Writing Across the Curriculum
at Nebraska Methodist College –
The Josie Harper Campus
COFFEE HOUSE 2016: FAQs
The Writing Across the Curriculum steering committee invites faculty nominations for the upcoming Coffee House. This event,
which will be held in March 2016 in the Clark Center, will recognize excellence in student writing and public speaking,
including excellence in online PowerPoint presentations, and will give a platform for displaying creativity and talent campus-wide.
Coffee House 2016 will include two distinct kinds of oral readings. Students whose academic papers (including formal essays,
research work, graded journal reflections, etc.) have been officially nominated by a faculty member, and endorsed by the WAC
Steering Committee, will be given the opportunity to read short excerpts (about five minutes) from their work. In addition,
excellence in public speaking will be recognized. Students will be given the opportunity to repeat a portion of a speech
presentation, or to have their PowerPoint put on display, if these presentations were given as part of NMC course work, and if
they are nominated by an NMC faculty member (and cleared by the WAC Committee). Eligible presentations include online
PowerPoint presentations. Online students will be allowed to provide pre-recorded videos of their readings.
What should I do?
Consider nominating one of your students! If you are a faculty member here at NMC at any teaching level, from certificate to
master’s degree, and some kind of a formal paper assignment or speech presentation assignment is part of a course you teach,
actively seek to find exceptional work among that which is turned in. Next, complete the nomination form to nominate one or
more papers or speeches for Coffee House 2016 (Nomination forms are available on the “Home” page of NMC’s WAC website,
whose “Tab” appears at the top of https://my.methodistcollege.edu/ICS/ —a public website.
When should I turn in the Coffee House nomination form?
As soon as you can. Because the WAC Committee needs to monitor submissions and plan the event, the deadline for submitting
nominations is Monday, FEBRUARY 29, 2016. Electronic submissions are preferable. By the end of the day on this date,
please email the completed nomination form as an attachment to marlin.schaich@methodistcollege.edu.
What criteria will the WAC committee use to endorse nominated formal papers?
Exceptional in originality, relevance, clarity, and/or development. Please nominate formal papers that go beyond “average”
standards in one or more ways. Likewise, excellence in presentations entails relevant, specific, and clear topics and ideas,
orderly organization, and effective and confident delivery. See the rubrics for public speaking that are actually used in some
NMC courses posted on the “Tips and Resources in Public Speaking” page of NMC’s WAC Website. For example, a
paper may excel in its relevance of topic or research, in its vivid clarity, or in the specific level of its development, while a speech
may excel in its selection of supporting details, its attention-getting introduction, its dynamic delivery, and its forward-looking
conclusion. Please explain briefly, in the space provided on the Nomination Form, why you believe certain papers, speeches, or
online PowerPoints deserve this special recognition.
Who will be invited to attend Coffee House Event 2016?
The entire NMC community. Student winners will be notified in early March 2016. This should give them ample time to plan for
the event. Students whose class and work schedules allow them to attend and read from their work will be encouraged to invite
friends and family members; nominated students with scheduling conflicts can recruit other students to read in their behalf. The
entire NMC Community, including faculty, staff, students, and administrators, will be invited; faculty members are especially
encouraged to make time for this event.
How long will Coffee House Event 2016 last?
It will be short, but sweet. One reason that the WAC Committee will be evaluating submitted nominations is to limit the number of
winners and the duration of the event. The committee expects that the event will last about one hour but no longer than 90
minutes. Coffee, other drinks, and treats will be served.
Whom should I contact if I have questions?
The WAC Committee includes Marlin Schaich (chair), Gina Wagner, Kristen McNulty, Allison Grandgenett, and Meg Blair.
© 2015 Nebraska Methodist College – The Josie Harper Campus