumulative GPAs as well as tips for repeating courses, withdrawals, etc. Figure out the grades you need to earn this semester to reach your desired GPA. Recommended: bring a copy of your college transcript from Fish 'R' Net to enhance this workshop experience.

Working Effectively in Groups

Groups take time to establish themselves. Knowing what stage your group is in will help you be a more effective team member. This workshop reviews five stages of group development, and should be most useful to students working in one group with the same participants over the course of the semester.

Working with Faculty

Discover basic strategies to help you connect with your professors and get the most out of these academic experiences. Learn the do's and don'ts for interacting with faculty as well as tips for developing positive, helpful, and informative relationships.

Understanding Academic Requirements

Which courses do I need for my core? What graduation requirements must I still meet? Get into the "driver's seat" of your own education. In this workshop you will complete a "Degree Progress Tracking Form" with the help of the course instructor. You must bring a current copy of your academic transcript and your Undergraduate Bulletin to this workshop!

Math

Math Refresher

This workshop is designed to help students review fundamental mathematical skills necessary to succeed in introductory math courses, including rational numbers, ratios, proportions, percents, and algebra. This workshop will benefit those students preparing for the nursing placement tests and the Math Skills Assessment.

Educational Technology

Using Excel

This Excel workshop is designed to offer a quick crash course in basic Excel computations. At the end of this session students will be able to create a basic worksheet by entering text, values and formulas. In addition students will be taught to understand moving and copying data by using shortcuts and also creating formulas by using built-in functions. These skills and a basic knowledge of Excel's capabilities will benefit those students preparing to enter into the business world.

Using PowerPoint

This Microsoft PowerPoint workshop will teach and review the basics of creating a PowerPoint Presentation. Topics to be covered include formatting slides, inserting text, sound, and pictures, putting the presentation together, and other helpful tips for using PowerPoint. The information presented in this workshop will be beneficial to all students, especially those taking classes that include a presentation component.

NoodleBib

This software isn't the only way to create a bibliography, but it's one way. If you're curious to learn how to use this MLA and APA bibliography composer that inserts the punctuation for you, this is your chance.

Trash or Treasure? Evaluating Websites

If you use the Internet, you can always use help deciding if a site is quality or not. After all, any crackpot can put anything on the Internet, so it's reader beware. Come and hear about a 5 item checklist that can help you separate the good from the bad and the ugly.