Words of Wisdom
In 1961, the publication of Webster's Third New International Dictionary set off a maelstrom of controversy because it took a descriptive rather than prescriptive stance toward language. Among the protested usages endorsed by the Third were "like" for "as," "due to" for "because," and "different than." "Enthuse," "finalize," "contact," and "yak" were among the verbs that numerous grammar pundits felt should not have been included.
— Edward Finnegan
The University Writing Center offers educational workshops and writing studios on a limited basis. Because we are primarily student-fee funded, most of these are for official classes or campus organizations, although we can consider other requests if adequate resources are available.
We can offer versions of our workshops and studios through online teleconferencing options such as Zoom.
The TAMU Libraries also offer excellent resources and instruction. Let a librarian help take the confusion out of the research process for your students. Students will learn how to find, evaluate, and use resources for their assignments and research projects. Use this link to specifically request a library workshop for your class or organization: https://library.tamu.edu/services/service_request_forms/request_instruction.php .
If you're looking for a Writing Center workshop, the links are below.
A CRLA-certified University Writing Center consultant will come to your location and present from the list of workshop topics at the bottom of this page. Workshops can be geared to undergraduate or graduate audiences. You can view the standard workshop slideshows by clicking on the links below; some customization can be accommodated. Because of high demand, classroom workshops are limited to two per class section or group, per semester (not including the Overview of UWC Services). We may have some difficulty booking appointments on Wednesdays at 8 AM. We are not available on Saturdays or holidays.
A CRLA-certified University Writing Center consultant will come to your location to help students while they work on writing drafts or speech outlines or practice their presentations. As needed, we provide instruction, discussion, and peer response activities. Studios can be set up for multiple meetings and are designed to help students devote more time to their projects and develop good composing habits.
Before you request our presence at an event, we request that you read our policies:
- At least 2 weeks' notice is required to schedule in most cases.
- Customized classroom workshops may require more than the 2 weeks' minimum notice.
- Aside from our "Overview of Services," classes/groups are limited to 2 presentations/events per semester.
- We cannot guarantee the first choice of date. (Note: we hold staff trainings on Wednesday mornings at 8AM, so we are typically unavailable for events at that time. We are also closed on Saturdays and holidays.)
- An instructor, an assistant, or an organization representative with authority must be present during events.
- For workshops and studios outside of class, we limit requests to groups that ensure audiences of 20 or more.
- We will email you before the event. To ensure the best experience for participants, we ask that you respond immediately to the email and mention any modifications or changes you’d like to see.
If you do not hear from us within five business days confirming your request, contact us.
Note: We are continually updating and improving our workshops. The links below may not reflect the most current version of the workshop and should only be considered a general guide to the material covered.
Workshop Topics for Undergraduates
Workshop Topics for Graduates