Fall break is here, and Halloween is just around the corner! We know there’s nothing more bone-chilling than the blinking cursor at the top of a blank document. The Writing Studio is here to help!
In this Spooky Season newsletter, you’ll find information about the many Writing Studio resources available to you and your students, recognition of the incredible work our consultants are doing to support linguistically and culturally diverse writers, and an invitation to a book talk hosted by the Office of Undergraduate Education and VU Libraries.
Upcoming Writing Pedagogy Workshops
Whether you’re mulling over your spring syllabus or ready to branch out into multimodal writing assignments, we hope you’ll join us for one of two upcoming workshops in our Teaching Writing Workshop series.
Scaffolding Writing Across the Semester
Monday, 6 November | 3:00-4:30 p.m.
Participants will learn how to use backward design to scaffold writing projects and assignments throughout the semester. In preparation for Spring 2024, they will also have the opportunity to workshop syllabi for courses with writing components. Participants should bring a draft of a spring course syllabus or another syllabus they wish to redesign. Let us know you’re coming!
Incorporating Multimodal Composition
Tuesday, 5 December | 12-1:30 p.m.
Join us for a workshop focused on multimodal writing assignments across the disciplines. Multimodal assignments can center writing- and research-related learning goals while allowing students to use their voices as writers in unique ways and to reach wider audiences. Participants will examine different multimodal genres (e.g., podcasts, video essays, social media content, etc.) and brainstorm ways to develop or redevelop writing assignments. Let us know you’re coming!
Fall 2023 in-person workshops will be facilitated by Dr. Megan Minarich, Associate Director, Vanderbilt Writing Studio & Tutoring Services.
Writing Studio staff and consultants have been all over campus this semester, visiting more than 30 classes so far. It’s not too late to invite us to yours!
Brief Introductions to the Writing Studio
We know introductions traditionally occur at the start of something—say, a semester or academic year—but who says they have to? We know from our outreach that students grow more receptive to our humble pitch as the semester progresses and assignments get more complex. We want to reach as many students as we can to let them know about the support we can offer.
Why not invite one of our consultants to give a ten-minute presentation to your class with all the essential details about the Writing Studio?
Consider inviting a writing consultant to your class to lead a workshop on a specific element of academic writing. Standard workshops cover a variety of essential topics:
We can also work with you to develop a workshop tailored to your course’s specific needs. Past custom topics have included case studies, literature reviews, podcasts, op-eds, and more.
The Writing Studio’s Director, Associate Director, and Academic Support Coordinators are available to discuss writing pedagogy: syllabus construction and development, writing assignment design, resources for student writing support, and more.
Celebration Corner: Ekta Anand (Class of 2025) wins 2023 IWCA Future Leader Award
We know our writing consultants are truly outstanding students, and we’re always excited when others recognize it, too.
Case in point: At this year’s annual conference of the International Writing Centers Association (IWCA), held Oct. 12-14 in Baltimore, MD, undergraduate writing consultant Ekta Anand (Class of 2025) was awarded an IWCA Future Leaders Scholarship. This marks the second consecutive year that a Vanderbilt student has received the prestigious award!
Ekta Anand (Class of ’25, on right) accepting her IWCA Future Leaders Award
The only undergraduate of four 2023 Future Leader Awards recipients, Ekta was recognized for her dedication to advancing the conversation on increasing access and promoting inclusivity in writing center spaces.
She and fellow writing consultant Cameron Sheehy (M.Ed., Multilingual Learner Education) traveled to the conference to co-present on a project they had undertaken together the previous year. Their presentation was titled, “A Translingual Approach in the Writing Center: Using an Equity-Centered Design Framework to Cultivate Consultant Strategies to Support Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Writers.”
We’re incredibly proud to count Ekta among the 19 undergraduate writing consultants on our team in 2023-2024, and we hope you’ll join us in congratulating her.
Bernie’s Mitten Maker on Bernie’s Mitten Maker: Book Talk and Reception This Tuesday!
Cover image for Jen Ellis’s memoir, Bernie’s Mitten Maker
Do you remember the famous meme of Bernie Sanders and his mittens at President Biden’s inauguration? Come hear author Jen Ellis discuss her new memoir, Bernie’s Mitten Maker, and how her newfound fame has helped her to do good in the world.
There will be a reception following the book talk.
When: Tuesday, Oct. 24, 5 – 6pm
Where: Central Library, Community Room
For more information and to RSVP, please see the event page on Anchor Link.
Share and Subscribe!
We have begun distributing our monthly newsletter to faculty teaching first-year writing seminars and W-courses and asking departments to forward it on to their faculty, but you can also sign up to receive it directly.
The Writing Studio supports writers, instructors of writing, and all the ways writing is an essential medium for learning, discovery, serving our communities, and achieving our goals within the Vanderbilt community.
One-on-one writing consultation appointments are available in-person and online Sundays-Fridays, as early as 9:00 a.m. and as late as 8:00 p.m. Bring writing projects at any stage in the writing process. Schedule up to 7 days in advance through the Writing Studio website.
![VPUE - Writing Studio News and Notes E-Newsletter [Vanderbilt University]](https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/vu-URL/wp-content/uploads/sites/119/2023/05/19180813/WS-Newsletter-Banner-Fall-2021.png)
