Centers provide writing assistance

TR writing center student assistant Jennifer Flores prepares materials to help students for the semester. Photo by Audrey Werth/The Collegian
TR writing center student assistant Jennifer Flores prepares materials to help students for the semester.
Photo by Audrey Werth/The Collegian

By Curtis Howe/reporter

Students needing help on essays and general writing assistance need look no further than the campus writing centers. 

Though schedules vary by day and campus, the centers are available many hours a week.

The help available also varies although tutoring is offered on all campuses.

An appointment is not required for tutoring on NE but is recommended as long waits can happen, lab supervisor Jared Landin said. Tutoring sessions last 30 minutes and can be scheduled twice a week.

Professional tutors and students work at the NE center. Professors recommend students for the positions while tutors are hired for the greatest workload. Students help their peers with Blackboard and other technologies. The NE center also offers printing, grammar assistance and improvement videos for various subjects.

On NW, appointments are recommended for 30-minute or longer sessions, lab supervisor Conrad Herrera said. Walk-ins will have shorter sessions, an average of 15 minutes.

A single faculty member works in the lab along with student tutors and hired tutors. The faculty member spends his or her office hours in the lab and can help tutor.

Student tutors help with essays and ideas but will not help a student on tests.

“Student tutors can also focus on their strengths,” Herrera said. “They offer tutoring for other subjects as needed.”

As the lab is in the library, printing is “offered” but not supervised by the lab.

South center supervisor Gabrielle Raymond said appointments are recommended though walk-in sessions are available.

Students and teachers work in the writing center with peer tutoring as the focus of sessions. Tutors are meant only to help the attendees find their own mistakes in their work.

South’s center “will not walk you step by step through homework,” Raymond said. It will also not perform editing on essays.

SE instructional assistant Alexander Petty said hired tutors and students are available for 30 minutes a day, and appointments are recommended.

Students help the tutors, answering questions as well as giving materials such as worksheets and sign-in sheets for the center.

“Printing is free up to 10 pages,” Petty said. “And handouts are there to help practice writing.”

On TR, appointments are required four hours in advance for tutoring sessions, which are 30 minutes long.

Tutors and students are available at the center, critiquing papers and offering study help. They will not help with tests.

TR’s center offers free printing as well as Rosetta Stone in English, Spanish, French and German without the requirement to be enrolled.


CENTER HOURS AND LOCATIONS

NE Campus
Writing Center
NACB 1114
Monday-Thursday: 7:30 a.m.-
8:45 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

NW Campus
Writing and Learning Lab
WTLO 3401
Monday-Thursday: 7 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
Friday: 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

South Campus
Tutoring
SCLC 0106
Monday-Thursday: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m-6 p.m.
Saturday: 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

SE Campus
Reading and Writing Resource Center
ESEE 2227A
Monday-Thursday: 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

TR Campus
Writing and Learning Center
TREF 1402
Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
Saturday: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.