THE WRITING CENTER - UC SAN DIEGO
Issue 2
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The Writing Center UC San Diego
November 2013 STAFF WRITERS: NICHOLE NOMURA, LEYDEN DANIELS, ELENA SILVA
Inside the Writing Center: Transfer Student Transitions by [Article StudentsAuthor] transferring to UC San Diego from other institutions face many changes: new living situations, new friends, and new expectations. The adjustment to universitylevel writing can be especially difficult, and the Writing Center aims to be a valuable resource in this process of transition. On Oct. 28, Writing Center director Madeleine Picciotto participated in a faculty panel sponsored by the Transfer Connect and Success Program, a Student Affairs initiative that is designed to promote transfer student engagement. Dr. Picciotto encouraged students to make the most of the campus resources – including Writing Center group workshops and individual consultations. Most transfer students are not required to take college writing courses, but the Muir College Writing Program and Eleanor Roosevelt College’s Making of the Modern World (MMW) core sequence do include specific courses taken only by transfer students. The Writing Center regularly offers group workshops targeting these courses. A workshop last month on “Reading and Summarizing an Academic Argument,” geared primarily towards transfer students, was particularly well attended. More than 30 students crowded into the Writing Center conference room to improve their skills.
Transfer student Yi Yang has visited the Writing Center several times. “MMW 21 is very hard for me. Writing at UCSD is totally different,” he explains. He has found that seeking support is more productive than trying to manage alone. “The Writing Center is very helpful,” he says. MMW Assistant Director Heidi KellerLapp notes, “Transfer students, in general, bring to the university a greater variety of experiences, academic interests, and levels of preparation.” The Writing Center’s peer mentors are trained to work with students regardless of their prior experiences with academic writing. According to Dr. KellerLapp, many transfer students tell her they find the Writing Center to be “a welcoming, supportive, and helpful place.” Holly Bauer, Assistant Director of the Warren College Writing Program, observes, “Writing Center mentors are a great resource for transfer students who want to know more about writing expectations at UCSD.” Peer writing mentor Annika Caspers Brown agrees. “Transfer students are often concerned about what is expected at the university level,” she says, “and we can help clarify those expectations.” University-level writing can be intimidating, but the Writing Center can help make it less so.
IN THIS ISSUE
By the Numbers: page 2 International Connections: page 3
Spotlight: Bill Presant “Establishing common ground can help to make sessions successful….”
Spotlight: Jessica Gross “Working as a mentor has helped me in my own writing process….”
Spotlight: Leyden Daniels “Access and encouragement are fundamental.…”
(Spotlights on page 2)
THE WRITING CENTER - UC SAN DIEGO | Issue 2
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Mentor Spotlights The 38 peer mentors who currently work at the Writing Center represent a wide range of backgrounds, interests, and experiences. Get to know some of our talented staff!
Bill Presant Year: Senior College: Warren Major: Spanish Literature Minors: Psychology, Computer Science Favorite Hobby: Amateur DJ As a UCSD senior I’ve enjoyed many challenging classes that have helped me develop as both a student and a mentor. On the humanities side, I’ve had to read, write, and communicate across cultural and language barriers. Having been the language learner, I understand the obstacles – some obvious, some not – that international students struggle with. And my computing experience helps me connect with students who are more STEMsavvy. Establishing common ground can help to make sessions successful. During my time at the Writing Center, I’ve loved being able to create a dialogue with other students. Often they come in accustomed to TA conferences, which can sometimes be formal and prescriptive. But academia is a conversation. We struggle to make learning interpersonal, given the whopping size of UCSD, but the Writing Center is one place where I can speak with students every day. These conversations have not only helped the students I’ve worked with feel more confident, they’ve also helped me become a better writer. You don’t spend this much time talking about good writing without coming out better at it yourself. I look forward to continuing my work at the Writing Center until I graduate at the end of this quarter.
Jessica Gross
Leyden Daniels
Year: Senior College: Roosevelt Major: Sociocultural Anthropology Favorite Hobby: Oil painting
Year: Senior College: Muir Major: Literature/Writing Minor: Business Favorite Hobby: Hiking
Since transferring to UCSD last year, I’ve grown as a writer and learner. In my MMW 21 and 22 classes I received excellent instruction on how to construct a persuasive academic argument. I appreciated the way the courses built on each other, leading you to master each step of the writing process gradually. The skills I acquired in these courses have helped me tremendously in my work at the Writing Center. I am so happy to be a peer writing mentor. I’ve always been noted for being a “people person,” and the most rewarding part for me is meeting with students, talking about their work, exploring some possible improvements, and then seeing the improvements take shape – whether they come back with the same assignment, or whether they transfer their skills to new assignments. Working as a mentor has helped me in my own writing process. It’s well known that by teaching others, you teach yourself. I can now sit down to a writing assignment that used to involve lots of brain-racking hours, and get started on a pretty good body of work in one sitting. I’m excited to see how my own skills and the skills of the students I work with continue to progress over the course of the year.
When I transferred from San Diego Mesa College to UCSD, I knew I wanted to seek out opportunities to work on campus. Since I’ve worked as a tutor at Mesa for three years, a tutorial position seemed like the best way to involve myself in the campus and help others. At Mesa, I gained knowledge and confidence regarding writing. However, I’ve seen myself improve as I’ve progressed through my courses at UCSD. Working at the UCSD Writing Center has allowed me to see that no matter where one comes from, what his or her major is, or where he or she is going, access and encouragement are fundamental to confidence. I love being able to help students realize their own strengths. Being part of the Writing Center has made UCSD feel a little friendlier because it has given me a space that encourages teamwork and innovation on a campus that otherwise can seem overwhelming. I truly believe that this is felt not only by me, but also by each student the center serves. Through my weekly mentoring sessions with students, I’ve seen myself grow as a communicator, leader, and educator. I know that my time at the Writing Center will help me to continue successfully on my path to becoming a writing professor.
The Writing Center by the Numbers The Writing Center opened for the current academic year on Monday, Oct. 7. In the few weeks since then, approximately 760 students have visited for one-on-one sessions and group workshops. Of these, 41% have been incoming freshmen, 29% have indicated that they have transferred from another institution, and 26% have self-identified as international students. So far this quarter, Writing Center mentors have helped students with assignments for 89 different UCSD courses, as well as out-of-class writing tasks such as application essays and cover letters.
26% international students
29% transfer students
760 students
THE WRITING CENTER - UC SAN DIEGO | Issue 2
Students Speak Out
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Making International Connections
“I got a lot of help where I needed it. It was nice to have somebody tell me to my face what was problematic, and that I needed to work on it.” Sanjay John, freshman Earl Warren College “The writing mentors don’t write the paper for me – they help me develop my own thoughts. The mentor I worked with today was really patient, and helped me develop what I want to say, not what they thought was right.” Rebecca Ruelas, sophomore Eleanor Roosevelt College “The Writing Center has been super helpful to me. The mentors help me catch things my TA might not address, and coming here clears up the writing process.” Arushi Atluri, freshman John Muir College “I always bring my essays to the Writing Center. With the help of the mentors, I can find my problems and begin to fix them.” Zhongyu Han, freshman Earl Warren College Find out more about the Writing Center at UC San Diego: writingcenter.ucsd.edu facebook.com/ucsdwritingcenter twitter.com/writeUCSD
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A busy moment at the Writing Center front desk.
.ITTP students learn about academic writing. Photo courtesy of the International Students & Programs Office. On Aug. 19, a group of UCSD freshmen from around the world arrived on campus for the International Triton Transition Program (ITTP). This residential summer bridge program gave approximately 80 international students an introduction to American university life in the month before classes began. The program had academic as well as social and cultural aspects. The core of the academic component was an intensive composition course designed to prepare students for success in college-level writing classes. Writing Center director Madeleine Picciotto contributed to the development of the composition curriculum, and she consciously built Writing Center support into the course structure. Dr. Picciotto explains, “Students who are just becoming familiar with the writing conventions of American universities can benefit from having one-to-one help in understanding what the expectations are and how to meet them.” Four experienced peer writing mentors worked individually with the ITTP participants to help them with their writing. All students were required to meet at least once with a mentor, but many sought additional sessions and formed solid relationships with the Writing Center staff. “Working with incoming international students was a great experience,” says writing mentor Marianne Zape. “I’m really glad to have been a part of students’ first experiences at UCSD. Writing-wise, ITTP gave them early exposure to what would be expected of them in the college writing programs.” The ITTP classes and Writing Center assistance helped to calm the fears of some participants about the Analytical Writing Placement Exam, which determines whether students satisfy the UC entry-level writing requirement. “The program helped increase their confidence by supporting them,” says Eileen Sun, another of the summer writing mentors. Many ITTP students have returned to the Writing Center now that their UCSD studies are well underway, and we hope to continue to work with them throughout their years here.
Building a Better Writing Center The 17 new writing mentors who are undergoing in-service training during the 2013-2014 academic year have quickly found their footing, working successfully with students from a wide range of courses and making strong contributions to the center’s operations. The new mentors have initiated several projects to improve Writing Center services. Although they are pleased that the center has an extensive collection of handouts for guidance with specific writing tasks, a few mentors have decided to redesign some of the materials to be more up-todate and user-friendly. Mentor Kelly Johnson explains, “We hope to create helpful tools that will make the writing process easier.” Others would like to add to our existing materials, and have begun to develop a handout for incoming UCSD freshmen that aims to demystify the expectations for academic writing on our campus. “For many students, the transition from high-school-level writing to college-level writing can be a bit rocky,” says mentor Niki Moshiri. Mentor Rick Thomas adds, “By providing a concise and coherent handout that explains what students can expect, we will hopefully make college papers seem a little less intimidating.” One group of new mentors has chosen to extend our understanding of students’ experiences in the Writing Center by conducting in-depth interviews with center clients. Mentor Dustin Haygood notes, “Learning more about what students perceive as our strengths and weaknesses will help us to formulate new ideas and ways to improve the Writing Center.”
