Services for Faculty

The McCourt Policy-Writing Center (MPWC) kicks off each semester with a special keynote lecture on strategic communication from an expert in policy writing. The lecture is open to students, faculty, and staff.

Each semester, the MPWC facilitates peer review groups. These groups not only help students learn more from and perform better on assignments–they also offer an opportunity to experience the academic publication process and the collaborative nature of much professional and policy writing. The groups meet to workshop particular assignments for specific classes, or to workshop capstone year projects. The MPWC gives guidance on how to make the peer review as helpful as possible, and assists with providing and incorporating feedback.

Peer Review Groups must be formed with enough time to be effective. Our recommendation is that groups targeting a final project for a class form at the beginning of the relevant semester, and that groups targeting capstone year projects form at the beginning of the relevant academic year.

Faculty can direct students to form groups for a specific assignment in a class, or for capstone year projects. Groups–minimum 4 students–can sign up by completing the Peer Review Group form. Peer review groups can also be formed by students on their own.

The MPWC provides workshops during class time as requested by faculty. Usually, workshops cover skills needed to successfully complete a particular assignment. Workshops can range from 30-60 minutes in length. To schedule an in-class workshop, email Meri Wimberly at meri.wimberly@georgetown.edu.

Example topics include:

• The Policy-Writing Process
• Policy Writing Genres (for example, memoranda)
• Research Methods, Ethics, and Documentation
• The Craft of Argumentation
• Collaborative Writing
• Editing for Concision

NOTE: Include the name and syllabus of the course, relevant assignment prompts, the number of students, and the date and time you would prefer to host the workshop.