SOE Writing Support
The School of Education (SOE) offers writing support to undergraduate Education, Society and Human Development (ESHD) majors in the form of one-on-one appointments and quarterly workshops. SOE's Writing Support team has experience working with students from diverse backgrounds and supporting them in further building writing competency. No matter what level students are at, SOE Writing Support can help students build the necessary skills they need to improve as writers. We believe in the power of writing for change—to raise marginalized voices, bring awareness to social issues and participate in civic engagement.
One-on-one appointments can address any writing-related concerns including, but not necessarily limited to: understanding prompts, brainstorming, research skills, reading skills, developing thesis statements, creating an outline, revising a draft and overall academic time-management skills. Workshops address how to adhere to writing styles e.g., MLA/APA format, research best practices, how to incorporate research in a paper and more.
We are committed to developing content specifically for ESHD majors and can help students expand not only their knowledge of the field of education, but their ability to communicate such knowledge compellingly and effectively. We also work closely with students struggling in their English coursework to develop individualized support plans to ensure our students complete their Entry-Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) and English Composition coursework in a timely manner. SOE Writing Support services are specifically for ESHD majors and are offered in addition to the Academic Resource Center’s (ARC) services which are available to the entire undergraduate community. SOE Writing Support is a supportive service which not only supplements the tutoring services offered at the ARC, but partners with the ARC to develop workshops for ESHD majors.
Meet Our Team
Writing Support Coordinator
Delaney Rood recently graduated from UCR with her Master’s in Higher Education Administration and Policy. Delaney is a first-generation college student whose higher education journey began at College of the Desert (COD) in Palm Desert, California, where she graduated with an A.A. in English with highest honors. There, she began her career in student supportive services at the Tutoring and Academic Skills Center as an American Sign Language Tutor, and eventually, as a Writing Tutor. She also worked as a Personal Writing Tutor to students in the Disabled Students Programs and Services center. After transferring to UCR, Delaney continued her work in student support as an Undergraduate Writing Tutor at the Academic Resource Center.
Delaney graduated Summa Cum Laude from UCR in 2020 with a B.A. in English. In her graduate program, Delaney’s research focuses on issues of access and retention for marginalized, underserved, and nontraditional student groups, specifically in the area of developmental education and student supportive services. In addition to her years of experience in academia, Delaney also has a decade of experience in management and training coordinating in the food and beverage industry. Delaney joined the SOE Team in 2020 as the Writing Support Coordinator for the SOE Undergraduate Writing Support Program. Since, with the support of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund grant, SOE’s Writing Support Program has flourished and now includes Graduate Writing Mentors and Undergraduate Writing Assistants that support SOE undergraduates through every step of the writing process. Outside of work, Delaney is an amateur photographer and enjoys travel, hiking, weightlifting, and exploring Southern California.
Writing Mentor
Eric Davidson is a Ph.D. student in the SOE's Higher Education Administration & Policy Program. After finishing high school in his hometown of San Diego, California, he spent nine years living in Tucson, Arizona where he earned his B.A. in political science and M.A. in higher education from the University of Arizona. Eric brings years of mentoring experience to the Writing Support Program from his time spent as a teaching assistant (TA), lecturer, and academic coach. In his academic life, he is a TA for various SOE courses and writes about higher education policy and economics, most notably on the subject of intercollegiate athletics as a Research Assistant for UCR's Center for Athletes' Rights and Equity. In his free time, Eric enjoys many outdoor sports- snowboarding, skateboarding, cycling, rock climbing, and hiking. He is also a songwriter and record producer.
Student Staff
Natalie Gomez is an undergraduate student at UCR studying English and a supplemental instruction leader under the English department at Chaffey Community College. Natalie's goal is to take her reading and writing abilities to law school. She has a passion for helping others improve their writing skills and build confidence in their writing. In the Writing Program, Natalie can’t wait to build a welcoming and comfortable community at UCR through writing.
Yuan Feng is an undergraduate student at UCR studying Education as her major. She is from China and came to America to attend middle school in Alabama and high school in California. Yuan wants to be able to help more English as a Second Language students because she was in one of the ESL programs, and she wants to become a high school ESL teacher or high school advisor in the future. She specializes in essay structure and has a lot of experience to share about Basic Writing, English composition courses, and Education courses. Yuan has a lot of passion for helping and wishes for all students to become the best writer.
Matt Gauf is an undergraduate student at UCR studying Education with a concentration in social justice. After graduating high school, Matt worked as a special needs assistant and a school bus driver for nine years before leaving his work to continue his education at Long Beach City College. Matt is now a transfer student at UCR, and his goal is to utilize his writing abilities to join UCR's Teacher Education Program and earn a master's degree in Education. Matt is passionate about working with students to learn and grow together and wants to become an elementary school teacher in the future. He specializes in writing for Education courses but can provide guidance in every step of the writing process. Matt is excited to work with all students and help develop writing skills together.
ELWR/English Composition Requirements
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Entry-Level Writing Requirement (ELWR)
The Entry-Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) is a University of California reading and writing proficiency requirement that all first-year students must satisfy. This requirement is not an admissions requirement. The ELWR must be satisfied either before beginning courses on a UC campus or during the first year of enrollment.
- SOE Writing Support can help students who need additional support to complete the ELWR by working one-on-one with students to create an individualized plan to help each student meet their writing goals and excel in their English courses.
- More information on the ELWR can be found here, or contact the University Writing Program (UWP) counselor, Sheena Thrush, at: sheena.thrush@ucr.edu
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English Composition Requirements
Undergraduates in the School of Education must complete breadth requirements as determined by the Executive Committee of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS). The English Composition series ENGL001A, ENGL001B, and ENGL001C are required to complete the Breadth Courses for the ESHD major and to fulfill the University’s writing requirement (a Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) course may be substituted for ENGL001C).
- SOE Writing Support works with students through workshops and one-on-one appointments to ensure ESHD majors have the tools they need to successfully complete the ENGL001A/B/C series.
More information on English Composition courses can be found here
More information on Breadth Course Requirements for the ESHD major can be found here
Writing Support Workshops
SOE Writing Support workshops are designed to help ESHD majors become successful writers for their Education courses, in their careers, and for life beyond their time at UCR. If you have an idea for a workshop, or want to see a particular area addressed, please email our team at soewritingsupport@ucr.edu.
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Mindfulness Workshop
This workshop explores the relationship between mindfulness and writing. We will learn what mindfulness is, why it is important, how it benefits the mind, and how to employ it. We look at how to use writing for mindfulness and mindfulness for writing. We discuss how to use various types of writing as a mindfulness practice, but also how to use mindfulness practice to support our academic writing process. This workshop usually occurs toward the end of every quarter, just in time to relieve the stress of final papers. Come learn how to adopt mindfulness practices that will not only benefit your writing process, but your life overall!
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Writing for Education Presentation
This presentation is designed to orient students to the process of writing and creating knowledge in the field of education studies and will focus on identifying and evaluating prior scholarship, synthesizing this scholarship to respond to writing prompts, and reviewing writing to ensure optimal impact. This presentation is beneficial for students at all levels, but is especially helpful for first and second-years as they transition from English composition styles of writing to Education styles of writing.
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APA Format Workshop
This workshop covers the basics of APA format, including how to properly incorporate in-text citations with either a signal phrase or a parenthetical citation, how to cite multiple authors, and how to construct a reference page. As formats tend to change frequently, this workshop will cover changes from the previous edition to the most recent edition i.e., the 6th edition to the 7th edition. This workshop is essential for all students in Education courses, as instructors note that APA format errors occur frequently in student papers. This workshop is offered twice per quarter. For information on upcoming workshops, please follow the ‘Schedule of workshops’ button above.
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Research Best Practices Workshop-UCR Library Collaboration
At this workshop, UCR Librarian, Michael Yonezawa, and SOE Writing Support Coordinator, Delaney Rood, provide in-depth knowledge on effective research strategies, such as how to generate search terms, how to use Boolean operators, how to search using google scholar and the library databases (and the differences between them), and how to organize research. This workshop is essential for all students prior to beginning their upper-division Education coursework, however, it will benefit students at any point in their academic journey. Those students who are interested in pursuing graduate school will rely heavily on the skills obtained at this workshop.
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Reading Best Practices Workshop--Collaboration with the Academic Resource Center
This workshop explores the crucial link between the reading process and the writing process in order to promote efficient and effective writing. ARC Assistant Writing Coordinator, Jay Spencer, and SOE Writing Support Coordinator, Delaney Rood, help students understand the main characteristics of research articles, how to use these characteristics to enhance the reading process, and how to employ pre-reading and previewing strategies. In addition, we look at active reading strategies and help students identify the strategies that will benefit them most in their own reading and writing practice. Finally, we emphasize the benefits of an engaged reading process for a more effective writing process.