Many college students have difficulties when the time comes to write a paper for a particular class. Some students are not sure how to get started, some have trouble with spelling or grammar, and some just want the advice that can turn a “B+” paper into an “A” paper.
An excellent resource for assistance with these and other problems is the Writing Center, located on the third floor of Tegeler Hall in room 329. Five consultants, all with degrees in English, are available to help undergraduate students with any stage of the writing process.
Dr. Bryna Blustein, coordinator, and Nicholas Leider, assistant coordinator, are full-time consultants. Three other consultants work for the Writing Center on a part-time basis.
From essays for English class to Parks College research papers, the Writing Center will help with anything that is in writing. Students needing or wanting assistance can simply set up an appointment to meet with a consultant.
Appointments are typically one hour long, and the content depends on what kind of help the student is looking for. Consultants will aid students with such tasks as prewriting, developing clear outlines, revising rough drafts or editing final copies.
Many students return to the Center as they continue the writing process, or they come for help with a new paper. On average, the Writing Center has 250 conferences with students each month.
Conferences involve a collaborative effort between the consultant and the student. Consultants are not editors-they act as teachers and mentors. Kelly Miller, a part-time consultant, said, “You can’t teach students how to write better by fixing things for them.”
Consultants try to give students tools and methods that will be helpful in all future writing endeavors. Part-time consultant Howard Chilberg likened this philosophy to the old proverb “If you give a man a fish he can eat for a day, but if you teach a man how to fish, he can eat for life.”
Following each appointment, the Writing Center submits a report to the student’s teacher. The report is objective, simply stating that the student sought assistance and gives a brief account of what was accomplished during the conference.
An important aspect to emphasize about the Writing Center-besides the fact that it is a free service-is that it is open to all undergraduate students, no matter their level of writing skills.
Dr. Blustein, involved since the program’s start in 1984, said, “We see as many strong writers as we see weak writers.” The Writing Center also sees a number of students for whom English is not a first language.
Writing Center consultants are available Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. It is best to call a day or two ahead of time to set up an appointment. During busier times of the semester, such as the weeks of midterms and finals, call three to five days in advance.
In addition to individual meetings, the Writing Center gives group workshops. Teachers may request a classroom workshop on a specific topic, such as punctuation, MLA documentation, or literary analysis. Independent workshops, which are open to anyone, are also held at various times during the year.
Students interested in finding out more about the Writing Center can call 977-2963.
