Where is the Writing Center?
The Writing Center is located on the first floor of the AOK Library.
What does the Writing Center do?
The Writing Center offers writing assistance for students enrolled in any undergraduate course at UMBC. Students can visit the Writing Center at any stage of the writing process, from pre-writing to final polishing. The Writing Center is also available to help students with cover letters, application essays, and self-sponsored writing projects.
What does the Writing Center not do?
The Writing Center does not edit students’ papers. Tutors may alert students to types of grammatical, mechanical, or citation-related errors made in a piece, and tutors are willing to demonstrate how such errors may be remedied, but tutors will not identify and fix every mistake. Additionally, tutors will not re-write portions of a student’s paper, nor will they provide content material. We consider such actions plagiarism, and we want to assure faculty that tutors are held to the highest academic integrity standards.
Who are the Writing Center tutors?
Writing Center tutors are undergraduate students from a variety of disciplines. All tutors have been recommended by professors and have undergone a rigorous screening, interview, and training process. Tutors must maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA in order to be hired by the Academic Success Center.
What training have tutors received?
Writing tutors are trained to be responsive peer readers. Every prospective Writing Center tutor must take ENGL 321 and complete 25 hours of internship time in the Writing Center. Students are trained primarily in non-directive tutoring techniques. ENGL 321 also teaches students how to work with non-traditional students, English language learners, and students with disabilities. After successful completion of the course, students become College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) certified Level 1 tutors. Tutors may complete additional coursework to earn Level 2 certification, and may complete independent research projects in order earn Level 3 certification.
Is there a limit on the number of students in one class who can come?
There is no limit. However, if you anticipate sending a large number of students (more than 10) from one class during a particular week, please notify the director, Elaine MacDougall (efick1@umbc.edu), so that our staff can better accommodate your students’ needs. Also, please encourage your students to make appointments at least two or three days before their paper is due.
How can students make appointments?
The Writing Center offers both walk-in tutoring and tutoring by appointment. Students who come for a walk-in session will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis. Students are encouraged to make an appointment through our website.
Does the Writing Center offer online tutoring?
Yes, the Writing Center realizes the need for online tutoring. Students will see ‘e-tutoring only’ underneath online tutors’ names when logging into our scheduling system. Our online hours are Monday – Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
What should students bring to the Writing Center?
Students should bring their paper prompt, any associated rubrics, sample papers, or supplemental materials, and any writing they have drafted before the session. Students in the pre-writing stage should bring note-taking materials.
What does a typical session look like?
Students may schedule 30 minute or hour long appointments with the Writing Center. A tutor will first ask the student what the student wants to work on, so the student is expected to take an active role and set the initial focus for the session. The student may be asked to read their paper aloud and mark any areas of concern. While the student is reading, the tutor may take notes. Tutors then address higher-order concerns like refining thesis statements, addressing organizational issues, and crafting introductions and conclusions. Lower-order concerns, like mechanics and citation conventions, are addressed later, unless they impede readers’ comprehension of the text. At the end of a session, the student generally leaves with recommendations for revision. It is the student’s responsibility to implement any suggested changes.
What resources exist for graduate students?
Graduate students may receive more appropriate feedback from the Graduate Student Writing Advisor, sponsored by the Graduate Student Association. Visit http://gsa.umbc.edu/writing-advisor for more information about this resource. Graduate students whose first language is a language other than English may be eligible for tutoring through UMBC’s English Language Institute in the University Center.
What other resources might be helpful?
The AOK library staff offers fantastic workshops on a variety of subjects and will sometimes create workshops or presentations upon request. We also recommend that students familiarize themselves with online resources such as the OWL at Purdue, and online source managers like Zotero and Easybib. Students who are English language learners are welcome to visit the Writing Center, but they may also benefit from the English Language Institute’s conversation partner program.
Please remember that writing is a skill that takes years to learn and refine. One session at the Writing Center is very unlikely to result in a perfect paper or to substantively change what students have learned (or not learned) during their lengthy educational careers. However, one session can help students learn to become better readers of and reflectors on their own and others’ writing. Finally, please keep in mind that the Writing Center is a peer tutoring center—our undergraduate tutors do their very best, but they still have much to learn themselves, and they cannot be expected to master every discipline’s writing style and conventions. Students will get more from their time at the Writing Center when professors actively teach students how to plan, research, and revise the kind of writing done in their own disciplines.
