Welcome to First-Year Writing at
Shippensburg University!
Writing classes at Shippensburg
University provide students with the practical writing and critical thinking
skills they will need to be successful in their college courses and beyond.
Good writing requires a great deal more than formal mechanics and proper formatting,
though these skills are essential. Writing
professors at Shippensburg emphasize the importance of research, rhetorical
inquiry and critical analysis as they prepare students to be effective writers.
Writing Intensive First-Year Seminar Mission Statement
and Course Goals
The purpose of
Writing Intensive First Year Seminar, WIFYS, is to introduce students to the
critical writing and research skills they will need to be successful writers in
college, as well as their professional lives.
For students,
WIFYS provides a supportive environment to become familiar with the language, formal
conventions, and formatting that are the foundation of writing at the
university level. Students also develop as writers by conducting independent
research and then thoroughly evaluating and presenting their findings.
For
the writing professors teaching WIFYS, good writing is more than simply jumping
through hoops to get a good grade; instead, professors emphasize the importance
of audience. An awareness of audience shapes the tone and content of students' essays.
Expected outcomes of
Writing Intensive First Year Seminar
After completing Writing Intensive First-Year
Seminar, students will:
- Know
how to develop a clear central thesis supported by a critical argument
- Understand
how to communicate effectively and persuasively to a specific audience
- Have
experience with the process of revision and peer editing that moves beyond simply
correcting mechanical errors to expand their original thoughts and ideas
- Integrate
research from personal interviews, library resources, assigned texts and their
own experience into their writing
- Use
MLA formatting effectively to document sources
Writing Resources
There are a number of writing resources for
students who may need help strengthening their writing skills. Students can make
an appointment at the Learning Center to work
one-on-one with a writing tutor, or they can work with the writing tutors in
the English Department Computer Lab, DHC 002. Tutors are trained to guide students
through all stages of the writing process and can provide advice on issues
ranging from organization and grammar to MLA citation.
Writing Opportunities
Students
interested in the world of creative writing can join the team at The Reflector, a student-run
creative journal. Students who join the staff of The Reflector participate in the tradition of preserving the
creative talents of Shippensburg's undergraduate literary community which
include fiction, non-fiction, poetry, photography, and graphic art.
One of the most
important ways that we celebrate strong writing here at Ship is through Write the Ship, a compilation of the
strongest student essays from across the university campus. Students from all
colleges and every department are encouraged to submit their work. There are a
variety of internship positions available on the staff of Write The Ship; interested students are welcome to fill out an application. If you are a student with
an essay you’d like to submit, or a professor hoping to sponsor an essay, check
out our submission page.
I look forward to another productive year as
Director of First-Year Writing; if you have any suggestions or ideas for promoting
good writing here at Shippensburg, please send me an email at ljcella@ship.edu.
Site updated by Julie Lark 2012