Writing Seminars

Undergraduate Writing Seminars 

Writing Seminars Online

Writing Support Centre seminars are directed toward undergraduate students but open to everyone in the Western community AND they are free. Our seminar series address approaches to common writing assignments, discipline-specific writing, and issues of grammar and style. 

Registration for writing seminars is now open! Click on the links below to register. Contact us at wsc@uwo.ca if you have questions. 

Click here to view the Winter 2025 Writing Seminars Schedule

Series 1 – Learning to Become a Scholar

  • Transitioning from High School Writer to University Scholar 12:30 pm Jan. 20, 2025
    clarifies the specific expectations that your professors have for your work so that you will be better prepared for university-level writing.
  • Understanding and Planning Your Written Assignments  12:30 pm Jan. 21, 2025
    explains how to determine your professors' expectations for your work as well as how to use strategies like storyboarding to plan out your final product.
  • Referencing Your Paper 12:30 pm Jan. 22, 2025
    using examples from APA and MLA, presents citation as a necessary means of avoiding accusations of plagiarism, and as an approach to strengthening the credibility of the claims in your paper. 
  • Overcoming Writer's Block 12:30 pm Jan. 23, 2025
    focuses on the different stages of the writing process and provides a more organized approach to keep you on track. 

Series 2 – Writing Foundations: What Every Writer Needs to Know

  • Writing More Clearly 11:30 am Feb. 3, 2025
    What do your professors want? Clarity! 
  • Concise Writing 11:30 am Feb. 4, 2025
    demonstrates how to eliminate wordiness, condense information, and maintain meaningful content.
  • Crafting a Thesis Statement 11:30 am Feb. 5, 2025
    demystifies this critical element of academic writing and demonstrates how to communicate the purpose of your paper clearly and concisely. Every paper requires a clear identifiable thesis statement.
  • Editing and Proofreading 11:30 am Feb. 6, 2025
    is a review of what to check before you submit your written work.

Series 3 – Disciplinary Writing: Writing for Your Audience

  • Writing in the Social Sciences 11:30 am Feb. 24, 2025
    addresses how to critically engage with your topic, integrate evidence to support your thesis, use terminology appropriately, and make sure your paper is specific to the course. 
  • Writing in the Arts and Humanities 11:30 am Feb. 25, 2025
    uses examples of different mediums to demonstrate how to undertake a close reading as an essential step in researching and writing.
  • Writing in the Sciences 1:30 pm Feb. 26, 2025
    examines ways to write engaging scientific papers that audiences can comprehend. 
  • Writing in Nursing and Health Sciences 1:30 pm Feb. 28, 2025
    explores ways to communicate complex health information to a wide audience, so not only academics but also the public can learn about issues vital to them.

Series 4 – I've Never Written That Before: Exploring Different Genres

  • Annotated Bibliographies 11:30 am Mar. 3, 2025
    explains the expectations and different steps involved in writing an annotated bibliography, including resources for citing. 
  • Writing Essay Exams 11:30 am Mar. 4, 2025
    focuses on how to organize useful study notes and make use of memory skills before exploring different exam structures.
  • Writing a Book Review 12:30 pm Mar. 5, 2025
    explains the purpose of a book review and how to evaluate the contributions of authors in terms of their credibility and the evidence they present.
  • Executive Summaries 1:30 pm Mar. 7, 2025
    are the gateway to business communication.  No one will read your 80-page proposal if the exec summary is not persuasive.  Learn how to write a concise, yet evocative, summary that perfectly pitches your idea.

Series 5 – Professional Writing: Writing That Will Take You Places

  • Writing Resumes 1:30 pm Mar. 17, 2025
    You know the importance of a well-written resumé.  Join us and learn how to highlight your vast experiences in a limited space. 
  • Letters of Intent 12:30 pm Mar. 18, 2025
    invite applicants to detail the agendas, academic or otherwise, they plan to pursue should they be offered admission into a program. This seminar explains the key components of each type of letter of intent.
  • Cover Letters 1:30 pm Mar. 19, 2025
    After joining our previous seminar, you have written a fabulous resumé.  But don’t forget about the cover letter!  In this session, you will learn to write a cover letter that brilliantly complements your resumé and that will get you noticed. 
  • Personal Statements 1:30 pm Mar. 21, 2025
    examines common pitfalls and explains how to connect with your intended audience.

Series 6 – Effective Presentations

  • Slide Design 1:30 pm Mar. 31, 2025
    Visual communication is a crucial-- yet often overlooked-- aspect of delivering a dynamic presentation. In this session, we will explore how to craft an engaging PowerPoint slide deck.
  • Organizing Your Presentation 1:30 pm Apr. 2, 2025
    Have a high stakes presentation and want to organize your material for greatest impact? Join us for a session on how to create a presentation people want to hear.  

 

If you do not see a seminar or workshop that addresses your writing needs or questions, let us know. Suggest a seminar or workshop topic: wsc@uwo.ca

 

WSC Seminars are Western Co-Curricular Record approved. To get credit you must attend four Seminars.

CCR Approved

 

 

 

 

Student Experience