Writing Center Philosophy

We correct the writer, not the paper.

The goal of our writing consultants is to help students develop college-level writing skills so that they can successfully complete any writing assignment. Students should realize that writing is a life-long skill that is nurtured from early schooling through the college years and will become an essential part of the job or career experience. Consequently, developing college-level writing abilities cannot happen overnight, but with perseverance and the guidance of a trained consultant, students should see a measurable improvement in their writing skills.

Writing center consultants are committed to helping students learn to develop, write, edit, and proofread college-level papers for themselves. We willingly provide individualized instruction in specific skill areas, but to encourage students to become responsible writers, we CANNOT do the following:

• Proofread or edit papers
• Read papers that are dropped off
• Read papers more than twice
• Spend more than 45 minutes at a time with any one student
• Write sentences on students’ papers
• Read final drafts of papers (such as papers that are due for submission to an instructor on the same day)
• Second-guess either the instructor or the assignment.