In person, online: Writing Center worth extra steps
From left, the Writing Center’s Stephanie Heit, Jeff Erlacher and Tracey McCormick discuss a thesis paper.
Admittedly, it’s an extra step or two, but working with the Writing Center is well worth it. Tracey McCormick, director, says although the center—located in room 206 on the second floor of Central Classroom—is off the beaten path for most UCDHSC students, going the extra distance enables the most polished piece possible.
Those who are unable to make the trek but still need help can now obtain online consultations five nights a week through NetTutor. “You and the consultant are online at the same time,” McCormick notes. “We don't offer a place for students to drop off their papers online. For us to consult with you on your writing, both you and the consultant need to be there.”
”We’re not called tutors,” McCormick stresses. “Tutor makes it sound is if we know all the answers. We collaborate instead.”
Consultants help students acquire skills to improve their writing by engaging them in a process of inquiry, asking open-ended questions intended to lead students toward recognizing, identifying, and addressing their own difficulties, McCormick says.
It is important for faculty and students to note that consultants do not proofread, edit, or correct papers, nor do they supply language or ideas in helping students develop their topics, she says. “Our goal is to help students better clarify their thinking and articulate their ideas,” McCormick notes. “Substituting our skills, in either area, for theirs would be a disservice to the students and the mission of the university.”
Consultants encourage faculty members to invite them to a class to provide a brief 10-minute informational talk to give students an overview of their services. Upon request, the center can place copies of assignments, and samples of those assignments from previous semesters, on file for reference.
“The starting point for our consultations with students is that all writers can improve their writing with feedback from knowledgeable readers,” McCormick says.
Spring semester hours at the Writing Center are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday.