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UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY WRITING GUIDELINES

The Problem and the School's ResponseIntroductions for Vicki and JacquelineRationale for the Guidelines, Their Content and Writing PrinciplesCommon Writing ProblemsBrief Exercises The Tutoring ProcessQuestions from Incoming StudentsIntroduction of the Tutors. SESSION OVERVIEW. 7/18/2012. 2.

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UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY WRITING GUIDELINES

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    1. UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY WRITING GUIDELINES A Work in Progress 7/19/2012 1

    2. The Problem and the School’s Response Introductions for Vicki and Jacqueline Rationale for the Guidelines, Their Content and Writing Principles Common Writing Problems Brief Exercises The Tutoring Process Questions from Incoming Students Introduction of the Tutors SESSION OVERVIEW 7/19/2012 2

    3. Many students come to MSPP without having experience with professional writing. Faculty are frustrated by poorly composed assignments. Students have been frustrated by lack of consistent guidance about instructors’ expectations. 7/19/2012 3 THE PROBLEM

    4. With leadership from Executive Dean Bill Powers and support from the faculty, MSPP has developed generic writing guidelines. Individual instructors may provide supplemental guidance about their expectations. Students now have a support service: assigned writing tutors who are second year graduate assistants. 7/19/2012 4 THE RESPONSE

    5. This makes you pioneers and partners in improving the writing experience! 7/19/2012 5

    6. Vicki Lathom and Jacqueline Rogers Our Role: Coordinate development of the guidelines; Manage the updating process; and Support the tutors. 7/19/2012 6 WHO WE ARE

    7. Director, Montgomery County, MD Office of Information 1974-1994 Speech Writer for Governor/Comptroller William Donald Schaefer 1994-2005 Professional Writing Instructor, George Washington University1984-1994 Master of Public Administration University of Northern Colorado, 1980 Contact Information: Vicki.lathom@comcast.net 410-266-6959 (h) 410-994-2317 (c) 7/19/2012 7 Vicki Lathom

    8. MSPP Faculty Member 1987-Present Secretary Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development 1987-1994 Director, Montgomery County, MD OMB 1980-87 Ph.D. Yale University 1972 Contact Information: rogersj@umd.edu (443) 995-0501 7/19/2012 8 Jacqueline Rogers

    9. Writing is critical to success in the professional world, despite current availability of electronic shortcuts. As tailored to the preferences of individual instructors, guidelines give students a baseline for responding to assignments. When expectations are clearly defined, students can be held accountable for higher quality work. 7/19/2012 9 THE RATIONALE FOR GUIDELINES

    10. Polished writing goes through many, many drafts. Writing is a process not a dash-off-the-night-before exercise. Key steps include: Developing a production schedule; Allowing time to research, organize and make some type of “outline;” Drafting or freewriting, based on writers’ personal preferences; and Revising, which is where the real writing begins. IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES 7/19/2012 10

    11. All editing is not equal – some is global and some is micro. Format matters: follow the rules. Sources must be cited; plagiarism will get you in trouble. Carefully drafted, edited and proofread assignments establish students’ credibility. 7/19/2012 11 ALSO

    12. General guidance for producing papers, reports and memoranda Instruction regarding drafting Instruction regarding editing Format basics Information regarding presentations with PowerPoint References and exercises which address specific writing challenges 7/19/2012 12 CONTENT OF GUIDELINES

    13. Be sure that you understand and adhere to the assignment. Straying from the topic assigned will not be rewarded. FINALLY 7/19/2012 13

    14. Insufficient Focus on Audience Improper Tone Inappropriate Use of the First Person Verbosity instead of Conciseness Weak Organization, Paragraph and Sentence Structure Overuse of the Passive Voice Flawed Grammar COMMON WRITING PROBLEMS 7/19/2012 14

    15. http://www.publicpolicy.umd.edu/current/writing-guidelines WHERE TO FIND THE GUIDELINES 7/19/2012 15

    16. The guidelines do not provide guidance on the development of effective memoranda. Instructors for PUAF 620 have agreed that integrated guidelines would be useful, but this product will take some time to develop. We’ll keep you posted as the guidelines evolve. Next year’s students will have the major benefit. A DISCLAIMER 7/19/2012 16

    17. 7/19/2012 17 AN EXAMPLE: VERBOSITY AT WORK

    18. Make this sentence more concise, while still saying the same thing: Teach your children to give away their things and you will be teaching them to receive the gifts of the world. (Weitzman Agency.com) 7/19/2012 18 EXERCISE FOR TODAY

    19. 7/19/2012 19 THE WEITZMAN SOLUTION

    20. From the first to the final draft, about one third of the words can be eliminated by: Discarding extraneous material; Simplifying language; Eliminating compound expressions; and Avoiding redundancies. 7/19/2012 20 RULE OF THUMB

    21. Shorten this quotation: “When all is said and read, it’s the reader, not the writer, who ultimately judges the document’s meaning and utility.” Edith Poor, The Executive Writer 7/19/2012 21 ANOTHER EXAMPLE

    22. In the end, it is the reader not the writer who matters. 7/19/2012 22 A MORE CONCISE VERSION

    23. Tutors respond to students’ writing challenges as identified by the student or an instructor. Tutors look respectfully at drafts in order to help students improve, pointing out opportunities to strengthen the document. Students need to allow time between a tutoring session and submission of the assignment to implement insights. Tutors DO NOT edit or proofread students’ work. 7/19/2012 23 WHAT CAN BE EXPECTED FROM YOUR TUTORS

    24. 7/19/2012 24

    25. 7/19/2012 25 COMMUNICATING WITH TUTORS Students can send tutors writing samples by email and follow up with telephone or one-on-one sessions of up to an hour in length. Meeting places should be mutually convenient and at least semi-private, e.g., the Starbucks at the Inn and Conference Center. Formal office space can also be used. First contact with your tutor should be by email. Students can telephone or email the tutors with questions about how to approach an assignment.

    26. 7/19/2012 26 QUESTIONS?

    27. The tutors are: Laura Burt lauramburt@gmail.com Team 1 Nick Auten nick.auten@gmail.com Team 2 Kathryn Maddux KathrynMaddux@gmail.com Team 3 Stephen Majors smajors1981@yahoo.com Team 4 Ari Rosner rosner@umd.edu Team 5 Juliana Williams julianamwilliams@gmail.com Teams 6&8 Gavin Way gavin.way@gmail.com Team 7 Meet them at their tables for lunch and introductions. 7/19/2012 27 MEETING YOUR TUTOR

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