At the University Writing Center, we provide a space that allows writers to discuss their writing, no matter what stage it’s in, and to grow in their writing process. Our consultants provide feedback, acting as listeners for the ideas and concerns of writers. This means we will talk to you not only about ways to further develop the writing you bring in, but also how to apply these concepts to your future writing projects.
The consultant will usually start by spending a few minutes asking you about your purpose, audience, writing process, strengths, and concerns you may have about your writing. The session will move on from that point depending on where you are in the process and what you would like to talk about. If you have a draft, this is where we will read all or part of it aloud, depending on the length of the project.
We always read drafts aloud. Your consultant will ask if you would like to read or if you’d like to follow along while they read, so you can hear how it sounds to someone who has never seen it before. A fresh pair of eyes on your work can help you see things you didn’t see in your own work.
We want you to have ownership over your paper, and consultants will not write on your paper or make comments on your Google Docs or Word documents; instead, we may make note of what you say as we discuss your ideas or writing during the session, which we will give to you as the session is wrapping up.
At the end of the session, usually around 40 minutes past the hour, your consultant will wrap up with a recap of what you’ve done and discussed and ask if you have any questions about anything you’ve talked about. Then, the consultant will ask you to write brief reflections on what has been most helpful in the session and what your revision plans are. They will send these to you in an after session report email that will help you when you come back to the writing project later. Then, the consultant will ask if you need evidence of your visit for your instructor; they will need your instructor’s email address if you want proof of a session sent to them. Additionally, we’ll ask you to complete a very brief survey about your experience at the University Writing Center so we can continue to improve our consultations. The end of the session is also a good time to schedule your next appointment.
Students may schedule sessions using our online scheduling system.
