Visiting the Writing Staff

Students are encouraged to sign up for for one-on-one, 30-minute sessions with specific goals or plans in mind. Follow-up sessions are also recommended to ensure successful completion of written assignments and projects. Appointments can be made online or in person at the Just Ask locations. Please be on time for your session and sign up for no more than one session per day to allow access for all.

The following are the policies and helpful tips for visiting the Writing Staff.

1. Make your appointment well in advance of your paper’s due date.
2. Bring a copy of the assignment with you and your writing materials. Also, bring any materials that you have already generated, i.e., thesis statement, an outline, notes, etc. If you have a draft, bring it on a disc or drive.
3. Have a question or list of questions prepared or an idea of what you want to achieve during your visit to the center.
4. Staff will help you in any phase of writing: brainstorming, clustering, researching, outlining, drafting, and revising.
5. The writing center is NOT an editing or proofreading service. If you have a specific grammar, usage, spelling, or punctuation issue, we can print out an appropriate handout or guide you to the proper resource. Center staff will be focusing on organizational issues. This excludes English language learners who are welcome to bring their papers for lower order concerns.
6. We will not tell you what to do. We will provide you with strategies for structuring your work and using research effectively. Students must decide for themselves what changes they will make to their writing.
7. After your sessions, as soon as possible, make changes, so that if you still have problems, you will have time, before the assignment is due, to schedule another session.
8. Papers may not be dropped off for review.
9. Small groups of students who might have the same writing problem are welcome to schedule a time for a short 15-minute workshop on that problem.

We look forward to your visit!