Resources for Instructors

How can my students use the Writing Center?
Students may schedule an appointment with the Writing Center by signing up in the appointment book outside of the Writing Center (Luther Hall 116) or calling 651-603-6233.

Students in cohorts may submit their papers online by sending them as attachments, along with their name, college or program, and email address, to writingcenter@csp.edu

Please be aware that tutors do not edit students' work.  Instead, they help guide students through the writing process.  For more detailed information about this, please click here.

Please refer to the Resources for Writers and Appointments links for more information about how your students can use the Writing Center.

Why peers and not professional tutors?
Benefits of Peer Tutoring
Promotes active learning
Provides writers an opportunity to consider a wider audience
Teaches writers and tutors to analyze writing critically
Motivates writers to revise their work and produce multiple drafts
Familiarizes writers with the vocabulary, tone, content, and expectations of writing in a particular discipline
Sparks new ideas
Encourages teamwork
Hones writers' and tutors' interpersonal skills
Provides opportunities for discussing ideas
Allows the writer to retain complete ownership of his or her work

How do I use the Writing Center?
Instructors can contact the Writing Center and talk with the Director, Lisa Whalen, to receive support for creating writing assignments, managing paper load, evaluating or grading writing, and other writing-related issues.

Concordia faculty are also welcome to use the following documents.

Sample Rubric for Argumentative Papers
Concordia faculty are welcome to use this rubric as it is or modify it to fit their needs.

Sample Rubric for Informative/Explanatory Papers
Concordia faculty are welcome to use this rubric as it is or modify it to fit their needs.

Sample Rubric for Reflective Papers
Concordia faculty are welcome to use this rubric as it is or modify it to fit their needs.

NEW! Guides for Commenting on Student Writing:
Haswell, R. (2006). The complexities of responding to student writing; or, looking for shortcuts via the road of excess. Across the Disciplines 3. Retrieved September 29, 2008, from http://wac.colostate.edu/atd/articles/haswell2006.cfm.

NEW! Land, R. E. (1987, February). Classroom inquiry: What our students taught us about paper making." The English Journal 76(2), 113-116.

NEW! Mosher, J. (1998, February/March). Responding to student papers: responses to avoid and productive advice to give. Word Works, 90-91. Retrieved September 29, 2008, from http://www.idbsu.edu/wcenter/ww9091.htm.

NEW! Soles, D. (2001, December). Grading as a teaching strategy. Teaching in the Two Year College 29(2).

Tips for Leading Class Discussion
This site provides tips for facilitating class discussion and introducing collaborative work.

Managing Writing Assignments in Large Classes
This site provides tips for managing paperload and grading requirements for instructors who want to use writing assignments but teach large classes.

Bedford Guide to Teaching Writing
This site provides chapter titles for an excellent guide to teaching and evaluating writing. It also contains a link to sites that sell the book.

University of Minnesota Center for Writing
This site includes information on designing effective writing assignments, responding to and grading student wriitng, detecting and discussing plagiarism, and more.

Create Better Writing Assignments
Reflections on Jim Corder's "What I Learned at School."  This site offers a condensed version of Corder's article, which discusses how teachers can create better writing assignments for their students.

ESL Resources
This site, produced by Purdue University, contains handouts and exercises teachers can use when working with students for whom English is a second langauge.

Council of Writing Program Administrators
This site provides detailed information about plagiarism, including explanations of intentional vs. unintentional plagiarism, strategies for designing assignments that discourage plagiarizing, and approaches for handling suspected plagiarism.