Perspectives Spring 2015

PERSPECTIVES • SPRING 2015 6 STUDENT AFFAIRS The CHCS Effective Writing Center (EWC) is a collaborative initiative be- tween NSU’s College of Health Care Sciences and the Health Professions Di- vision Library. The center is designed to provide an innovative service that promotes academic excellence for stu- dents at our statewide campuses, online, and at our main campus in Fort Laud- erdale. Through the use of inventive practices that support the diverse needs of our students, the EWC provides a valuable and reliable resource for devel- oping lifelong writing skills. Services offered to students include brainstorming (idea development), the- sis development, paper organization, APA or MLA style guidance, and help with mechanics such as grammar, word usage, and punctuation. Students can expect personalized, interactive, and productive coaching sessions that typi- cally last one hour, but can be extended to suit each student’s needs. The Effec- tive Writing Center is currently open to all students enrolled in the CHCS and is open seven days a week by appoint- ment. Moreover, students can meet with their coach either online using Web-based platforms such as Adobe Connect and GoToMeeting or in per- son in the HPD Library. The EWC is now in its third year and, according to the survey data, stu- dents are benefiting from the coaching service. Some examples of student feed- back from the surveys collected after the coaching sessions are as follows: “I am thoroughly excited to have such a resource as a student. [My coach] is amazing.” • “I was very impressed with this service, and the available hours worked very well with my schedule.” • “Hire more staff and make a consultation a required part of every class.” • “I really appreciate the feedback [my coach] gave me. I think she does a wonderful job helping me with my grammar. I love that she explains what I need to do to improve but doesn’t make me feel inferior.” In addition to the positive feedback, the number of students taking advan- tage of the coaching sessions has steadily increased since its inception in 2012. Sixty-seven percent of students report they learned about the writing center through a recommendation from their professors. As faculty members witness improvements in their students’ writing, they are increasingly recom- mending the service to their students. Participation nearly doubled from the first year to the second year, and an- other dramatic increase is expected again this year. The EWC is designed to be student- centered, which is why appointments are strategically scheduled by coaches during the times when students are most available. As a result, most coaching sessions occur during the evenings and weekends. Since the col- lege services students on multiple cam- puses and in multiple time zones, they can schedule appointments online or in-person. One coach lives in Califor- nia, which makes it convenient for stu- dents that may need appointments later in the evening. According to Kaye Robertson, M.L.S., executive director of the HPD Library, “The library has long recog- nized the need for writing coaching for our students,” she said. “We are very happy and proud to be a part of this project and are looking forward to ex- panding the service to all HPD stu- dents. Effective writing is a lifelong skill that will benefit our students long after graduation as they advance in their chosen fields and perhaps even publish in health and medical journals.” In addition to writing support, the EWC also provides coaching to help students develop their time and stress management as well as their study and test-taking skills. Students that have taken advantage of this service have seen marked increases in their test grades. This resource is another strat- egy to help students build lifelong skills that will support their academic and professional success. CHCS EFFECTIVE WRITING CENTER OFFERS AN INNOVATIVE SERVICE By Terry Morrow Nelson, Ph.D., Assistant Dean of Student Affairs Academic Year Number of Coaching Appointments June 2012 – May 2013 288 June 2013 – May 2014 539 June 2014 – November 2014 357 (time of authorship) For more information about the CHCS Effective Writing Center, please visit the following Web site: http://nova.campusguides.com/hpdwritingcenter. ANNUAL GROWTH OF PARTICIPATION IN THE EFFECTIVE WRITING CENTER BETWEEN 2012 AND 2014