What to Expect from the Writing Center

Who can come to the Writing Center?
No one description sufficiently encompasses everyone who comes to the Writing Center. Students, faculty, staff, alumni: the Writing Center is open to any writer at Concordia. The Writing Center staff looks forward to working with writers on any Concordia writing project: essays, lab reports, journalism articles, application essays for study abroad and graduate or professional schools, cover letters, fiction, and more.

What can writers expect from a Writing Center appointment?
The Writing Center staff's focus is on the writer, not the paper. Tutors' goal is to help writers improve their writing skills, not merely perfect a particular piece of writing. Tutors focus on clear expression of ideas and coherence of the overall writing above all else.

Tutors work with writers within the context of specific assignments; they ask to review assignment sheets, syllabi, or other materials relevant to the assignment in order to gain a clear understanding of the expectations. Writers should come to the Writing Center with a few specific questions or a list of 1-3 writing-related items they would like help with. Tutors will focus on those issues, but cannot serve as a general editing service or look at "everything" in a piece of writing.

Tutors also ask writers to read all or part of their drafts aloud. Reading aloud is one of the best ways for writers to become attuned to their own language, and tutors better absorb information if they both hear and see the work.

Students in cohort-delivered programs may submit their papers electronically by sending them to writingcenter@csp.edu. Turnaround time for emailed papers is usually 48 hours; however, depending upon staffing, this is sometimes longer over weekends and breaks during the traditional college's academic year. Papers over 20 pages also require more time, as certain tutors are designated to read and respond to long projects.

For a more detailed explanation of what tutors can help you with, click here:  Information on Tutors versus Editors.
Please be aware that just before class or cohort deadlines, the Writing Center gets inundated with papers, so the turnaround time may be significantly slower. It's best to visit the Writing Center as early in the writing process as possible.

Tutors:

• serve as informed readers, indicating how successfully the writing conveys the writer's message
• discuss writers' ideas
• ask questions
• offer suggestions as to how to address a particular writing concern or how to proceed with the writing process
  

Tutors do not:

• "fix" papers. Instead, they help writers improve their skills so that writers can then enhance their own work
• cover papers comprehensively. Since it is rarely possible or productive to go over every weakness in a paper, tutors draw writers' attention to a few manageable problems in a piece of writing
• predict or guarantee grades
• know everything. If a tutor does not know the answer to a particular question, he or she refers the writer to staff or faculty who do

How do writers make an appointment for a writing conference? Writers can stop by the Writing Center and sign up for one of the available times listed in the appointment book or call 651-603-6233 and ask to sign up for an appointment. Writers may also receive help on a walk-in basis if the Writing Center is open and no conferences are scheduled for the time you arrive.

Typically, 30 minutes is sufficient for a writing conference; however, if the project is more than eight pages, writers may sign up for an hour-long conference. Tutors may also choose to extend conferences if they feel doing so will be productive and if no one else is waiting.

What should writers bring to a conference?
That depends upon the situation. Writers do not need to have a completed--or even half-completed--draft to schedule a Writing Center conference. Tutors are happy to work with them at any stage of the writing process. Writers should bring a copy of the assignment sheet, any notes or drafts related to the assignment, and a willingness to take an active role in the conferencing process.

What if writers need to cancel a conference?
Scheduling a conference and failing to show up prevents other students from receiving help during that time. If writers know they cannot make it to a conference, the Writing Center staff asks that they please stop by or call 651-603-6233 to cancel as soon as possible. If a writer fails to show up for three scheduled conferences without canceling in advance, he or she will have to use the Writing Center on a walk-in/wait basis.

What if a writer finds that he or she works best with one particular tutor?
Tutors realize that some personalities and learning styles mesh better than others, and they take no offense if a writer prefers to work with one particular tutor. In fact, scheduling regular conferences with the same tutor is often one of the most effective and efficient ways for writers to improve their skills.