1. CLUE WRITING CENTER BASICS
FREE TO YOU!
Open Sunday-Thursday (any school night), 7pm-11pm in Mary Gates Hall
Drop-in ,45 minute sessions, one-on-one with trained tutors
CLUE is multidisciplinary, our tutors are from all different academic backgrounds
We welcome sessions to discuss personal statements, applications, letters to your mother and resumes too! (AKA anything in English!)
We host a variety of workshops , most popular include:
Composition portfolios
Résumés/cover letters
Personal Statements
Conversation groups with English and Education department faculty on Thursday nights
Point out the lovely, super calm picture of MGH on the website

2. ODEGAARD WRITING AND RESEARCH CENTER BASICS
Reserve your appointment online!
Open Sunday 12:00pm-9:00pm, Monday through Thursday 9:00am-9:00pm, Friday 9:00am-3:00pm
Drop-in consultations are also available between 10:30am and 6:30pm
Two appointments per week per writer (except during Finals)
Multidisciplinary undergraduate and graduate peer tutors from many different fields trained to support you with all kinds of writing – academic to personal
Free one-to-one, group tutoring, and writing workshops to help you become more successful and confident as writers over time

3. MORE WRITING CENTERS ACROSS CAMPUS
How about visiting the Instructional Center? Must be OMAD student,
Departmental Writing Centers:
Anthropology, Condon 836
Education, Miller 407C
History, Smith 020
Philosophy, Savery 362
Political Science, Law, Societies and Justice, International Studies, Gowen 111
Psychology, Guthrie Annex 4, Room 109
Sociology, Savery 203
A successful student uses all of their resources at different times throughout the research and writing process. A departmental writing center could be the best place to develop genre or department-specific writing skills.

4. WHAT SHOULD I BRING? 1. Please always bring your prompt!
What is a prompt? The instructions given for the assignment or task at hand.
Examples of prompts include:
Hard-copy assignments, canvas assignments and rubrics, questions to respond to for a personal statement, job description for a resume or cover letter
2. Question: Do I have to have something written already to bring to a writing center?
Answer: Nope! We love brainstorming, planning and drafting sessions in the writing center and we hope you will too!
3. If you DO bring in your written work it can be hard-copy or electronic
4. Bring along your favorite way to jot down notes/thoughts
5. QUESTIONS ☺

5. I loved the writing center, but who can help with my chemistry (or physics, or math, or language, et cetera…?
Maybe show CLUE web-site and scroll through

6. Composition Class Portfolio Workshop II:
Drafting the Cover Letter

7. Reminder: What is the portfolio?
Pay attention to the requirements in your specific class!
The portfolio is an evidence-based argument regarding your fulfillment of the course outcomes
Every part of the portfolio sh0uld be designed to help you prove to your audience (your writing instructor) that you have done an outstanding job fulfilling the four outcomes

8. Reminder: What is in the portfolio?
Pay attention to the requirements in your specific class!
Portfolios (almost) always have the following parts:
A Critical Reflection (Sometimes called the “Cover Letter”)
A “Compendium” of all short and major assignments done during the quarter
3-5 Revised Papers that serve as the “evidence” that you have fulfilled the outcomes

9. Reminder: What is in the portfolio?
The Critical Reflection/Cover Letter includes:
An Introduction
Critical Reflections (organized by paper or by outcome)
A Final Reflection
The introduction is sometimes assigned as your reflection on your writing before the class.
The Final Reflection is sometimes assigned as a forward looking—thoughts about how the skills from the class will transfer to future endeavors.
Some instructors give out other specific requirements for the portfolio!

10. Reminder: What is in the portfolio?
The Compendium includes:
All the sequence related work
(Short and Major Assignments)
All assignments must be completed and included to pass the portfolio!

11. Reminder: What is in the portfolio?
The Revised Papers include:
3-5 Revised assignments (including at least one major assignment)

12. Drafting the cover letter: “To do” list
Try to show a sample of your cover letter to your TA
Go to office hours or bring it to your conference
Maybe even (but check with your TA first! This is a busy time of the quarter for everyone!
Be honest about your strengths (and weaknesses)
Revise your papers to help you write a stronger cover letter!
Give yourself multiple days to work on this project
Consider breaking the project into manageable “chunks”
If you can, write your critical reflections early so you can revise!

13. Drafting the cover letter: “To do” list
Do NOT focus only on the cover letter…REVISE!
Remember your most important audience is your instructor.
Every outcome is important, but some TA’s may give more weight to different outcomes.
This may be your first chance to demonstrate Outcome 4!

14. Drafting the cover letter: “To do” list
Keep the outcomes with you as you write
Double check with your instructor to avoid misunderstanding
For example: Don’t confuse your ability to rhetorically analyze your situation for your ability to analyze someone ELSE’s situation
For example: Make sure you share your instructor’s understanding of terms like “primary” vs “secondary” materials, what counts as a “meaningful conversation” across texts, what is an appropriate citation style, etc.

15. Drafting the cover letter: “To do” list
Take your time to read any cover letter examples your instructor gives you!
Take notes on strengths. Ask your instructor questions you have as soon as possible!
Make use of things you have already done in class!
Writer’s memos?
Assignment reflections?
Assignment revisions?
Peer review?
Feedback from your instructor?
Canvas discussion threads?
Assignments that had a metacognitive component?

16. Drafting the cover letter: “To do” list
Consider sharing what you have written with a friend in class
Make sure that your critical reflections ALSO demonstrate the outcomes!
Keep them organized
Quote, summarize, and paraphrase yourself
Read and re-read your reflections before submission

17. Submitting the portfolio
(For e-portfolio submission): Double check to ensure that your instructor can access your files!