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The Richard Wright Center for Writing, Rhetoric, and Research

Workshops

The Richard Wright Center (RWC) offers a variety of workshops and other opportunities for undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty to support them in practicing and developing their communication skills and meeting their academic and professional goals.

Scheduled Workshops and Events

Watch out for announcements from the Richard Wright Center and JSU Public Relations in your JSU email box for upcoming workshops and events. A reminder and a Zoom link will be sent out two days prior to each workshop. 

 

30-Minute Writing Workshops

These sessions are designed for undergraduate students, but graduate students are also welcome to attend.

Wednesdays, 3:00–3:30 p.m. Central Time, virtually via Zoom

(A Zoom link will be sent to your JSU email address two days prior to each workshop.)

Setting Yourself Up for Success with Writing Assignments | August 28

Benefits and Pitfalls of Using AI in Your Writing | September 4

Understanding the MLA Citation Style | September 18  

Understanding the APA Citation Style  | September 25

Writing an Argumentative Thesis Statement  | October 9

Writing a Research Paper  | October 16

Strategies for Using Sources in Writing  | October 23

Writing a Personal Statement | November 6

Strategies for Editing Your Paper | November 13

Workshops for Graduate Students

Wednesdays, 5:00–6:00 p.m. Central Time, virtually via Zoom

(A Zoom link will be sent to your JSU email address two days prior to each workshop.)

Thesis and Dissertation Format

In this session, we will discuss how to format your thesis or dissertation for submission to the Division of Graduate Studies and Proquest and how to avoid common errors in formatting.

August 14

Writing in Graduate School

This workshop focuses on common challenges that graduate students experience in their writing. We will discuss expectations for writing at the graduate level and offer strategies that might help you meet those expectations. The workshop is recommended to students in their first semester of graduate school.

August 28

Developing a Research Proposal

Discuss key steps in choosing and articulating your research topic and developing a preliminary proposal for your study. Following these steps will allow you to (a) articulate research ideas that emerge from your interests and align with your research and career goals and (b) create a solid framework for a thesis or dissertation study.

September 18

Writing the Literature Review

Discuss how to prepare to write a literature review, map and organize its structure, and write a cohesive narrative.

October 9

Writing a Methodology Chapter for a Dissertation Learn how to provide a rationale for your choice of methodology and describe your research design and process with detail and precision.

November 6 

Grammar for Graduate and Professional Writing Understand grammatical choices that experienced writers in your field use to express complex ideas clearly and concisely.

November 20

Thesis and Dissertation Roundtables

The roundtables are interactive sessions designed to engage graduate students in conversation about expectations for writing a thesis or dissertation and about conventions for research writing in their field. Students at the proposal or thesis/dissertation writing stage are invited to participate and bring their questions. The Richard Wright Center will facilitate these sessions upon request from graduate programs, departments, or student groups. Please email Dr. Wonderful Faison, wonderful.faison@jsums.edu, and Dr. Tatiana Glushko, tatiana.glushko@jsums.edu, to request a roundtable.

Offered upon request

Workshops Upon Request

To request a workshop for your class, student organization, or study group, or to suggest future workshops, please send an email to Dr. Glushko at tatiana.glushko@jsums.edu. In the email, state the workshop topic, preferred date and time, location (virtually or in-person; for in-person workshops, include the building and room number), and expected number of participants. Please see suggested workshop topics below.

Academic Writing

Getting Started on Your Writing Assignment

Discuss how to meet your instructor’s expectations for a writing assignment and how to plan and organize your work on a paper and avoid procrastination.

Finding and Using Credible Sources

When we write using credible sources, our readers (e.g., instructors, peers) are more likely to find our argument convincing. Learn how to identify and use reliable sources to support your argument or research

Citing and Documenting Sources

Discuss how to handle sources in your paper responsibly and avoid plagiarism.

Make Your Paper Flow

Learn how you can make your paper flow by using effective organization, transitions, sentence structure, and word choice. Your readers will appreciate it!

Writing a Personal Statement

Review strategies for writing effective personal statements for scholarships, internships, or graduate school applications.

Designing Visual Aids for Your Presentation

Discuss principles of visual design for creating compelling and accessible documents, handouts, and presentation slides.

Writing a Research Paper

Discuss issues related to writing a research paper, such as selecting and narrowing down your research topic, articulating the purpose and the research questions, and reviewing relevant sources and incorporating them into your paper.

Preparing a Poster Presentation

Learn about effective poster design and presentation strategies.

Writing and Wellness

Learn how writing can help you practice mindfulness and self-care, increase motivation, and improve your overall well-being.

Graduate and Professional Writing

Strategies for Writing in Graduate School

This workshop focuses on common challenges that graduate students experience in their writing. We will discuss expectations for writing at the graduate level and offer strategies that might help you meet those expectations. The workshop is recommended to students in their first semester of graduate school.

Developing a Research Proposal

Discuss key steps in choosing and articulating your research topic and developing a preliminary proposal for your study. Following these steps will allow you to (a) articulate research ideas that emerge from your interests and align with your research and career goals and (b) create a solid framework for a thesis or dissertation study.

Strategies for Critical Reading and Working with Sources

Discuss approaches to reading and writing from sources at the graduate level.

Writing a Thesis or Dissertation: Getting Started

Understand sections of a proposal and their purpose, discuss how to choose the topic and design the study, identify helpful resources for dissertation writing.

Writing the Literature Review

Discuss how to prepare to write a literature review, map and organize its structure, and write a cohesive narrative.

Developing a Theoretical Framework

Discuss how to approach developing a theoretical framework for your study and what strategies might help you along the way.

Grammar for Graduate and Professional Writing

Understand grammatical choices that experienced writers in your field use to express complex ideas clearly and concisely.

Writing and Designing Professional Documents

Based on your request, this workshop may focus on a specific genre, such as a CV, letter of intent, diversity statement, teaching philosophy, or letter of recommendation.

Writing for Publication

Contact us for more information at wonderful.faison@jsums.edu or tatiana.glushko@jsums.edu.

Writing Grant Proposals

Contact us for more information at wonderful.faison@jsums.edu or tatiana.glushko@jsums.edu.

Writing in the Disciplines

Writing in the Disciplines

Request a workshop on writing conventions in your discipline or field. For example, we can facilitate a workshop on writing in sciences in general or on writing in civil engineering more specifically . Depending on your needs, we can discuss writing genres, style, rhetorical strategies, or documentation practices. Each workshop can be tailored to undergraduate or graduate students.

DEDICATED TO YOU

Our writing consultants are trained to work with students on a wide range of writing projects, including:

  • Academic papers and essays
  • Research proposals and papers
  • Personal statements and scholarship applications
  • Lab reports and scientific papers
  • Creative writing
  • Business and technical writing

Our Richard Wright Writing Center for Writing, Rhetoric, and Research is open to all students and our services are provided free of charge. We offer both online and in-person consultations and we schedule appointments in advance or welcome walk-ins.

Our Vision

Our goal is to help students become more confident and proficient writers and to empower them to take ownership of their own learning and writing process. Whether you are struggling with a specific writing assignment or just want to improve your writing skills, we are here to help.

The Richard Wright Center for Writing, Rhetoric, and Research

Location

H. T. Sampson Library
1st Floor
Digital Intellectual Commons

Phone

601.979.0694,
601.979.0989