Today@Dal

Note to Faculty

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

Note to Faculty Members Teaching Classes This Fall

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, we believe, 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 or out-of-class workshops can also be arranged. These workshops are tailored to the specific classes and last for 30-60 minutes. A new approach is a 2-3 session connection with classes: one introductory discussion about writing in the discipline with a member of the Writing Centre and you (the instructor), followed by either one or two structured, student peer review sessions just before submission of a paper or project. The discussion allows students to ask questions about writing in the class; in the peer review sessions, students learn by helping other students identify disciplinary conventions.

3.      If you find it advisable, you can include the following note in your syllabus and/or on Brightspace. 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 the quality of critical thought, 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 the Writing Centre 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, also, work in other locations such as on the Sexton Campus, the Wallace McCain Learning Commons, Black Student Advising Centre, and the Indigenous Student Centre.)

In addition, the Centre offers monthly seminars. This year the seminars focus on understanding academic integrity and learning to integrate source material into your writing assignments. See our website for dates and location.

The Writing Centre, also, provides a comprehensive online learning tool called the Academic Integrity Module (AIM). Self-register at https://www.dal.ca/campus_life/academic-support/writing-and-study-skills/academic-integrity-module.html. New this year: after you have completed the AIM, attend a follow-up session to discuss the scenarios more fully. See the schedule for follow-up sessions on our website.

Visit the Writing Centre's Resource Guide at http://dal.ca.libguides.com/writingcentre for online guidance.

Good luck with all your work this year!