Writing in the Majors
Mission statement: Writing in the Majors helps faculty and students bridge the gap between disciplinary knowledge and effective communication by equipping faculty with the tools to integrate writing into their courses. Through course collaborations, faculty support, and course workshops run by Writing in the Majors faculty, we foster critical thinking and effective communication across academic fields.
What we do: We collaborate with instructors on their courses to assist in designing writing assignments, developing peer review structures, and offering workshops on targeted writing skills in upper-level writing courses. We can provide any of the following:
- One-on-one consultations with faculty across disciplines
- Faculty development workshops focused on specific aspects of writing (e.g., peer review or writing in the age of AI)
- Targeted, in-class workshops for students led by Writing in the Majors faculty as part of your writing courses
What are you looking for?
- I’m not sure what kind of support I need – reach out to us!
- I have questions about guidelines for creating an upper-level writing course
- I’m looking for someone support my class with writing workshops
- I’m looking for someone to help me develop writing assignments, learning criteria, or other course materials
- I’m looking for resources on writing I can start from and adapt myself for my course
- I’m looking for someone to run a faculty development workshop for instructors on teaching writing
- I have questions about writing with AI: Request a faculty development workshop or an individual consultation
Examples of our work
We’re dedicated to supporting every stage of the writing journey and the many forms writing can take. Below, you’ll find a collection of versatile materials we’ve created—ready to use, remix, or adapt for workshops. Whether you work in the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, or related fields, these resources can be tailored to suit a wide range of writing contexts and support both creative and intellectual goals.
Understanding Research in your Discipline | Narrowing your Research Question | Organization and Flow |
|
Additional Resources for Writing | ||
At the University of Rochester, we all communicate as writers and speakers, and every writer and speaker needs an audience. The Writing and Speaking Center is a free resource available to all members of the University—undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty. The Writing and Speaking Center welcomes visitors who are at any stage of the writing process, from brainstorming ideas to polishing a final draft. Similarly, students can visit a Speaking Fellow at any point as they are developing or practicing a presentation. If you are interested in having a Writing and Speaking Center representative visit your classroom to introduce or promote our services, contact the WSAP associate director, Stefanie Sydelnik, at stefanie.sydelnik@rochester.edu. | For all UR students; offers librarian appointments, resource access, and research services. Find your expert subject librarian to support your research process. Sample citation resources from RCL:
Citation Management Software
| The Learning Center collaborates with students, instructors, staff, administrators, community partners, and other stakeholders to build a community of learners with these commitments:
All of our programs are free, voluntary, and confidential. We welcome you to connect with us. |
Contact us
Acknowledgement
Writing in the Majors faculty drafted all materials, and after initial drafting, used generative AI (ChatGPT, UR’s chatbot) to make small adjustments for clarity and style. After these adjustments were made, faculty reviewed and finalized this version.