Writing Center FAQs

What happens in a Writing Conference?

Although individual conferences are tailored to a specific writer's needs, in general, consultants will ask questions about your writing situation, listen to your concerns, work with you to identify patterns in your essays, suggest relevant prewriting, writing, or revising strategies, and provide objective, constructive feedback on your writing processes and papers. During a conference, you may be reading your work aloud, generating ideas, developing a plan for writing or revising, making corrections, and other assorted tasks. The purpose is to ensure that writers are active participants in the conference who retain complete authority over their work.

The purpose of these conferences is not to produce a technically perfect paper, but to help students develop skills and strategies that will help them not only with one paper, but with future writing assignments. Committed to your long-term development as a writer, we focus on recognizing the choices you make as a writer and the impact these choices have on your text and its intended audience. For this reason, consultants will not discuss or guarantee grades, offer an opinion on the assignment, or provide copyediting services.

We encourage you to visit the Writing Center at any stage of your paper's development to work with one of our Graduate Assistant or Peer Tutors on improving your writing.

How does online tutoring work?

Unlike our onsite conferences where you read and discuss your writing with a consultant, online tutoring allows you to submit a paper electronically for an enhanced peer-review. This process involves these steps:

• Schedule an appointment during our regular hours, indicating that this appointment is for an online consultation. Although the consultation will not be in "real" time, we need to set aside time for one of our consultants to review your draft.
• Email a Word compatible file of your document to academicsuccess@mnsu.edu
• Include with your email a copy of the assignment and a brief list of questions or concerns you have about your work. This step is vital in directing the consultant's reading of your text and makes the conference collaborative.
• We will respond to your draft using Word's "comment" and "track changes" functions and return the draft via email.
• If you would like to speak with the consultant who commented on your draft for an extended discussion, we can arrange a follow-up chat via Skype. Please note that longer drafts may require more than one conference.

What kinds of papers can I bring to the Writing Center?

We work with students on various types of writing, including but not limited to:

• Papers for all undergraduate courses
• Graduate papers, theses and APPs
• Personal statements for graduate, law, medical, and business schools
• Business and professional letters
• Teaching philosophies and portfolios

How can the Writing Center help me?

We work with students on all aspects of their writing, including:

• Understanding and managing writing assignments
• Overcoming writer's block
• Brainstorming and idea generation
• Outlining and organizing essays
• Developing thesis statements
• Crafting and supporting arguments
• Drafting, revising, and editing strategies
• Using and citing sources
• Coaching on language, grammar, and mechanics

Who works in the Writing Center?

Our writing consultants are comprised of Graduate Assistants and Peer Tutors from a variety of academic disciplines. Selected on the basis of their strong interpersonal and academic skills, they are qualified to assist all students at any skill level with papers from any program. Our modern language consultants are faculty recommended undergraduate students with native or near-native proficiency in the language.

Do I need to have a complete draft of my paper in order to work with a writing consultant?

Not at all. We welcome students at all stages of the writing process.

Do I need to be enrolled in a modern language course in order to work with a modern language consultant?

Enrollment is not required. Modern Language tutoring is open to all students who want to improve their skills.

Which languages does the Writing Center support?

The languages we support vary each semester based on student interest and tutor availability. Tutoring in modern languages is also available through the Department of World Languages & Cultures.

Are appointments required?

Appointments are strongly recommended. While we do our best to accommodate walk-ins, we cannot guarantee that students who drop in without an appointment will be seen. Scheduling an appointment in advance is the only way to ensure that you will be able to meet with a consultant on a specific day and at a preferred time.

How far in advance should I schedule an appointment?

Because our appointments are on a first-come first-served basis, we recommend scheduling your appointment at least one week before the paper's due date. During high demand weeks (such as midterms and finals), we recommend that you contact us two to three weeks in advance.

What are the Writing Center's hours of operation?

Monday - Wednesday 9am - 7pm

Thursday 9am - 5pm

Friday 9am - 1pm

Walk in hours available in ML 1027 Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7pm - 9pm (subject to change)

How can I make an appointment?

Students can make an appointment by:

• Using our online scheduler 
• Visiting the Writing Center in person at Memorial Library ML125
• Calling the Center for Academic Success at 507-389-1791

What if I have a complaint or a suggestion about the Writing Center?

The Director of the Center for Academic Success and Assistant Director for Writing Languages would love to hear from you. Please send us an e-mail at acadmicsuccess@mnsu.edu.