For Students> What to Expect

When you come into the Writing Center for the first time, you will be asked to sign-in using your student ID. If you are new to the center, you will be asked some brief questions, and we will create a file for you; this file will be available to you and your consultant(s) whenever you visit the center. You and your consultant will sit at a table and discuss the course you are writing for, the guidelines for the assignment (if applicable), and any specific aspects of the writing you want to be sure to address in the session.

Next, you will take out as much of your piece of writing as you have completed, any additional notes or resources you have been working with, and/or any previous feedback from instructors and peers or from previous work at the Writing Center.

You have the option to read your text aloud while the consultant looks on or to listen while the consultant reads the piece of writing to you. You and your consultant will begin a conversation about the content and mechanics of the paper in a collaborative session. You should feel comfortable exhanging ideas with the consultant freely, as our purpose is to help you achieve your goals for the writing. You will be responsible for marking up the text and taking notes to help you revise the text after the session has ended.

The session continues until the entire text has been read or up to one hour is spent on the piece. In the last few minutes of a session, you and the consultant will complete the non-evaluative form recording what was worked on during the session. Your consultant will ask if you would like a copy for your records or to share with your instructor. (In accordance with FERPA and the center's mission, we no longer send reports directly to instructors; however, you have full access to your file and may request copies of session reports at any time.)

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What We Do:

• Use a conversational, collaborative approach to writing.
• Help students focus on the objectives of their assignments and personal writing goals.
• Assist writers with enhancing clarity, organization, and development of ideas.
• Encourage writers to reflect on audience, purpose, and voice, and to access personal knowledge and experience.
• Facilitate improved grammar practices by explaining grammatical concepts, calling attention to error patterns, familiarizing writers with helpful handbooks, and providing handouts and online information when available.
• Guide students through documentation of resources using examples and handbook or assignment guidelines.
• Support student-initiated communication with instructors about the writing process and resulting products.

What We Don't Do:

• We do NOT offer a drop-off or email proofreading service.
• We are not a computer lab. Only students working with a consultant are permitted to use our computers and printers.
• Consultants cannot and will not offer predictions on a student's expected grade.
• The Writing Center cannot "fix" your paper or guarantee that your grade on a paper will improve.
• Consultants cannot and will not see the same student multiple times in one day.
• We will not restrict our input to "fixing" grammar mistakes or proofreading a text. We act as attentive readers not editors.