TO: English A/B and ESL Faculty
FROM: Barbara Budrovich
RE: Classroom Labs
August 24, 2010
Please find attached a revised “Lab Logistics” memo. When you have a few moments,
please review.
Additionally, there a few new items to spotlight and some old information to emphasize.
New Items:

“Tips for Effective Writing Assignments” is attached. Please read this; it has
some specific suggestions on how to design an assignment sheet friendly to the
WC and to the basic skills student.

A Prewriting Flyer/Announcement is included. It describes our prewriting
conferences in a bit more detail. Please encourage your students to come in for
these, especially if they have been absent and missed lecture or a prewriting
classroom lab.

Also included is our printing flyer, which explains what students can print and
how they can print.

Information about the WC is on the WC web page. The current flyer is posted as
well as links to other critical information—computer lab rules, prewriting and
printing flyers, and grammar exercises. Please check it out. (You can google ECC
Writing Center or find us under Humanities / Writing Center.)
Important Old Information:
Lab Management:

Please use most (90 %) of your lab time to hold conferences with your students.
We work very hard to secure the funds to run this outstanding in-class lab
program, so effective and appropriate use of the tutor is greatly appreciated. Note
that the course outlines (A and B) stipulate that students are to “revise their
writing with the assistance of weekly one-on-one tutorials.”

Please avoid excessive cancellation of labs. In the course of a semester, a lab or
two set aside for a midterm or special activity is expected. But beyond two, please
try to use your lecture days for some of the special occasions.

Use the Writing Center mailroom/staff room to leave off assignments ahead of
time for your tutor. Exchange contact information early—phone numbers and
emails.
WC Conferences:

Remember that we offer grammar conferences. Although we have been doing this
for a number of years, the word does not appear to be out. Students may come in
without an assignment sheet and request a conference with a tutor on a grammar
problem of their choice.

We also offer textbook driven conferences, including vocabulary building with
Wordly Wise texts, idioms with Essential Idioms in English, and basic grammar
with Basic Grammar and Usage. These books are available in the bookstore.