Writing Center

Consultants meet one-on-one with students to focus on one or two writing issues agreed upon by the writer and the consultant. In most sessions, students and consultants will engage in a combination of discussion, reflection and writing. Consultants will provide constructive criticism and help you determine a direction for developing or revising ideas, but they won't tell you what to write. Instead, they are trained to help you clarify—through a process of dialogue and questioning—what you are trying to say and develop it more fully. During a session, your consultant might ask you questions or suggest low-stakes writing in order to prompt you to view your own writing critically. Students who are prepared to discuss, explore and experiment collaboratively with their writing in this way tend to find the Writing Center's services to be the most helpful.

Sessions run between 35 minutes to 1 hour. All appointments start on the hour.

No. You can visit at any stage of the writing process, even without a draft. In fact, writers often claim that early Writing Center sessions focused on understanding the assignment and brainstorming ideas are some of the most productive sessions.

Bring the assignment, all drafts you've done thus far (including brainstorming/prewriting), and something to write with.

Appointments aren't necessary, but at busy times of the year they can ensure you a spot at a time most convenient to you. Drop by the Writing Center or call us at x4051 (215-572-4051 from off campus).

No. The Writing Center consultant will ask you questions and make suggestions regarding editing and revision for your draft, but they will not edit the draft for you. Students who need help editing can come to the Writing Center in order to practice thinking about and discussing their work with this critical eye.

The Writing Center is open to all Arcadia students (undergraduate and graduate), staff, alumni and faculty.

All consultants are graduate or undergraduate students who have been recommended by faculty, interviewed by the Writing Center director, and undergone extensive training in the peer-to-peer method of collaborative learning.

When you appointment begins, you will fill out a form asking for basic information about you and the paper. A report is generated by the Writing Center consultant after each visit. If you would like a report sent to your professor, simply circle yes under "OK to send to your professor?".

Yes. The Writing Center has the capability to conduct a limited number of sessions with students who absolutely cannot come to campus via Bluejeans. Given the collaborative and interactive nature of Writing Center consultations, however, it is always best to work with a consultant face-to-face. To make an online appointment, please contact the Writing Center and specify your reason for requiring an online appointment. A Writing Center consultant will help you determine whether or not an online session is, in fact, the best way to work with you and your writing. 

The Writing Center works with students across campus to help them with all aspects of writing, from generating and refining ideas to revision and editing. The Writing Center works with students on any writing assignment, in all disciplines and majors, and at any stage of the writing process. Through open-ended talking, writing and sharing, the Writing Center helps students understand their own unique writing processes and adapt responsibly to writing with a wide variety of audiences and purposes.

• The Writing Center is not just a resource for students in the English department, but for all students across campus. Students in all majors and disciplines and at all levels use the Writing Center, from First Year students through Graduate students.
• Students who use the Writing Center often find that it saves them time and frustration when writing. Because Writing Center consultants excel at facilitating critical thinking about writing during “pressure points” in the process for students, consultations can provide students with a venue to address potential issues in writing before they arise.
• Students who have previously visited the Writing Center also find that their experiences there help them become better writers overall: students overwhelmingly report that they can better explain and defend decisions they make in their writing, and that they actually revise based on what they discuss and review with consultants in Writing Center sessions.
• The Writing Center can also save time for you as a faculty member. Faculty who encourage students to visit often find that students working with consultants are more likely to produce coherent, well-supported arguments and claims than if they had not visited.

Please see the list below. You can even download this list to print and distribute it to your students here.

Writing Center consultants are undergraduate and graduate students from many disciplines who have been trained to work with student writing in the Writing Center. Consultants are facilitators of thinking and writing; they will not tell your students what to write. Instead, consultants are trained to engage with writers at any stages of the writing process, helping students navigate complex writing tasks through discussion, practice and critical evaluation. 

Yes, but you must arrange this requirement with the Director of the Writing Center in advance. Please contact the Director to discuss the benefits, drawbacks, and other considerations related to such a requirement.

The Writing Center offers other services to help faculty, including workshops and primers on specific writing issues conducted by the Director of the Writing Center or an experienced consultant. The Writing Center can even tailor workshops and presentations to specific classes or programs. If you are interested in developing or requesting a writing workshop for your class, please e-mail Dan Schall, the Director of the Writing Center (schalld@arcadia.edu).

Please contact Martin Wiley, the Coordinator of the Writing Center at wileym@arcadia.edu or 215-572-2870.