How Faculty Members Encourage Students to Come for Writing Conferences

Many faculty members put the Writing Center on their syllabi along with other types of outside assistance such as office hours and study sessions.

Many mention the Writing Center on each assignment sheet for a writing task. Michael Nelson's history students brought their assignment sheets for book reviews along to the Writing Center. His students knew he not only approved but encouraged conferences.

Some faculty suggest a writing conference in their written comments on drafts or verbally in their own conferences with students. Many of Greg Goeckel's students come with a suggestion he has written on their first drafts referring them to the Writing Center for help in documenting their math history research papers.

Other teachers collect midprocess drafts. Even if they do not read and comment on the drafts, their students have a paper to take to the Writing Center days before the final draft is due. Lynne Simpson uses this approach for many of her English classes, and a large percentage of her students come for conferences.

Some talk about the Writing Center when they introduce the assignment in class. Simpson tells her classes that although she is willing to confer with students, she does not have time for a half-hour one-on-one session with each one. Writing Center tutors can offer that intensive help.

Some faculty members offer incentives for writing conferences. In his Systems and Theories class Jerry Frey offers a slightly higher weighting for a paper when students hand in an early draft, participate in a writing conference, and revise the draft.

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