FAQ
How do I make an appointment? To make a 50-minute appointment -- call our appointment line at 594-8232, stop by North Hall 103 or email tulsa.lsc@okstate.edu. Because we try to serve as many people as possible, we limit appointments to one 50-minute block per visit and two visits per week. Our Motto: Come early. Come often! What do I bring to a Writing Center Session? For a session, please bring:
You may want to consider the following:
What happens in a typical Writing Center Session? In a typical Writing Center session (50 minutes long), we begin by asking you to fill out a form that requests information regarding your assignment and the class you have written it for and whether you want your professor to know you are attending Writing Center sessions. We then begin working with you and your paper. After we have read the paper together once, we will engage you in a conversation about the paper's strengths and weaknesses. Together, we will brainstorm ideas and discuss strategies to improve on those areas that need strengthening. You can either request that we focus on an area that you are concerned with or let us determine the focus. We will typically focus on global issues first, such as audience awareness, organization, thesis, and development. If there is time, or if you make multiple appointments, we will also focus on sentence-level concerns, such as grammar, mechanics, word choice, etc. You as a writer maintain responsibility for and control over your paper. Much of what we, the writing consultants, say is our own personal opinion, based on our own writing styles, so suggestions may be politely declined. Who comes to the Writing Center? One-to-one writing conferences are not just for professional writers working with their editors. Nor are such conferences reserved for remedial writers and their tutors. Writing conferences can benefit anyone. What kind of writing can I bring to the Writing Center? Writers bring papers from courses in biology, political science, communications, engineering and many other courses besides English. You can come in to work on essays, research papers, Master's theses, dissertations, technical writing, poetry, fiction or any other writing project from your academic or personal life. What does the Writing Center not do? We will work with you one-on-one to help you improve your writing skills; however, there are some things we will not do:
Should the paper I bring to the Writing Center be saved in an electronic format? You can bring an electronic version of your paper to the Writing Center, but it is not necessary. We do have student computers with access to the Internet and printers. Can I bring a handwritten paper to the Writing Center? Yes. Just bring in whatever you have at the time of your Writing Center session, whether it is typewritten, handwritten, or electronic. Can I drop a paper off 15 minutes before it is due for a consultant to "look over"? No. We do not provide a drop-off, proofreading service. In order to benefit from the Writing Center, you should schedule your appointment early enough so that you will have time to incorporate any changes into your paper before you have to turn it in. Again, our motto is: Come early. Come often! Is the Writing Center only for OSU-Tulsa students? No, anyone who is part of the OSU-Tulsa and OSU-Langston community can use the Writing Center. This includes students, faculty and staff. Is the Writing Center wheelchair accessible? The Writing Center is located on the ground floor of North Hall, which has ramp entrances. What software is used in the Writing Center? Microsoft Word 2000 along with the entire Microsoft Office 2000 Suite (Access, PowerPoint, Excel) is available in the Writing Center. Additionally we have Writer's Help 4.0 and Internet access. What other resources are available in the Writing Center? The Writing Center has a growing library of books about writing for students and teachers. Additionally the most popular style manuals (APA, MLA, and Chicago) are available for reference. We also have a large number of handouts for quick reference to important writing issues. When is the Writing Center open? Our hours are Monday-Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to -6:00 pm. and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Can I call, email, or fax a paper to the Writing Center? At this time, the Writing Center is only staffed for face-to-face conferences. However, in special cases, if our schedule permits, we can accept emailed or faxed papers. Please give us a call to discuss this option. How can I improve my writing skills? One of the most effective methods to becoming a skilled writer is to become an avid reader. Reading gives you a better feel for how other people use words and formulate arguments. Of course the best way to improve your writing is to do lots of it. Every paper that you write gives you more writing experience and strengthens your writing abilities. To make the most of each writing task, you should plan to revise your paper several times. This is where the Writing Center comes in. Think of writing as a process with many phases (idea generation, draft writing, revision, and editing - to name a few) and allow the Writing Center to be your sounding board during one or more of these phases. The benefits of "talking about writing" are vast and can accelerate your skills as a writer. Some of the best writers are those who know how to take advantage of the resources available to them. Can the Writing Center accommodate non-native speakers? Yes. Every effort is made to work with non-native speakers. We also have consultants who are experts in Teaching English as a Second Language. Where is the Writing Center located? The Writing Center is located in North Hall 103. Will my professor receive any notice that I visited the Writing Center? The Writing Center does not automatically send word to your professor, but if you would like, your instructor can be notified about your visit. We will send a conference summary which describes what you and your tutor worked on during your session. The summary does not evaluate you, your instructor or your assignment in any way. It simply summarizes the areas discussed in the conference. Many students and professors appreciate this service because it facilitates more communication between them, and it keeps the professor informed of the work that the student is doing to improve his or her writing. What is plagiarism, and what happens if I get caught plagiarizing? For information on plagiarism, consult OSU's Academic Dishonesty Policies and Procedures at http://home.okstate.edu/policy.nsf/0/3222fe17f2bfca56862562e0005edef6?OpenDocument |
