course schedules workshop program faculty workshops graduate student workshops graduate writing fellows publications
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We offer two programs designed to improve writing and writing instruction in the disciplines:
1) Interdisciplinary writing courses paired with specific courses or designed for majors and minors from other departments.
2) A workshop program with presentations and consultations tailored to specific courses and disciplines that assist faculty members, TAs, and students in improving students' learning and writing.
Writing in the Disciplines Courses: UWP 102
Faculty from the University Writing Program have offered Writing in the Disciplines (UWP 102) courses since 1981, making UC Davis one of the leaders among UC writing programs in the emerging field of Writing Across the Disciplines. Each of these advanced writing courses focuses on writing in a specific department or interdisciplinary field. Most students find that this course enhances their learning in the subject matter and reinforces the writing instruction in the disciplines.
UWP 102 courses are 4 unit, graded, advanced writing courses, which teach critical reading, analytic thinking and clear and effective communication focusing on forms, styles, and conventions of specific disciplines or interdisciplinary fields. Behind each course is the principle that students learn to write well when they are engaged with the content of their papers. UWP102 fulfills part of the writing requirement in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the College of Letters and Science. Sections of UWP 102E (Engineering) fulfill the upper-division writing requirement in the College of Engineering. If you would like more information about the UWP 102 courses or if you wish to request development of a new course, please contact the The Assistant Director for Writing Across the Curriculum.
The Workshop Program
The workshop program is designed to help faculty and TAs to integrate writing assignments and writing instruction into their courses. It offers private consultations or group workshops on topics such as crafting writing assignments, using collaborative projects, commenting effectively on papers, using writing to promote discussion, and grading papers efficiently. Faculty members creating new courses or new writing assignments will also find the program useful. Experienced faculty in the workshop program can advise about many different kinds of papers--technical and non-technical--to promote the goals of a particular course. Workshops can be integrated into departmental TA training programs, to assist TAs with evaluating papers, grading consistently, and coaching students’ writing.
If you would like to consult with trained writing teachers about your paper assignments or plan a workshop for your students or TAs, please use the online request form, or contact Gary Sue Goodman, at 752-4947 or gsgoodman@ucdavis.edu.
Faculty Workshops on Teaching with Writing
At the beginning of each quarter, the Workshop Program offers a one-day faculty workshop on techniques of teaching with writing, co-sponsored by the Teaching Resources Center. The workshop discusses using writing to enhance critical thinking, principles of assignment design, techniques of coaching and commenting on writing, and participants get individual feedback on writing assignments in an assignment critique session.
Important links:
- Faculty Workshop Schedule
- Faculty Workshop Table of Contents and Handouts
- Video of Faculty Workshop (coming soon!)
- Register for a one-day faculty workshop
For more information, contact Gary Sue Goodman.
Graduate Student Workshops on Teaching with Writing
The Writing in the Disciplines Program also offers workshops and workshop series to improve graduate student writing, co-sponsored by Graduate Studies. Workshops include:
- Overcoming Writers Block
- Revision for Graduate Students
- Establishing Writing Support Groups, and
- Writing IMRAD in a Scientific Paper.
Series include:
- Writing in the Sciences and Engineering
- Writing in the Social Sciences and Humanities
- Demystifying the Dissertation, and
- Grammar for Graduate Students.
Space in the series is limited and registration is required.
- Register for a graduate writing workshop series.
For more information or to suggest topics for Graduate Student Writing Workshops, contact Teresa Dillinger in Graduate Studies or Gary Sue Goodman in the University Writing Program.
Graduate Writing Fellows
All graduate and professional students at UC Davis, at any stage in their graduate careers, are invited to schedule an appointment with a peer-writing fellow. The writing fellows are graduate students who are trained to coach writing projects across the disciplines. Students are encouraged to make 30-minute to one-hour appointments at any stage of the writing process. Bring questions, doodles, or drafts.
At the beginning of the session, your fellow will ask questions about what you're working on so that the session will be driven by your goals and concerns.
You can work will your fellow on generating and focusing a topic, organizing and clarifying ideas, enhancing persuasiveness, adapting your style for a specific audience or publication, and overall strengthening your writing skills. Your writing fellow will not edit your work for grammatical errors, but will discuss techniques for improving your writing and writing style.
To make an appointment, contact: writingfellows@ucdavis.edu | FAQs
Publications
The program has produced a series of publications for UC Davis faculty members and students. These are available at the Campus Bookstore or through The Assistant Director for Writing Across the Curriculum, Gary Sue Goodman.
- Improving Student Writing: A Resource Guide for Faculty Across the Disciplines
- Group Work and Collaborative Writing
- How to Write Laboratory Reports
- How to Avoid Writer's Block and Procrastination on Long Papers
- Writing Anthropology at UC Davis
- Writing Psychology at UC Davis
Bibliographies
The program has also published bibliographies on topics related to writing, which are also available from The Director of the University Writing Program or online.
Writing on the Edge, supported by the University Writing Program and largely produced by members of the Writing in the Disciplines Program, is a lively and readable journal about writing and the teaching of writing. For more information, contact John Boe, jdboe@ucdavis.edu.
Prized Writing is an annual anthology of exemplary undergraduate writing from courses across the disciplines, published by the University Writing Program. Prized Writing may be purchased at the Campus Bookstore. For 2006-2007, the deadline for submission is June 13, 2007. For more information, contact Pamela Demory, phdemory@ucdavis.edu.
For more information contact:
Gary Sue Goodman
Assistant Director, Writing Across the Curriculum
383 Voorhies Hall
University of California, Davis
Davis, CA 95616
(530) 752-4947
fax (530) 752-5013
WID | UCD Writing Program | UWP Faculty
Page Last Updated: September 20, 2007