Writing Coach Sessions

Overview

Each section of FWIS 100 has an assigned writing coach. Coaches work individually with
students, and sometimes in small groups, to strengthen their skills in scholarly reading,
composition, and critical thinking, and to support their emerging academic literacy in general.
Coaches meet with each student five times throughout the semester and may also participate in
class activities, such as reading clinics or peer revision workshops.
Five percent of the total class grade is for the writing coach sessions. Each session is worth 1%
of your overall grade. If you are inattentive or disengaged or are not there for the entire session,
you will only get partial credit for the session.

Coaching sessions (mandatory)

Requirements
 Every student must meet with their writing coach for a 45-minute coaching session, five
times over the course of the semester.
 You must sign up for all of these meetings at the beginning of the semester.
 Coaches may select virtual (Zoom) or in-person coaching modes. The coach will
communicate their decision before you begin scheduling sessions.
 Active, engaged preparation for and participation in five coaching sessions count
towards your final course grade. You must bring your own material and/or questions to
discuss. If you do not know what to bring, ask Laura for help.
 No last-minute cancellations or no-shows. If you know you’re going to struggle to make
it to the session, you need to cancel at least 48 hours before the session, and you need to
copy me on the email. If you don’t make it to your scheduled session, you will lose a
point.
Structure of Sessions
 Coaching sessions can be viewed as a “lab” component of the course, an opportunity for
guided, hands-on writing or reading work. Because the FWIS 100 curriculum focuses on
process (prewriting, drafting, revision, etc.) over product (final essay), you may work
with coaches at any stage of the writing process. You may also work with a coach on
directed reading activities.
Student Preparation
 You should come to the coaching session with a clear understanding of what you want to
work on. If you do not come to the session with a plan, you will not receive credit for that
session.
No extra one-on-one sessions
 At this time, students are limited to only five sessions with their coaches.
That said, if you would like additional support, the writing and communication services offered
at the Center for Academic and Professional Communication (CAPC) are available to you now
and throughout your Rice career. The CAPC offers one-on-one consultations to work on papers
and presentations (at no additional cost to students), as well as a variety of workshops throughout
the academic year.
*Document adapted from Vasudha Bharadwaj