Writing Center

WRITING CENTER

The Writing Center at Coastal Carolina University is an academic service for students in any course needing writing assistance. It is located in Kearns Building Room 210. Typically, operating hours are Monday – Thursday 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Friday 10:00 am-4:00 pm, and Sunday 5:00-9:00 pm. Check the Writing Center's website for a complete listing of hours. Although walk-ins are welcome, it is recommended that you make an appointment with one of the tutors in the Writing Center. Please visit the Writing Center's website at https://www.coastal.edu/writingcenter/ and click on the "Individual Appointments" link to schedule an appointment. If you have any problems making an appointment through the online scheduling system, please contact the Writing Center at writingcenter@coastal.edu.

What happens during a Writing Center session?

Writing Center sessions are typically 45 minutes long. During this time, the tutor will work one-on-one with a student on various aspects of the student's writing. Students usually bring in a complete draft of a paper or at least a partial draft of the paper. However, students do sometimes come to the Writing Center at the very beginning of the writing process to begin developing ideas for a paper.

During a session, the tutor can assist the student on a variety of levels. Some sessions focus on details such as grammar and punctuation or documentation/citation. Other sessions focus on "higher order" concerns such as thesis development or organization. No two sessions are exactly alike, but all focus on writing and thinking skills that are essential at the college level.

Is an appointment required?

Appointments are not absolutely required but are highly advisable because the Writing Center does often get very busy. The busiest times tend to coincide with the due dates for major writing assignments in high-enrollment courses that require writing, such as English 101 and 102. Therefore, it is recommended that you visit https://www.coastal.edu/writingcenter/ to make an appointment at least a day or two before you would like to come in.

Does coming to the Writing Center mean that my grade will improve on a paper?

We can't guarantee that your grade will improve, but research on our center and at other centers has consistently shown that students who visit the Writing Center typically perform better on written assignments. We like to say that we work with writers, not writing. Our ultimate goal is to help you become a better writer over time, not simply to help you get a better grade on a specific paper.

Will my professor know that I have come to the Writing Center?

After each session, the tutor writes a report to the instructor of the course. In that report, the tutor begins by identifying the student and the project the student was working on. Then, the tutor writes a brief report explaining what happened during the session: what parts of the paper the tutor and student worked on, which skills the session focused on, and so forth. Most students like for their teachers to receive these reports, but if you, for some reason, would rather that your report not be sent to your instructor, please let the tutor know. Unless you indicate that you would rather the report not be sent, your teacher will receive a report within a week of your session.

Will you proofread and edit my paper for me?

Tutors may discuss with students the types of errors they are making, but tutors are not allowed to "fix" papers for students. The ultimate responsibility for the paper is the student's, so tutors are not allowed to write on students' papers or make specific changes to the student's writing. However, by going over the types of problems typical in a student's writing, tutors can help students to recognize and address problems. Again, we want to work with writers, not writing, so the best approach is to help student writers become better proofreaders of their own work.

How can I become a Writing Center tutor?

If you are a strong writer with excellent grades in writing courses at the college level, you may be the kind of student the Writing Center is looking for. To become a Writing Center tutor, begin by visiting Scott Pleasant, the Writing Center Coordinator (office: Kearns 210).

CONTACT INFORMATION

writingcenter@coastal.edu
843-349-2937
Thompson 227

Writing Center Coordinator:

Scott Pleasant
sepleasa@coastal.edu
843-349-4154
Thompson 227A

ASSIGNMENT

In order to receive this digital badge, you must begin by doing one of the following (your choice):

Visit the Writing Center for a one-on-one, 45-minute tutoring session to work on a paper for ENGL 101 or 102.
Attend one of the Writing Center's hour-long workshops appropriate for ENGL 101 or ENGL 102 during the semester. You may be asked to complete a worksheet during or after the workshop and return the worksheet to your ENGL 101 or ENGL 102 instructor, but submitting a completed worksheet does not by itself give you credit for the Writing Center badge.
- The schedule of Writing Center workshops is available online at https://www.coastal.edu/writingcenter/workshops/. Please note: Most Writing Center workshops are general interest writing workshops that will be appropriate for ENGL 101 or ENGL 102. However, some workshops may be designed for specific courses other than ENGL 101 or ENGL 102 and therefore will not be appropriate for ENGL 101 or ENGL 102. These course-specific workshops will be identified in the online schedule by a specific course number (for example, COMM 140 or LIS 122).
Download and view two of the online modules available at https://www.coastal.edu/writingcenter/onlinemodules/. These modules are narrated video presentations on topics and writing skills that are relevant to your success in ENGL 101 and 102. Each module is approximately 10-20 minutes in length and will require you to watch, listen, read, and actively participate.

No matter which of the above you chose, you will then write a one-page reflection piece on the experience of using the services of the WC. In your reflection piece, answer the following questions:

What did you do at the Writing Center? Answer in one detailed paragraph. If you had a one-on-one tutoring session, what did you and the tutor talk about and work on? (Be specific.) If you attended a group workshop, what was the topic and content of that workshop? (Be specific.) If you worked through two online tutorials, which ones did you choose and what did you learn from those tutorials? (Be specific.)
How valuable do you think your Writing Center experience was? Answer in one detailed paragraph. Do you expect that you will be able to improve your work on a specific writing assignment as a result of your Writing Center experience? Do you think that you writing in general will improve as a result of your Writing Center experience? Why or why not? (Be specific.)

For citation, use:

Coastal Carolina University, Department of English, First-Year Writing Program. "Writing Center." Coastal Composition Commons, 24 August 2017, https://ccc.coastal.edu/task/writing-center-2/. Accessed xx xxxxxx xxxx.