UMUC

Effective Writing Center (EWC)

Frequently Asked Questions About the EWC - Faculty Resources

  1. What is the Effective Writing Center (EWC)?
  2. How do I contact the EWC?
  3. Who are the writing advisors?
  4. How will the EWC help my students?
  5. Can I send my entire class to the EWC?
  6. What does EWC advice look like?
  7. What will the EWC NOT do?
  8. How else can the EWC help me?

1. What is the EWC?

  • The EWC offers a variety of online writing services and resources to all UMUC students and faculty, including those in all three divisions of Europe, Asia, and the United States, in both the School of Undergraduate Studies and the Graduate School of Management and Technology.

  • The EWC provides 24/7 one-to-one online writing advice by experienced, trained advisors to all UMUC students. 

  • The EWC’s mission is to help UMUC students improve their writing by addressing a variety of writing issues, modeling excellent writing, and furnishing rationales for all comments on papers and through our various resources and services.

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2. How do I contact the Effective Writing Center (EWC)?

There are several ways to contact the Effective Writing Center (EWC). Please refer to the "About Us " page for staff, location, and contact information.

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3. Who are the writing advisors?

  • All EWC advisors are advanced undergraduates, graduate students, professionals, and UMUC faculty.

  • We provide an intensive training program for our writing advisors, including mock student writing requests and supervised live requests.

  • If you are interested in becoming a EWC faculty advisor, please e-mail Lisa Zimmerelli, director.

4. How will the EWC help my students?

  • UMUC students can submit any writing assignment from any course to the EWC for feedback by clicking on the "Submit Your Paper" button on our homepage.

  • UMUC students can also e-mail writing-related questions to writingcenter@umuc.edu.

  • UMUC students can participate in self-study activities, in which they learn about aspects of research and writing and then practice what they learn.

  • UMUC students can participate in the EWC plagiarism tutorial module.

  • The EWC's Online Guide to Writing and Research offers UMUC students a wealth of information on topics such as the writing and research processes; academic integrity, documentation, and using library resources; writing assessment and self-assessment; and collaborative writing and peer review.

  • The EWC provides resources and links to information on various writing topics, including prewriting, writing, and revising; grammar, punctuation, and mechanics; research planning and implementation; academic integrity and documentation; English as a Second Language; and writing in the disciplines.

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5. Can I send my entire class to the EWC?

  • Yes, but please do the following:

    • First, consider if a guest lecture may be more appropriate.

    • E-mail the EWC to give us as much advance notice as possible.

    • Send the EWC a copy of your class assignment.

    • Refer your students to the EWC Suggested Timeline, to assure adequate time for receiving feedback and revision.

    • Note to your students that the EWC only accepts a limited number of requests per day.  When the EWC experiences unusually busy periods, students may not be able to submit their papers immediately.

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6. What does EWC advice look like?

The EWC advises in four areas: assignment, organization, development and research, grammar and mechanics. Please take a look at our bank of sample advice:

 

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7. What will the EWC NOT do?

  • We are not an editing service, and will not "fix" the grammar/spelling/punctuation in your students' papers.

  • Students who are having surface-level (grammar) problems typically also have problems with introductions/conclusions, organization, transitions, evidence, clarity, etc., and we address those first and foremost.

  • The EWC will not write any part of the paper for the student. 

  • The EWC will not comment upon the grade you assigned, nor suggest a grade for the paper.

  • The EWC will not compose any part of the paper for the student.

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8. How else can the EWC help me?

  • Faculty can request EWC Guest Lectures, in which a EWC advisor develops materials and facilitates a conference in online or web-enhanced portions of face-to-face classes, on a variety of writing issues and assignments.

  • The EWC provides information on the Faculty Resources homepage under "Designing Effective Writing Assignments".

  • The EWC helps faculty throughout UMUC develops assessment rubrics that make evaluating writing easier.

  • The EWC works in partnership with the Center for Teaching and Learning to offer workshops for faculty across the university.

  • The EWC has a library of resources for faculty to upload in their classrooms.

  • Faculty can request a pre-designed and arranged Effective Writing Center Conference area for their WebTycho classroom.

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