F.A.Q.
Any piece of well-written work is really just a stage of a much longer process of thinking and researching. It is for this reason that our consultants offer help during all stages of the writing process – from brainstorming and developing an argument to the finalization of a draft.
You may therefore schedule an appointment with nothing more than a concept you want to brainstorm. In such cases, our goal in your tutor session would be to provide you with a more concrete plan of action to guide you in your writing journey.
If you do visit us when you are further along the writing process, bring a copy of your draft (printed and on a computer, if possible), all relevant materials (including the assignment prompt and/or course readings), research materials, feedback from the professor or TA, and any specific questions that you may have.
As writing is a process it is important that you don’t expect your paper to be “fixed” in one sitting. It is also important to remember that the Writing Center is not a proofreading or copy-editing service and that our consultants are here to help you in the overall development of your own writing and editing skills.
We begin by asking you questions about your project in order to understand the issues with which you need the most help. Depending on where you are in the writing process, we can focus on brainstorming for ideas, revising the structure, addressing grammar and language mistakes, improving clarity, or improving your analysis. A regular session is 50 minutes long.
Students are entitled to 8 appointments per semester, faculty members have unlimited paid appointments. You can have 3 appointments per document.
Please bring the project you are working on, drafts of the project, materials you think needs to be there.
We also work with small groups scholars engaged in collaborative writing projects. However, we ask all group members to be present to discuss the piece as a whole. If you have written a particular section of a group project, we can work with you on a one-on-one basis to discuss your writing.
Your visits to our Writing Center are confidential. That means we will never provide anyone with any information on the content of your session. The writing consultant will also not report even in cases of plagiarism or collusion, although your consultant will warn you in such cases. A paper that has been under the guidance of one consultant cannot be transferred to another consultant (except the force majeure).
Although we believe a face-to-face conversation is the best way for us to support writers, we also know scheduling a tutorial during our open hours can be challenging for some, particularly for scholars with other obligations during the day. In order to make our services more accessible, we offer an Email Tutoring option. Scholars working on academic writing can submit drafts online, and one of our tutors will read it carefully and respond with thoughtful, constructive feedback within three business days.
We do not accept any drop-ins so please make sure you schedule an appointment beforehand.
Yes. To get on the waitlist for an appointment, simply send us an email. You will receive a responsive email notifying you of any appointments that become available.
