Several weeks ago, we asked you to think about the students in your Fall FWS who reached beyond your course learning goals and expectations in interesting and surprising ways and to nominate exemplary student writing for the Knight Institute’s FWS prizes and awards. Thank you for your inspiring submissions!
As the Add/Drop period approaches, my colleagues and I need your help identifying any students who may have struggled in their Fall First-Year Writing Seminars so that we can offer guidance on spring-term course selection.
Please take a few moments to reflect upon last semester. Did you have any FWS students:
- who performed unevenly and/or stumbled over the same kinds of problems?
- who were less able to manage the course reading load and/or maintain high-level reading comprehension?
- whose writing agility seemed to stall as assignments and intellectual challenges became more complex?
- whose work was consistently weak, earning below a B-?
- who needed more time and support than your FWS could offer, who might have benefitted from more one-on-one time with a tutor or instructor?
If any students come to mind as you ponder these questions, please email their names and contact information (email, Net Id, or student number) to me: tracyhcarrick@cornell.edu. You might also share with me their final essays. Over the next few weeks – ideally before the Add period begins on January 21 – we will contact students directly and invite them to meet with us to talk about their FWS options, their writing, and the kinds of courses and supplementary writing support the Writing Workshop offers. We will begin reviewing referrals on Monday, January 17.
