Writing is key to helping students learn, clarify, organize, and articulate important concepts, ideas, and information. Students improve as writers when they’re provided with guidance relevant to their assigned tasks and the opportunity to revise with feedback.
We’re here to help your students gain confidence and perform well as writers.
To help your students improve as writers:
Inform your students about the Herbert Writing Center
Import our informational Canvas Commons page into your own Canvas course site(s):
Log in to Canvas and open the Canvas Commons (bottom left of the menu section); search for Writing Help: Judith Anderson Herbert Writing Center, click “Import/Download” and select the destination course. You’ll find the imported page in “All Pages” and may move it/link to it as desired.
Copy and paste the following statement into your syllabus and/or Canvas site:
Writing Help from the Judith Anderson Herbert Writing Center
Getting feedback during the writing process is a great way to improve the quality of your writing and your confidence as a writer. Talk with trained, friendly writing consultants about your academic papers–getting started, organizing your ideas, finding and citing sources, revising and polishing final drafts, grammar, and more–as well as about creative and professional writing. Detailed information about services and resources is available on the Writing Support page.
For how to make and attend in-person or online appointments, see the “Making and Attending Appointments” page.
Contact writingcenter@utk.edu with any questions.
Social media: Instagram: utkwritingctr; LinkedIn: Judith Anderson Herbert Writing Center
Request a short in-class presentation about our services
Request a short presentation to your class about the Herbert Writing Center’s services. To do so, complete this form: https://tiny.utk.edu/JAHWCclassvisit. We will try to accommodate as many requests as possible!
Note: We have more presentation times available in the first 2 weeks of the semester.
Share our Writing Support resources with your students.
Let students know about our Writing Support page, which details these and other resources:
- Writing Guides refer students to reputable resources for writing in specific subjects.
- Assignment Planners help students manage writing projects according to their due date. Each planner breaks down the details of working on a particular type of writing project into manageable steps.
- Our AI Tools and Writing: Information for Students page provides guidelines for ethical AI use.
- English 103 or 104 1-credit elective writing support courses provide an extra boost to any student taking a first-year English Composition courses
Require students to meet with a writing consultant (and give extra credit if desired)
Follow these guidelines to ensure this arrangement works effectively:
Complete this form well in advance of your assignment date to let us know your students are coming: tiny.utk.edu/JAHWCrequiredvisit
Require students to complete their JAHWC appointment at least 3 days in advance of your assignment due date. This is so that students can get an appointment, which is not possible if they all try to visit on the day an assignment is due. (Do not include Saturdays or Sundays as part of the 3 days in advance.)
Recommended: Arrange for students to complete their required visit during the early parts of the writing process–since that’s when writing help can be most effective. Students can get help brainstorming, finding sources, making an outline, or checking whether their main point is on track. Conversations early on can lead to greater student learning and writing improvement than waiting to get feedback until shortly before submitting a final draft.
Provide the following information to your students with your assignment:
- Complete your appointment at least 3 days in advance of the assignment deadline. (Saturday and Sunday are not counted in the “3 days in advance.”)
- Make your appointment at https://UTK.MyWCOnline.com. See these instructions for making and attending appointments.
- Be prepared for an interactive conversation; don’t say you’re showing up just to “get the credit.” See How to Make the Most of a Writing Consultation, and this article on “Why Visit your Campus Writing Center?”
- Proof of attendance: After your appointment, you’ll receive an automated email from the WCOnline appointment system requesting that you fill out a satisfaction survey. That survey request email is your proof of attendance. (The JAHWC genuinely wants your feedback, so please complete their anonymous survey, too!)
Questions? Contact writingcenter@utk.edu with any questions about these arrangements.
Access our resources for instructors.
If you teach a Vol Core Written Communication (WC) course, visit our page on Teaching a “WC” Course.
Take a look at our pages on designing formal writing assignments and informal writing assignments, on responding to student writing, and on resources for working with multilingual writers.
If you’re thinking about how AI use might impact writing and writing instruction, visit our page with resources for instructors on generative AI and writing instruction. We also have developed a page for students, with guidelines for them to consult before using generative AI tools.
Reach out to talk about ways we can help you help your students become better writers. We’re here to talk with you about designing meaningful writing assignments that help students write effectively in your discipline, ways to offer effective feedback on student writing, demystifying academic writing for your students, navigating AI use in your class, and more.
- Contact us at writingcenter@utk.edu to set up a conversation.
The “IW” Grade: For more information about assigning an “Incomplete due to Writing” (IW) grade, see our page on the “IW” Grade procedure.
Contact us at writingcenter@utk.edu to arrange a conversation about how we can support you!