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By USucceed, February 10, 2015 11:42 am

If you are an undergraduate and plan to enroll for Summer or Fall 2015 in a Writing Intensive course or any class that lists the RooWriter Writing Assessment as a prerequisite, be sure to take the assessment a month before your registration appointment so that you are not blocked by Pathway.

If you plan to graduate in May and have not yet taken the Written English Proficiency Test (WEPT), you need to take the RooWriter Writing Assessment by April 1.

For complete information, see the RooWriter web site at https://www.umkc.edu/roowriter/

Everything that you need to know and do is located at the RooWriter web site, including the essay guidelines and expectations.  You can also preview the six Reading Packets to decide which one you want to write about.  The current Reading Packets address topics ranging from women and sports to Kansas City’s Troost Wall to urban sprawl.  When you choose your Reading Packet you will be assigned a prompt or question to respond to.  You then have 72 hours to complete your essay, which means you can work on it, return to it, and get help from the Writing Studio.  After you submit your essay, two evaluators will assess it in six areas, including “Point-Purpose-Idea,” “Clarity and Cohesion,” and “Support-Evidence-Citations.”  Evaluators will also provide comments about the strengths of your essay and any aspects of your writing that you should concentrate on in the future.  To see a sample evaluator report, please click here.

To help you develop your writing and reading skills, you are encouraged to take the RooWriter Writing Assessment more than once during your UMKC undergraduate career.  The RooWriter is a requirement for graduation, and to fulfill that requirement, you should take the RooWriter after you have completed Discourse II or its equivalent and before you have earned 90 hours of undergraduate credit.  It also is required for Writing-Intensive classes and may be required for other classes.

Undergraduate students who already have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution are exempt from the RooWriter requirement.  The first time that you use the RooWriter Writing Assessment, your student account will be billed $15, but you will not be charged for subsequent assessments.  For more information, contact the Coordinator of Writing Assessment at roowriter@umkc.edu.

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By USucceed, February 10, 2015 11:41 am

Apply now for the Friends of the Library Scholarship!  This $500 Scholarship is available to any UMKC student.  The Scholarship winner will be selected based on their written response to the statement:  In light of the Friends of the Library celebrating its 50^th Anniversary, we would like to know:

How do you envision the future of the library?

To apply for this $500 Scholarship please submit the following to fol@umkc.edu:

• Your name, student ID, e-mail address, street address, and phone number
• Please indicate your degree program, department and school, current level/year, and expected graduation date
• 500-1000 word original writing piece addressing the above question

DEADLINE FOR ENTRY IS FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2015

The winner will be announced in April.  Payout will be applied toward Fall 2015 tuition and fees.  Preference will be given to students with a cumulative gpa of 3.0 or higher.  Applicants are advised that all materials become the property of UMKC Friends of the Library upon submittal and may, with appropriate attribution, be quoted in whole or in part for use of promoting UMKC Libraries.

For more information call 816-235-5828 or email fol@umkc.edu

http://library.umkc.edu/friends

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By USucceed, February 10, 2015 11:39 am

The Delta Alpha Chapter of Mortar Board Senior Honor Society at UMKC is hosting several upcoming events this month aimed at promoting Children’s Literacy and Financial Literacy.

February 8th – 22nd: Children’s Book Drive

We are hosting a children’s book drive in partnership with Turn the Page KC February 8th thru February 22nd in order to promote children’s literacy in the Kansas City Metropolitan area.  Please bring a gently used children’s book to any book receptacle conveniently located around campus (see flyer for locations).

February 11th:  Earn Your Future: Financial Literacy for College Students

Hosted at Bloch Heritage Hall room 218 at 7pm; free to attend.  Created in partnership with MoneySmartKC, this event is aimed towards promoting financial literacy to students new to living on their own–or any student interested in learning more about money.

February 12th: Trivia Night (BIG PRIZES!)

Hosted at Jazzman’s Coffee Shop in the Student Union at 7pm; please bring a gently used children’s book or small monetary donation for Turn the Page KC for attendance.

Prizes include:

• VIP tickets for RUSH at the Sprint Center
• Gift Cards to Plaza and Westport restaurants
• Guest Passes to the Tivoli Cinema in Westport
• Guest Passes to Cinemark Movie Theatres
• KC T-Shirt from Raygun Shirts in Crossroads

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By USucceed, February 3, 2015 11:23 am

So, it’s the start of the third week of classes–how are you doing?  By now, you probably have your routine settled, you know what to expect in each class, and you’re still caught up on all the assignments, right?  Let’s keep it that way!

Take a quick moment to review how each class is going:  now is the time to evaluate whether you have scheduled yourself enough time to study for each class.  You should also consider attending any Supplemental Instruction (SI) sessions that may be connected with the class.  Studying in groups is extremely helpful–not only does it create a specific time for you to study, it also gets you active in your learning by giving you opportunities to discuss the course concepts with your classmates.  Even if your class doesn’t have an SI session, get together with your classmates over coffee at the Union or the Library to go over notes, make sure you didn’t miss anything, ask questions about material you didn’t understand, and help each other work through problems and difficult concepts.

Not only should you evaluate if you have enough time allotted to study, but also consider HOW you are studying.  Try rewriting your notes to make sure you really understand why you included what you did in your lecture notes.  Make an outline of the important concepts covered in the textbook.  Double-check your syllabus to stay on track of what you should be reading before class to prepare and after class to review; make note of what you also may need to do in Blackboard to participate in class discussions.  Also make a note of what distracts you while you’re studying–and then minimize those distractions!

Starting good study habits now–at the start of the semester–will reinforce a positive routine and keep you on track and allow you some time to make adjustments in your schedule now.  Got any study tips to share?  Use the comments below to share your success plan!