Graded Support of Writing-Intensive Courses Across the Engineering Curriculum Student-Staffed Writing Center Technical Communication Electives Writing Evaluation Seminars for TAs Workplace Writing Seminars for Industry

Jumpstarting the Center: Virtues of a College-Wide Assignment Ingredients for Success: Tethering a multiple-stage writing project to a core curriculum course (Statics) with an annual fall enrollment of over 200 sophomores Designing an innovative, workplace writing scenario Obliging students to keep a portfolio of their drafts and revisions Giving incentive points for a “good faith” peer consultation visit

Benefits for Engineering Students Prompts students to — Provide information in order of importance to the reader. Anticipate reader questions. Express a shared goal. Shape the document so the reader can see the organization. Use a transactional closing--establish the next step.

Evaluation of Portfolio Provided by the Center’s professional staff of writing evaluators. Students receive personalized commentary and evaluation checklist. 90 to 95 percent of students submit complete portfolio with final draft.

Portfolio Assignment Outcomes ● ● Students gain crucial practice in drafting and revising a persuasive and logical narrative geared to their career aspirations. ● ● Students learn that writing is not tacked on to the "real work" of engineering but occurs throughout the life-cycle of all successful projects. ● ● The entire undergraduate community is acculturated to seeking feedback from the Center.

Peer-to-Peer Feedback: Building a Writing Haven for Engineers The Hanson Center employs peer consultants to help fellow students— ● ● State objectives with clarity and depth. ● ● Marshal their evidence. ● ● Assert the significance of their findings.

Who are the Peer Consultants? Mentors, Models, Ambassadors Engineering students with strong writing skills provide feedback to fellow students. Consultants make informational visits to freshman engineering classes. Students from all six engineering departments participate. 600 appointments held in academic cycle.

Summing Up Using a portfolio approach to engineering writing assignments— Fosters a professional writing environment. Provides a record of sustained effort. Creates a template for future work. Emphasizes writing as a process. Offers students a model for expressing themselves within a community of practice.

Outreach to Industry: Seminars in Workplace Writing Taking our expertise on the road: Single-day, goal-oriented workshops for engineering professionals. Customized instruction for drafting memos and s to colleagues and clients. Benefits to company Enhances professionalism and credibility. Generates time and cost savings. Creates standardized criteria for communicating with tact and brevity.

Caution: Articulate Engineers at Work What is written without effort is read without pleasure. Samuel Johnson,