Instructor resources

We offer personalized support for students invested in their learning.  

• Peer-to-peer mentoring is a high-impact practice;
• Collaborative feedback improve a students' understanding of their content; in other words, students write (and discuss their writing) to learn...
• ..and in turn, students may improve their grades and academic performance;
• We have consistently satisfied student clients! In the 2024–25 academic year, post-appointment surveys averaged 4.7 out of 5 in response to “Do you feel that you improved your writing as a result of this session?”
• We are a supportive campus space--visiting us fosters a sense of belonging and community on campus for students;
• Our tutors are trained by completing ENG 299: Writing Tutor Practicum and participate in continued professional development; they love what they do!
• We provide collaborative support that is student-led; we don’t proofread or edit writing. Instead, our tutors have a conversation with the writer about their own writing that encourages ownership and agency.
• Learning to write in college is difficult as writers learn to adapt to different disciplines; our tutors are trained to help unpack unfamiliar genres and purposes with their clients.

Mention us in your class!

• Pull up our webpage and tell students about our friendly, collaborative, one-on-one appointments. Better yet, schedule a class visit. In a short ten-minute visit, Writing Center mentors will introduce your students to our services. This visit is best for the beginning of the semester or when you introduce a writing assignment in class. 
• Print and distribute our informational materials to your class:
  • One-pager
• Have your students used us in the past? Share comments from past students about their experiences and our effectiveness.
• Tell students about your own writing projects and processes, and how collaboration and feedback has helped you become a better writer.

Include the Writing Center in your course materials:

• Syllabus Language: 
  • You can get feedback on any stage of your writing process for assignments in this course from trained peer consultants at the Writing Center. This space is inside the Tutoring & Learning Center on second floor Murphy Library. Walk in or make a face-to-face appointment on their website, which also has online resources for writers.
• Canvas Announcement Language:
  • This is a great week to visit the Writing Center! You can work with a trained peer consultant in a collaborative, thirty-minute appointment. Schedule an appointment online; walk-ins are welcome as well. 

Our Services for Undergraduate Writers

• One-on-one, face-to-face appointments in the Tutoring & Learning Center, Murphy Library 
• Write On Wednesday, a weekly, drop-in writing space for student writers looking for help with accountability, body doubling, managing writing projects, or staying focused 
• Online asynchronous feedback
• Writing resources 

Our Services for Faculty and Administration

• Class-specific workshops tailored to writing assignments and topics. Common workshops include peer review, introduction to writing in college, writing in particular academic disciplines, or with sources.
• Campus Event support: request a WC mentor(s) to attend your event and offer writing guidance and as-needed feedback for student attendees
• University-wide workshops tailored to a particular skill, outcome, event, or concept (ie., job-seeking materials)
• Class Visits: a five-to-ten minute presentation about our services

Interested in a writing-focused workshop for your class? Curious about other ways we can serve your students or event? Contact Sara Heaser, WC Director. Please allow two weeks notice for a course-specific workshop.

Students can request a visit confirmation form sent to their email after a Writing Center appointment. Your students can then forward it to you if they wish. The form will confirm the date, time, assignment, and brief notes on what was discussed.

This is discouraged for both practical and instructional reasons. When students are required to visit for a specific assignment, we may not be able to handle a sudden influx of appointments at once. Students who voluntarily and willingly seek feedback on their work are more likely to benefit from visiting us. We suggest a nudge: include a Writing Center visit as a contract-grading or an extra credit option, or recommend our services in class.

• Writing Center tutors are trained to avoid using AI in appointments unless a client specifically states they are allowed to use it in their writing process. 
• Writing Center tutors ask clients to disclose how they have used GenAI and what their assignment guidelines say about it to promote productive and ethical use of the tools, should they be used.
• If a client is required to verify their use of AI for their course, Writing Center tutors describe how they used GenAI writing assistance during a tutoring session in a visit confirmation form.
• For more details, see the First-Year Writing Program & Writing Center Joint Position Statement on AI

As a unit within the Tutoring and Learning Center, the UWL Writing Center supports students from all disciplines in becoming more effective and confident writers in both academic and professional situations. We provide space for students to generate ideas, collaborate, draft, write, revise, and edit in a supported environment. Trained undergraduate peer consultants work one-on-one to engage students in dialogues that meet their immediate needs in relation to specific writing projects and also support their development as writers. We believe that writing is a powerful tool not only for communicating existing ideas but for discovering new ones; that learning to write is a life-long process; and that all writers benefit from sharing work in progress with knowledgeable, attentive readers. 

We offer feedback and support for writers who are 

• learning new genres and styles for academic disciplines. 

• developing, revising, or polishing reports and essays. 

• gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing research materials. 

• seeking to elevate their writing styles. 

• developing application materials for scholarships, graduate programs, and jobs. 

Writing Center consultants are here to assist you with all of your writing needs. Use our computers, our reference books, our couch, our staplers, our tables--but most of all use our friendly and knowledgeable staff.