Resources for Educators
How do I instruct my students about writing when I'm not teaching a writing course?
Members of the Writing Center staff are available to visit your classroom and present
information related to writing such as MLA or APA formatting, writing as a process,
or writing an academic paper. Simply email writingcenter@mckendree.edu to make your
requests. This service is available to Lebanon campus classes as well as off-site
and online classes. Contact us at writingcenter@mckendree.edu to make your request or get more information.
What online materials do you have for my students to access?
We have a great new interactive anti-plagiarism tutorial instructors can assign to
one or all of their students. You can include the link on your syllabus, or send
the students to the Writing Center Webpage to click on the Writing Resources and access
Understanding & Avoiding Plagiarism link. This can be accessed 24/7, and it runs about 30 minutes. There are built in
assignments, and if an instructor would like a complete report of which students completed
the workshop, they need to:
1. Instruct students to enter their own first name and their own last name with a hyphen followed by the instructor's last name on the log in page.
For example
FIRST NAME--JOAN
LAST NAME---SMITH-BRENNAN (Smith is the student's last name, Brennan is the instructor's last name.
2. Email us at writingcenter@mckendree.edu requesting a report. Be sure to include a
class roster or list of student names who have been assigned to complete the workshop.
What should I do if I have a student with more serious writing deficiencies?
There are two routes instructors may take when choosing to send a student to the Writing Center: the
Continued Writing Check (CWC) or the Referral.
1. A Continued Writing Check (CWC) is McKendree's way of making sure every student leaves McKendree with ample and effective
writing skills that will help any student in any profession. Students with a CWC would
have continued checks on their writing progress as they work with Writing Center consultants. CWCs
are not meant to be deterrents to a student's overall education; they are simply one-on-one
writing instruction using the student's actual classwork. Students would come in for
a required weekly half-hour session until the writing consultant, WC Director/Assistant
Director, and student feel as if the student has shown progress in the writing essentials
of grammar, usage, style, and citation.
How do I know if a student really should be issued a CWC?
To assess whether a student requires a CWC, use our CWC tiers guide. Faculty members may assign a CWC by using the Maxient referral system which
can be accessed through WebAdvisor.
What if a CWC seems too heavy-handed? What's my second option to get a student to
use the Writing Center?
2. A Referral is voluntary for a student, but is encouragement from an instructor to strengthen
writing skills. Once a referral has been made, students receive a letter by school
email to schedule an appointment with the Writing Center. A Referral can help students
to make initial contact with the Writing Center, and many students continue to utilize
our services after a Referral is made. Faculty members may make a Referral by using
the Maxient referral system which can be accessed through WebAdvisor.
Faculty members should inform students if a CWC or Referral is being made.
Any questions about CWCs or Referrals may be directed to the Writing Center.
May I send my entire class to the Writing Center as a requirement for a written assignment?
We do not recommend instructors require every class member to utilize the Writing
Center, but we do realize that in a few cases, this may be useful. We would be happy
to discuss with you options available to best serve our students.
I'm working on an article/syllabus/document. Will the WC help faculty and staff?
The Writing Center is also open for instructors' use. If you have a question about
writing or would like to access some of our textbooks and manuals, please feel free
to drop in or contact us at writingcenter@mckendree.edu.
What is a rubric, why do I need one, and where can I find samples?
Rubrics are used to show students how an assignment will be graded, and they make
grading an easier task for the instructors.
Most students need clear guidelines for an assignment, and most instructors find the
students' writing quality increases if rubrics are handed out before the assignment
is turned into the instructor.
Here are a few sites to help you get started:
---rubristar4teachers.org has very basic templates that are quick and easy to use
---ondemandblackboard.com has a great how-to video on creating and using rubrics in Blackboard. The simple 3-minute tutorial is a good way to get a quick idea of building rubrics. Scroll down and click to Assessing Learners once you log into ondemandblackboard.com
---Utah Education Network as www.uen.org/rubric also has some good rubrics. There’s one on Responsible Citizens, but be aware most of these are designed for K-12. This is still worth looking into for ideas.
