You are here:
The Writing Center
The Writing Center is a support service for students looking for friendly advice and feedback from trained peer tutors (with majors and minors across the curriculum) at any stage of the writing process. We're located on the 3rd floor of Snowden Library.
COVID Safety Procedures for 2020-2021
Our traditional in-person, walk-in mode of service has been replaced temporarily by remote, email-based feedback from the tutors. To request help with a writing assignment, students should send their questions and/or drafts as Word or PDF attachments via email to the following address (Note: Please avoid sharing files via SharePoint/OneDrive or Google Docs, as permission issues may disrupt the feedback process).
tutoring@lycoming.edu
Students should list up to 3 specific questions or concerns and indicate the course, professor, and due date/time. Attaching assignment guidelines is a good idea.
Please note that, as always, the Writing Center is not a proofreading and line-editing service; rather, it is an educational resource. So, if asked, tutors can watch for sentence-level error patterns (repeated issues) and draw the writer's attention to them in a helpful way, but proofreading and close line-editing is ultimately the writer's responsibility. We recommend that students take time to read their own essays out loud to catch errors.
Following a regular daytime and evening work schedule, as shown below, tutors will monitor the email account and provide feedback within a reasonable amount of time, depending on the ebb and flow of "traffic" and the availability of staff. As always, we discourage last-minute requests for help. Please allow plenty of time for a response from a tutor and for your subsequent revision process. See information below about response times.
Students are also welcome to reach out to individual writing tutors directly via email as needed. See links to email addresses in the staff list below.
As always, tutors will log all sessions in our database, and professors will receive notifications by default unless students withhold permission. Questions and concerns can be directed to Mrs. Shanna Wheeler, Director of the Writing Center (wheelers@lycoming.edu).
Expectations for Response Times
We appreciate your patience as we experiment with remote feedback that is as helpful and timely as possible. It's best to allow for at least a 24-hour buffer between the time you submit your draft to the Writing Center for feedback and the time you must submit the essay to the professor. We will aim to respond according to the following parameters, depending on "traffic," staff availability, and page counts for assignments:
- Morning Requests: You should receive a response by the afternoon or evening.
- Afternoon Requests: You may receive a response by 9 PM; however, it may come the next day.
- Evening Requests: If you submit in the early evening, you may receive a response by 9 PM. Otherwise, expect a response the next day. Requests sent after 8:30 PM will not be reviewed until the following day.
- Note about Longer and/or Specialized Papers: In this case, it's best to reach out directly to a writing tutor who can set aside time to help you with a longer paper, perhaps in a discipline with which the tutor is especially familiar. See staff list below.
Emails sent outside of “business hours” are welcome but will not receive a response until the next available shift.
End-of-Semester Schedule: Fall 2020
Regular Schedule: Fall 2020
In the case of inclement weather, the Writing Center will operate normally if the library remains open to students.
Writing Center Staff
What to Expect
Note: Some of the following information does not apply in 2020-21 due to COVID safety procedures.
Good writers themselves, the writing tutors at Lycoming College have been trained to guide you through the writing process, from brainstorming to final revision. They do not take control of your work or [re]write your papers for you. They are not simply copy editors or grammar checkers. They are so much more! Take advantage of the friendly advice they can provide at every stage of your writing project.
Writing tutors will not know exactly what the professor is looking for or how he/she will evaluate your paper. (Always bring your assignment guidelines!) Also, writing tutors cannot guarantee you a higher grade on a given assignment; their goal, however, is to help you develop as a writer.
Come Prepared: Bring a printed draft (if you've gotten that far), your assignment guidelines, any relevant materials, a mental list of what you're concerned about, and your patience.
Visit Reports: Every time you consult with the Writing Center, we send a brief report to your professor to show that you are making an extra effort to succeed (unless you indicate that you do not want your professor to be notified). In order for the check-in/check-out process to occur smoothly, remember to bring your college ID.
Word to the wise: Don't procrastinate on your writing projects! If you wait until the last possible minute to bring your paper to the Writing Center, you might not have enough turn-around time. Plus, we can get pretty busy at times.
Are you struggling with a formal research paper?
Seek out a model paper to guide you! You can read sample student research papers in Schemata: Student Essays Across the Curriculum.
Other Writing Resources