It is an English Department requirement that every student enrolled in either ENGL 0990 or ENGL 1000 must attend weekly tutoring in the Writing Resource Center. This requirement was established many years ago as a means to help students in these classes strengthen their writing abilities. Students who are a part of the Success Academy may also be required to attend weekly tutoring at the Writing Resource Center.

For either situation, throughout the semester, you will work with the same tutor for forty-five minutes every week to help you identify and correct specific problems with your writing. Such concentrated one-on-one teaching has proven invaluable to our students. At the beginning of the semester, you will sign up for an appointment that you are expected to keep through the end of the semester.

No. Although you may come to the Writing Resource Center as often as you wish, except in certain cases, you are only required to attend tutoring once a week. If you have both requirements as described, your one weekly tutoring session will fulfill both of them.

First, speak with your teacher to find out exactly what kind of assistance he/she thinks you need from the Writing Resource Center. Then ask your teacher if he/she has submitted an Online Faculty Referral. This form provides the Writing Resource Center staff with useful information to help us quickly assess your strengths and weaknesses as a writer. Then come to the Writing Resource Center or call 520-6282 to set up an appointment. Be sure to tell whomever you speak with in the Writing Resource Center that your teacher has referred you here. If your teacher wants proof that you've attended one or more sessions, be sure to remind your tutor before you leave.

Whatever the project the Writing Resource Center staff will be glad to sit down with you to find ways that you can strengthen your project. If you are just getting started, we can help you brainstorm ideas. If you've written a first draft, we can talk about ways to revise it. If you've finished the project, we can help you identify any final corrections that need to be made. Whatever the project, whatever its status, bring it in and we will help you find ways to make it better. Just remember that the more time you give yourself to work on a writing project, the better it will turn out.

Any kind. The Writing Resource Center is a free service for all members of the Xavier community to receive help with their writing. Whatever writing project you have on hand, you can bring it in. Writing projects for classes might include—but are in now way limited to—research papers, critical essays, critiques, book reviews, or take-home exams. Writing projects outside of classes might include cover letters for job applications, statements of interest for the College of Pharmacy, personal statements for graduate school applications, letters to the editor of the Times-Picayune, reports for work, grant applications, or just about anything else.

If you are coming for assistance with a specific writing project, please bring any materials you have relating to that project. If you have specific instructions for the project, say an assignment sheet you’re your teacher, please be certain to bring them. Also bring any research notes, outlines, idea webs, drafts, etc.

No. The Writing Resource Center is neither a proofreading nor an editing service. We will, given enough time, help you proofread your own work, though. We will read your project over with you; we will review it with you; we will discuss it with you; and we will suggest ways that you might improve it. But we cannot and will not simply tell you what needs to be fixed.

No. For writing assignments, only the faculty member who assigned it can give you a grade on it. Please don't ask us—we won't even try. Grading writing is a very subjective process and can only fairly be done by the person who developed and gave the assignment. The Writing Resource Center staff will never suggest a possible grade for your work.

It depends on the nature of the project, but as a general rule, the earlier, the better. Writing, especially academic writing, is not something that can be rushed. The more time you allow yourself to work on a project, the better it will be. Waiting until the last minute will simply leave you less time to improve the project. Coming in an hour before an assignment is due will not give us any time to give you any useful assistance.

Absolutely not. The Writing Resource Center is a free service available to all members of the Xavier community: students, staff, faculty, alumni. Everyone can benefit from a little help now and then with their writing. Don’t' hesitate to ask us. Give us a call or come by any time.

A Staff Instructor is a full-time professional tutor, someone who has a number of years experience tutoring and teaching the art of writing; a Student Tutor is a currently enrolled undergraduate here at Xavier who, in addition to taking a full load of classes, also works in the Writing Resource Center for 10 to 12 hours per week. While the writing centers at many universities have only one or the other kind of tutor, we have both to provide our clients with the option if they want it. You can work with whomever is free when you come in, or you can work with whomever you are more comfortable working with.