Frequently Asked Questions
Which students should I recommend the Writing Center to?
We work with writers in all areas of study, at all levels, in all stages of their writing processes, and with all types of writing projects. The Writing Center offers students resources for developing as writers and thinkers, sharing their work and ideas, and receiving thoughtful feedback on work in progress in a practical, friendly, collaborative environment. In our humble opinion, all students would benefit from working with a tutor.
Will you fix my students’ grammar and punctuation?
No. We will help your students learn to identify and correct the errors they are making, but we do not make corrections to papers. Our philosophy is that students should do the work and we should faciliate that. We want you to be confident that the paper you grade was written 100% by your student and not by our tutor.
Can students drop off their papers and pick them up later with comments and corrections?
No, students must meet with a tutor and discuss their assignment and writing.
How finished does a student’s paper have to be to get help from the Writing Center?
Students can come to the Writing Center at any stage of their writing process. We recommend that students come in as soon as they have an assignment but before they’ve started writing. At that point, we can help students break the assignment down into tasks and figure out how much time to allow for each task. We often help students brainstorm topic ideas or approaches, revise drafts, integrate and document sources.
How long do tutoring sessions last?
The standard length for tutorials is 40 minutes. We also offer 10-minute "speed tutoring" sessions for students who just have a quick question, such as "did I cite this source correctly?"
What happens in a Writing Center tutorial?
The tutor will ask the student to explain the assignment he or she is working on and then ask questions about the student’s writing goals and concerns. Depending on the writing situation, tutors may use different strategies at this point. Strategies often used in tutorials include
- Reading the draft aloud so the student can hear how it sounds
- Asking the student to read the draft aloud so the tutor can hear how it sounds
- Asking questions about the student’s purpose and goals in the piece of writing
- Discussing different strategies and techniques the student could use in the writing
- Demonstrating and modeling different strategies and techniques
- Referring to resources such as dictionaries and handbooks
- Cutting a draft into smaller pieces and rearranging them in different ways
Do students need appointments?
Yes. We strongly recommend that students make appointments to guarantee that they will have 40 minutes of uninterrupted time with a tutor.
How can students make appointments?
Students can make appointments by dropping by the Writing Center in King Center 310, calling us at 303-556-6070, or visiting our Website at www.mscd.edu/~writectr.
What if I have other questions about the Writing Center?
Contact the director, Liz Kleinfeld, at 303-556-6071 or ekleinfe@mscd.edu.
