Writing Lab

The Writing Lab was created to assist the college community by:

1. Providing students the opportunity to work with trained staff and talk about thoughts and ideas about course writing assignments. We can help students work on the following writing skills:
   • Improving critical reading skills so that writers can think and write more clearly and coherently
   • Identifying the structural features of specific academic writing genres, relevant to each major of study and/or specific writing assignments
   • Refining writing processes through generating ideas, drafting, peer evaluation, and individual writing consultations
   • Learning to see through the reader audience’s eyes
   • Effectively using the work of others in writing, including the use of sources and citation methods
   • Expanding and improving a writer’s ability to work independently by exploring new strategies for learning>
2. Offering workshops and individual training sessions on writing-related matters for both students and faculty (e.g., using collaborative online writing spaces such as GoogleDocs or Word Online; advice on style guide formatting)

What happens after I request an appointment?
The Writing Lab director will send you an email confirmation and a reminder email before your session.

Who can get help at the Writing Lab?
Any member of the college community who wishes to have good feedback on a piece of their writing! We understand that you may not have a draft ready, and that’s okay. We can also help you with generating ideas for papers.

What is a writing consultation like?
We’ll ask you tons of questions about the assignment, your ideas, and your goals for the writing session. The more information you can give us, the more we’ll be able to help you with your writing assignment. Together, we will create an action plan with the steps you’ll take to further improve your final piece.

What do I need to bring with me to a consultation?
While some writers may be at the beginning stages of an assignment, others may be further along. Whatever stage you’re at, we can help! So, bring the assignment instructions you received from your professor, plus any notes, outlines, ideas, results of brainstorming sessions, and questions. If you have a draft, please print it and bring it with you, or bring your laptop so you can work on a digital copy.

Will the consultants correct all the grammar and spelling mistakes in my paper?
We will point out areas to improve grammar, syntax or word choices. We’ll also talk about why these areas need improvement, as well as resources for you to continue to advance your writing skills. You will need to make the actual improvements, though.

Will the Writing Lab check my work for correct style guide formatting?
The Writing Lab will work with you to better understand how you need to format your writing assignment so you can make the formatting edits on your own.

Can the Writing Lab help me with my CV/resume?
Absolutely. You might also like to sign up for CV resume and cover letter workshops when they are available.

Our goal is to make sure everyone receives a quality consultation and can participate in a writing consultation, so we’ve created the following policies to help ensure that goal:

Writing Consultation Appointments

• Each writer can only book one appointment per day
• Each writer can only book two appointments per week
• Each consultation lasts for about 30 minutes
• Appointment cancellations should be made with advance notice
• If a writer does not show up for his or her writing appointment within five minutes of the start time, then the consultation time is open for walk-in appointments

Walk-in Consultation Appointments

• Walk-in appointments may be available if a writing consultant is not working with another student or staff member. Please contact or stop by the Writing Lab if you are interested in a walk-in appointment.
• Walk-in consultations last for about 30 minutes, depending on writing consultant availability and operating hours.