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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 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!

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By USucceed, January 27, 2015 10:00 am

Student Success Seminars are quick, one-hour sessions on topics that will help students be better writers, organizers, studiers, and job searchers.  A collaboration between Academic Support & Mentoring, Career Services, MindBody Connection, UMKC Central, the Writing Studio, and the UMKC Libraries, Student Success Seminars are scheduled throughout the semester and cover topics such as resume writing, preparing for the RooWriter, using Library databases, study skills, UMKC resources, and overcoming procrastination.

All seminars are held in the Atterbury Student Success Center, room 222.  Check out the  STUDENT SUCCESS SEMINARS Spring 2015 schedule.

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By USucceed, January 27, 2015 9:58 am

Please come celebrate the launch of Volume 9 of Lucerna:  UMKC’s Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research Journal on Wednesday, January 28 from 6-8PM in the Student Union, room 401B!  The authors will present their research, followed by a short Q&A session.  Refreshments will be provided.

Congratulations to the UMKC students whose papers have been selected for the 2014 Lucerna!

• Kelly R. Hangaur (History) German Americans in Missouri: The American Civil  War
• Skyler D. King (English) The Unknown and Unknowable Shakespeare
• Natalie Walker (History) All is Fair in Love and War
• Emily Pedersen (Political Science) Media Framing of Congressional  Republicans during the Government Shutdown in 2013
• Christopher A. Valdivieso (French) Zone Grise-Le choix d’un harki
• Samantha Harris (Psychology) Barriers to Cardiac Rehabilitation  Participation: Predicting Enrollment in an Urban, Safety-Net Hospital
• Sarah Alnazer (Sociology) Overall Health and Wellbeing of Female Veterans;  Compared to Their Male Counterparts
• Sydney Ingram (English) Beat to Death: The Beat Generation’s Impact on Neal  Cassady
• Jordan Miles (Psychology/English) Empowering Our Future
• Marianne McKenzie (Theater/French) Faible ou forte? French Theater in Sweden

Each submission is blind-reviewed; having one’s work published in Lucerna is a great achievement  for any undergraduate looking to further her or his education or to begin a professional career.