For Faculty

The Champlain Writing Center is dedicated to working with faculty to create a culture of writing excellence on campus and do this work in a few different ways.

Our director and consultants work with individual faculty members to design meaningful writing projects and are available for in-class workshops for students on topics like idea generation, incorporating a peer response component to the course and integrating other voices into a research paper. The CWC will work closely with faculty to tailor an individualized approach to writing that satisfies the demands and expectations of the individual professor.

We also provide a network of support for faculty embarking on their own scholarly projects and community service endeavors. Our consultants can read conference proposals, talk about audience for outreach work and brainstorm ways to make the work faculty takes on outside of the classroom accessible and meaningful to a multitude of community audiences.

To talk in detail about faculty collaboration with the CWC, contact our director, Mike Kelly at 383-6673 or call the Writing Center at 383-6672.   

Frequently Asked Questions for Faculty

Q: Can I refer a student to the Champlain Writing Center?
A: Please do. We believe that a strong partnership between the Writing Center and the faculty at Champlain is essential to building a sustainable writing culture. We ask that you read and understand what the Writing Center does and doesn't do so that you can accurately portray to students what they'll encounter when they visit.

Q: I think the Writing Center is a great resource and I want my students all to drop in for a consultation. One of the ways to ensure this happens is by offering extra credit for going to the Writing Center. Can I do this?
A: While we appreciate and very much value the support, we'd rather you didn't and this is so for a couple of reasons. For starters, the most productive consultations happen when a student is there on his or her own volition and dropping in for a few supplementary points doesn't do this. Additionally, we are a non-evaluative site of teaching writing and in order to remain an independent resource, we can't be tied directly to assessment.

Alternatively, we could come into your classroom for a presentation or an in-class workshop that would accentuate your teaching and we'd love to get the word out that way.

Q: I'd like for someone from the Writing Center to come visit my classroom and talk a little bit about what goes on there. How can I make that happen?
A: Our director and consultants are available for in-class presentations about the Writing Center at your convenience. We can provide a brief (10-15 minute) overview of what happens in the CWC, provide logistics and information and answer any questions students might have.

If you'd prefer to take a tour of the Writing Center, we can arrange that as well. Contact Mike Kelly at 383-6672 or call the Writing Center at 383-6673 to arrange a visit.

Q: I have a student who I've been working pretty extensively with and want to talk with someone about how her writing center visits are going. Is that possible?
A: Most likely, yes. Student writers who visit the center are asked if they want their professors to know they've come in for a consultation. Most students typically say yes because they (rightfully) think it will reflect well on them. In this case, a conversation about a student's progress can certainly happen.

In some cases though, students will want to keep their visits confidential. If this is the case, we will let you know.