Support for Classes

We’ve researched and developed material across the writing and communication process that we can adapt to support your specific needs.

Consider what you want your students to learn and where they are in the writing process to identify the category that best fits your needs. If what you want doesn't fit neatly into one category, you can still fill out the form, which includes a place for you to add more details. 

If there’s something you want that isn’t on this list, we’re happy to work with you to develop something new

Writing habits and strategies: 

Workshops in this category help students set goals, develop productive habits, and fine-tune their writing process. Sample topics include (but are not limited to):

• Developing a writing process

• Goal-setting strategies

• Effective writing habits

• Planning for publication

• Generative AI in the writing process

• Something else, depending on your needs 

Ideation

Workshops in this category help students think through their topic and use creative strategies to develop new ideas and arguments. Sample topics include (but are not limited to):

• Productive writing strategies
• Goal-setting and backwards planning
• Developing a topic
• Moving from topic to research question
• Thesis statements
• Outlining and mapping
• Identifying your audience, purpose, and context
• Something else, depending on your needs 

Drafting 

Workshops in this category help students compose clear sentences and paragraphs that integrate evidence effectively. Sample topics include (but are not limited to):

• Building body paragraphs
• Integrating sources effectively
• Writing persuasive introductions
• Something else, depending on your needs 

Revising

Workshops in this category help students understand revision as a process and apply concrete revision strategies to an existing draft. Sample topics include:

• Understanding the stages of revision
• Giving and receiving peer feedback
• Revising with Generative AI
• Concrete revision strategies
• Revising for clarity & conciseness
• Something else, depending on your needs 

Presenting 

​​​​​​​Workshops in this category help students communicate their research or ideas through oral and visual formats. Sample topics include (but are not limited to):

• ​​​​​​​Designing assertion-evidence slides

• Designing visual supports

• Presenting to academic or non-academic audiences
• Speaking & answering questions confidently
• Something else, depending on your needs 

Common Genres

Workshops in this category help students learn the structure and characteristics of a specific kind of academic or professional communication. Sample topics include (but are not limited to):

• Literature Reviews
• Academic Posters
• Research Proposals
• Critical Analysis
• Blog posts
• 3MT presentations
• Podcasting
• Something else, depending on your needs

If you’re not sure what best supports your group’s learning goals, fill out the request form to get the conversation started! We’ll book a meeting with you to make a plan that meets your needs.

Check out the online workshops we already have available on our WCC Workshops LEARN site.

We need 4 weeks’ notice to present one of our workshops to your group (synchronous or asynchronous). If you'd like something new or custom developed for your group, we'll need more notice -- approximately 4-6 weeks.

Make your request as soon as possible – we're a small team and our schedules can book up surprisingly quickly. Requests that come at the end of a semester are harder for us to support, though we’ll do our best. Fill out the request form so we can get started on the process.

Elise Vist, PhD (they/them) | Workshops and Integrated Programs Coordinator

As the Workshops and Integrated Programs Coordinator, Elise is responsible for the development, implementation, and facilitation of virtual and in-person workshops and seminars to support the writing and communication activities of undergraduate and graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows.  Elise maintains a highly collaborative process and coordinates with campus partners and faculty to design and deliver customized workshops and seminars for departments, research institutes, and other campus groups. Additionally, they ensure that the values of equity and inclusivity are embedded in the practices and programs that the Writing and Communication Centre supports. 

Emma Dunn, PhD (she/her) - Writing and Communication Advisor, Workshops and Integrated Programs

Emma is an experienced instructor and developer of writing and communications programming. She holds a Ph.D. in Communication & Culture from Ryerson and York universities (joint program), M.A. in English (Brock University), and B.Ed. in Intermediate/Senior education (Brock University). Her doctoral work spans the fields of feminist media studies, health humanities, and youth literatures and cultures. 

Emma has experience working with a wide range of writers in her previous capacities as university writing centre consultant, part-time college Professor, undergraduate lecturer, and OCT-certified secondary school teacher. In addition to her teaching background, Emma has professional experience as a communications specialist for several organizations in the public sector and has published her work in both industry and peer-reviewed academic contexts. Emma is committed to supporting new and seasoned writers at any stage of their writing process, helping them develop their confidence, technical skills, and unique authorial voice.