Writing Center

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The Writing Center

Overview

The Writing Center is located on the main floor of the DiMenna-Nyselius Library. To see current hours and availability please schedule an appointment

Students may also schedule remote virtual appointments. In order to make these appointments more successful, students can upload their project file when making an appointment. We recommend uploading documents in .docx format. Students may also consider converting their project to or composing their project in Google Docs/Sheets/Slides as appropriate. Students will then be able to share their project by copying a link into the online tutorial session chat box.

Appointments

For Online Appointments

  1. Join five minutes before the appointment tim, log into WCOnline
  2. Click on scheduled appointment
  3. Click the “Start or Join Online consultation” link on the appointment window
  4. You may be prompted to allow WCOnline to access your camera and microphone. If so, please allow access in order to conduct your video conference with your tutor.
At the Writing Center, a trained peer tutor will work individually with students on anything they are writing, at any point in the writing process. Some tutors may also be able to work with students for whom English is a second language so that the Writing Center can provide assistance for all Fairfield writers. The tutoring conference aims to be collaborative; peer tutors do not write, proofread, or grade papers for students without the direct input of the students they are tutoring. This gives students the opportunity to develop and grow as writers in ways that can be applied to their work both in and outside of school.

Contact Us

For assistance, please email writingcenter@fairfield.edu.

Frequently Asked Questions

Any undergraduate or graduate student from any major or department across campus is welcome to visit the Writing Center.

All writers, at any stage in their writing, can benefit from feedback and careful response to their projects. The tutors in the Writing Center can work with you on any aspect of your writing project, from brainstorming and idea development to revising and editing.

Definitely not. The tutors can work with you on writing that you are doing just for fun (they love that!) as well as on resumes, cover letters, and applications for jobs and internships. If you want (or need) to write it, they'll read it!

The tutors are undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduate students have successfully completed a semester-long, three credit course focused on responding to writing. In addition, the tutors continue to develop response strategies through regular staff meetings and through attendance and participation at professional conferences. They represent a range of majors and minors. Graduate tutors are available to the graduate student community for appointments and will occasionally take undergraduate overflow. They also provide guidance to the undergraduate tutors.

In the beginning, the tutor will want some information about you, about what you're working on, and about what your goals are for your writing. The session is based on what you tell us you'd like to work on, so you should expect to be an active participant in the work that gets done. The tutor will not simply take over your paper and rewrite it or edit it for you. Instead, she or he will help you to strengthen, clarify, and revise your own ideas.

Bring anything you would normally have if you were working on this paper in your room or in the library: a copy of the assignment; a copy of the syllabus; books, articles, or other source material. Bring along any writing that you've done: ideas, notes, a printed or electronic copy of your essay.

Not necessarily. You can take a chance and simply drop by. If a tutor has no scheduled appointments, then you're in luck! Appointments are scheduled on the hour, however, so try to come by as early in the hour as you can.

We are pleased when writers find the Writing Center helpful. Because the number of tutors available is limited, we ask that you schedule no more than one session a day.

All tutors are selected from the ENGL 290 course entitled Writing and Responding. The course is offered once a year, usually in the spring. Students from that course begin tutoring in the fall. It is a paid position.

To be signed in to the course, you need to talk with Prof. Boquet, by phone, ext. 2248 or e-mail. She'll be happy to talk to you more about tutoring in the Writing Center!

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