Franklin & Marshall College

Faculty:  interested in scheduling a workshop for your class? Use our new online form to request a workshop quickly and easily!

Writing workshops, led by our peer tutors, encourage students to improve the ways in which they approach the writing process. Workshops not only outline the fundamentals of good writing but also engage participants in discussion and exercises. They push writers to evaluate their own work and that of their peers, and they establish a common language through which students and instructors can discuss written work.

Workshops are highly adaptable and can meet the particular needs of any course. They range from short presentations to longer, hands-on workshopping sessions and even to group sessions outside of class.

Though our workshops can cover just about any element of composition, our most frequently requested workshop topics are:

• Developing Thesis Statements

This workshop helps students to focus ideas into succinct, arguable statements. In addition to class discussion, the workshops usually involve in-class writing and/or peer review.

• Structuring a Strong Paper

Workshops on structure help students to confront the necessity of developing a clear plan before writing a paper. Topics of discussion include balance, logical sequence, and the importance of strong assertions.

• Crafting Effective Introductions

Many students name introductory paragraphs as one of their worst paper-writing woes, so we've designed a workshop to help students more easily write introductions that are focused and engaging. The workshop usually includes class discussion, revision, and group work.

• Developing Body Paragraphs

One of the most essential but most overlooked elements of academic composition is the strong, well balanced paragraph. This workshop outlines the necessary components of a good paragraph and explores the ways in which writers sometimes compromise at least one of those elements. The session offers a basic formula for the solid paragraph that students can use in any type of writing.

• Using Outside Sources

We frequently conduct workshops that help students to use outside sources persuasively and to avoid plagiarism. These sessions cover the major aspects of incorporating sources into a paper: considering the authority and context of a source, integrating ideas into one's own prose through paraphrasing and quoting, and acknowledging sources using a consistent documentation style.

Our tutors have also led workshops on topics including compiling an annotated bibliography, using active voice, and writing an academic book review, among many others.

For more information please contact Daniel Frick, Director of the Writing Center, or Justin B. Hopkins, Assistant Director.  To schedule a workshop for your class, please use our online form.  

Questions?

Email: writingcenter@fandm.edu

Phone: 717-291-3866

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3003, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003