Tag: NSU Writing and Communication Center

WCC Faculty Coordinator Co-Hosts GSOLE Webinar

Janine Morris

Janine Morris, Ph.D., NSU Writing and Communication Center (WCC) Faculty Coordinator, co-hosted a Global Society of Online Literacy Educators (GSOLE) webinar on linguistic inclusivity, “Toward Linguistic Inclusivity: Evaluating Approaches to Instructional Materials and Technology,” April 29, 2022. Morris co-hosted the webinar with Catrina Mitchum, Ph.D. (University of Arizona) and Marcela Hebbard, Ph.D. (University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley). Morris is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts of the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences.

The workshop was the fourth and final session of a series of webinars on cross-cultural rhetorics and linguistic diversity in online writing instruction. “Toward Linguistic Inclusivity” focused on creating instructional materials that are linguistically accessible and inclusive. Morris states, “Instructors aren’t always aware of how their instructions come across to their students. They may be engaging in exclusionary or discriminatory practices without realizing.” Through hands-on activities, the workshop aimed to bring awareness to participants and invited them to change existing assignments and activities.

Archives of the GSOLE 2021-2022 webinar series are available at the GSOLE website. 

Learn more about the WCC here.

Posted 07/03/22

Halmos Faculty Publish Article in Southern Discourse in the Center

Janine Morris

Janine Morris, Ph.D., Eric Mason, Ph.D., both faculty coordinators at the NSU Writing and Communication Center (WCC), published “Planning a Virtual SWCA (Southeastern Writing Center Association) Conference: Reflections from the SWCA Board” in the Fall 2021 issue of Southern Discourse in the Center, Morris is an assistant professor and Mason is an associate professor in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts.

 

“Planning a Virtual Conference” was collaboratively written by Morris, Mason, and members of the 2020-2021 SWCA executive board and focuses on how the board transitioned their 2021 in-person conference to a virtual platform during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article features advice on adapting digital technologies, building community virtually, and reorganizing conference logistics to meet attendees’ needs.

Eric Mason

According to Morris, “The conference was a success thanks to the collaborative efforts of SWCA board members. It was a pleasure to work together with board members to reflect on our experiences and offer advice to others planning virtual conferences.”

As Mason notes, “No matter what your field is, becoming skilled in the art of communication is good preparation for these kinds of professional challenges where one must reimagine old practices and make use of available technologies in response to changing conditions.”

Access the full issue.

Posted 06/19/22

WCC Assistant Director Presents at International Virtual Conference

Nikki Chasteen, M.A.

NSU Writing and Communication Center (WCC) Assistant Director, Nikki Chasteen, M.A., presented at the 5th Annual Global Society of Online Literacy Educators (GSOLE) Conference, January 2022. Chasteen’s presentation was the second of a two-part research project title, “Creating Community in the Hybrid Classroom: Putting My Research into Practice.” Chasteen presented part one at the 2020 GSOLE conference.

The 2022 GSOLE conference involved presentations and collaborative workshops to help improve online literacy education and instruction in areas of diversity, inclusion, research, and administration. According to Chasteen, “With GSOLE, I quickly found my home with fellow contingent instructors who are committed to the teaching of writing in online spaces, especially during the pandemic.”

Of her experience, Chasteen said, “GSOLE is a unique organization that aims to support the professional development of online writing instructors. I have enhanced my skills as a presenter and as an academic professional from not only my own research into online writing instruction, but the research of my colleagues within the organization.”

To learn more about the Writing and Communication Center, you can visit their website at https://nova.edu/wcc.

To learn more about GSOLE, you can visit their website here.

Posted 06/20/22

HCAS Faculty, Grad Student Spearhead Literacy Program

Kelly Concannon, Ph.D., Faculty Coordinator at the NSU Writing and Communication Center (WCC), and Autumn Bishard, WCC Graduate Assistant Coordinator, initiated a Literacy Outreach Program with Just for Today in Summer 2021, designed to help individuals in addiction recovery programs reach their literacy goals. Concannon is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication, Media, and the Arts in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences (HCAS). Bishard is an HCAS Master’s student in Composition, Rhetoric, and Digital Media.

The Literacy Outreach program is a community outreach project headed by Concannon. Just for Today is aimed at helping women prepare for the writing portion of the GED test. Future plans for the program include working with additional facilities and locating clients invested in pursuing multiple literacy goals such as taking the GED Exam, writing a memoir, starting a blog, and more.

According to Bishard, “This program has only further sparked my passion to become an educator one day and has really motivated me to help others succeed. Seeing individuals realize their full potential and achieve the goals that they have set out for themselves is a feeling that I will never forget.” Likewise, Concannon says that “The program allows us to put much of the work that we do at the WCC into practice. Further, we are able to participate in multiple opportunities for mentorship.”

Learn about the NSU Writing and Communication Center by visiting www.nova.edu/wcc.

Posted 06/05/22

Peer Consultant Featured in Locals -Only Miami Short Film Festival

Janay Joseph

Janay Joseph, NSU Writing and Communication Center (WCC) undergraduate peer consultant, was featured in the Locals Only Miami Short Film Festival, November 14, 2021. Joseph’s “She Had a Dream: Eula Johnson’s Fight to Desegregate Broward County” appeared in the documentary category. Joseph is a History and International Studies major in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences.

Joseph’s film tells the story of local civil rights leader, Eula Johnson, who led the 1961 Wade-in protests at Fort Lauderdale Beach; she was also the first woman president of the Broward chapter of the NAACP. Alongside Tara Chadwick, Joseph worked on the project during an internship with History Fort Lauderdale between January and May 2020. Joseph attributes part of her work on this project to the WCC, explaining that “while screening and promoting the film, I used a lot of writing and communication skills I gained from the Writing and Communication Center to clearly convey the message of the film. Also, during the filmmaking process, I talked with several members of the Sistrunk community who guided the messaging of this film”.

Joseph’s “She Had a Dream” debuted at the 2021 NSU Undergraduate Student Symposium, where it won first place among film projects.  Joseph also submitted the film to 16 other film festivals, both locally and globally. It was accepted by the Montreal Independent Flim Festival; Flint Youth Film Festival; Museum Talkies International Film Festival; First-Time Filmmaker Online Sessions;  MIAMI short FILM FESTIVAL; Woodstock Museum 22nd Annual Film Festival; Global Peace Film Festival; Encontro de Cinema Negro Zózimo Bulbul – Brasil, África, Caribe e Outras Diásporas 14 anos; and the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival.

Access Joseph’s film and other films in the 2021 Locals Only category by visiting https://www.miamishortfilmfestival.com/2021-program-schedule/locals-only-volume-2/.

To learn more about the NAACP Broward Chapter, visit https://ftlaudnaacp.tripod.com/.

To learn more about the NSU Writing & Communication Center, visit https://www.nova.edu/wcc/.

Posted 03/13/22

Professor Receives Outstanding Article Award Nomination

Kevin Dvorak, Ph.D.

Kevin Dvorak, Ph.D., Executive Director of the NSU Writing and Communication Center (WCC), and co-authors were nominated for a 2021 Outstanding Article Award from the International Writing Center Association (IWCA). Dvorak et al.’s “How Course-Embedded Consultants and Faculty Perceive the Benefits of Course-Embedded Writing Consultant Programs” was published in the March-April 2020 issue of WLN: A Journal of Writing Center Scholarship. Dvorak’s article was co-authored with Julia Bleakney (Elon University), Russell Carpenter (Eastern Kentucky University), Paula Rosinski (Elon University), and Scott Whiddon (Transylvania University).

Each year the IWCA recognizes outstanding scholarship in writing center research, practice, theory, and history that makes a significant contribution to the field of writing center studies. According to Dvorak, “the data we collected, especially since it came from four separate universities, shows how much value there is to course-embedded programming. That value is experienced and highlighted by students, faculty, and peer consultants, which is significant for the institutions where they learn, teach, and work.” Nominees are acknowledged at the annual IWCA conference.

Get more information about the NSU Writing and Communication Center.

Posted 02/13/22

Grad Assistant Coordinators Present at Conference

Adara Cox and ‘Aolani Robinson, current and former Graduate Assistant Coordinators at the NSU Writing and Communication Center (WCC), presented at the 3rd Annual NSU Crossroads Humanities Student Conference on April 9, 2021. Cox and Robinson are current and former graduate students in the Composition, Rhetoric and Digital Media (CRDM) master’s program in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences (HCAS).

Cox’s presentation, “Teaching Agency, Advocacy, and Authentic Voice: A Thematic Course Using the Netflix Series Dear White People,” provided a foundation for educators committed to advocacy to have brave conversations regarding social justice in their classrooms. Robinson’s presentation, “Seen Through the Screen: Creating Queer Community Through Twine” analyzed sexuality in Twine games.

“The 3rd Annual Crossroads Humanities conference allowed me to network with others who have similar research interests as well as share resources,” Cox said. “I had an amazing experience presenting my work, and I learned so much about what others are researching in their fields!”

Learn more about the Crossroads Humanities Conference.

Learn more about the NSU Writing & Communication Center.

Posted 10/31/21

Undergrad Consultants Receive Distinguished Delegation Awards

Genesis Alvarez, above, and Janay Joseph, below.

Genesis Alvarez and Janay Joseph, NSU Writing and Communication Center (WCC) undergraduate consultants, competed in the Southern Regional Model United Nations (SRMUN) competition, hosted virtually March 26-29, 2021. Both won Distinguished Delegation awards at SRMUN 2021. Alvarez is a History and International Studies major in the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences (HCAS) and Farquhar Honors College, and Joseph is a History and International Studies major in HCAS.

NSU’s Model United Nations team, sponsored by HCAS, participated in the conference under the Nova International Relations Association (NIRA). Alvarez and Joseph were delegates for the nation of Columbia and served on three committees: the General Assembly Plenary, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND). Topics discussed during the conference included mental health, illicit drug use by at-risk youth, and disaster response measures.

Joseph and Alvarez, among other team members Luke Dombroski, Jacqueline Chavez, and Angelica (Alu) Lopez Uscamaita, represented NSU as an entire delegation for the Republic of Colombia at SRMUN. The NIRA team was awarded Distinguished Delegation awards for SRMUN 2021 and scored 95/100 for their position papers submitted to the conference. Additionally, their team received a Distinguished Delegation award in the WHO committee for admirable participation and praiseworthy cooperation.

Both Alvarez and Joseph credit the WCC for building essential writing and communication skills that helped their participation in the conference.

“Working at the WCC has sharpened both my writing and conversation skills,” Joseph said. “Not only was I able to communicate my ideas effectively during the formal session, but I was able to contribute policy language for each of the working papers.”

Alvarez had a similar experience, saying that her writing skills “are essential to developing the comprehensive and well-written resolutions we draft during the committee sessions.”

Learn more about the NSU Model United Nations Team.

Learn more about the NSU Writing & Communication Center.

Posted 10/31/21

Former Graduate Assistant Coordinators Publish Article

‘Aolani Robinson, left, Danielle Pierce, above

Danielle Pierce and ‘Aolani Robinson, former graduate assistant coordinators at the NSU Writing and Communication Center (WCC), and HCAS alumna from the Composition, Rhetoric, and Digital Media MA program published “Integrating and Evaluating Twine as a Mode for Training Course-Embedded Consultants in the Writing Center” in the Peer Review vol.5, no.1, Winter 2021.

Pierce and Robinson’s article explores how Twine, an open-source platform for interactive fiction games, was used to train NSU writing center staff participating in a course-embedded tutoring program.

According to Pierce, “As the Graduate Assistant Coordinator for NSU’s COMP Fellows program, I saw a need for scenario-specific training when preparing our Fellows to work in the classroom. Oftentimes, the COMP Fellows would approach me with a question or concern after attending class. I want the Fellows to be able to address any issues that arise in the moment, and to continue developing relationships with the faculty and students they work with. When ‘Aolani approached me with incorporating Twine into our writing center training initiatives, I knew this would be a creative opportunity to provide our Fellows with training focused on navigating classroom-based scenarios.”

Their article addresses the need for additional training materials through a supplemental scenario-based Twine training game for writing center consultants embedded in first-year composition. Through qualitative responses, they found that consultants reacted positively to the scenarios within the Twine training. The positive reception demonstrated that Twine can be implemented as a creative solution for simulating situations that may occur in classroom-based consultations.

To read Pierce and Robinson’s article, visit http://thepeerreview-iwca.org/issues/issue-5-1/

To learn more about the NSU Writing and Communication Center, please visit https://www.nova.edu/wcc/.

To learn more about the Composition, Rhetoric, and Digital Media Master’s Program, visit https://hcas.nova.edu/academics/graduate/masters/composition-rhetoric-digital-media.html        

WCC Undergrad’s Short Documentary Wins First Place

Janay Joseph, NSU Writing and Communication Center (WCC) undergraduate consultant, and Halmos College of Arts and Sciences history and international studies major, won first place for her short documentary “She Had a Dream: Eula Johnson’s Fight to Desegregate Broward County” at the Undergraduate Student Symposium (USS), hosted by the Farquhar Honors College April 6-8, 2021.

Janay Joseph

Joseph’s “She Had a Dream” began as a short video project for her internship with History Fort Lauderdale, who helped produce the film along with her internship supervisor, Tara Chadwick. Joseph’s film focuses on Eula Johnson, a Civil Rights activist who led the Wade-ins protest on Fort Lauderdale Beach and became the first woman president of the NAACP Broward Chapter. Joseph’s video focused on Johnson’s story in an effort to inform others of her work as a Civil Rights activist, which led to the desegregation of Broward County Schools and other public facilities.

“I found her story inspiring since she was fearless in fighting for the rights of African-Americans including those outside of her community in Sistrunk,” she said. “With the recent Black Lives Matter protests it shows that a lot of the same issues she was fighting for in the past are still the struggles that Black people go through today. In a way, it links her past to our present. It was an honor to take first place and to see that her story resonated with so many people.”

NSU’s annual USS features and celebrates undergraduate student scholarship through poster displays, oral presentations, films, and performances. Representation in the USS often leads students to further research and publication, and presentation opportunities at both local and national conferences and conventions.

Watch Joseph’s “She Had a Dream: Eula Johnson’s Fight to Desegregate Broward County.”

Learn more about the NAACP Broward Chapter.

Learn more about the Undergraduate Student Symposium.

https://honors.nova.edu/student-symposium/index.html

Learn more about the NSU Writing & Communication Center.

 

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