Policies

The Writing Center

 

Policies:

The Writing Center policies listed below include: appointment policies, cancellation and no-show policies, technology policies, and Writing Center expectations. 

 

 

What the Writing Center will do  →

  • respect your writing and ideas
  • work to set an agenda based on your concerns
  • help you assume ownership of your work
  • suggest areas for improvement
  • focus on big picture issues

  • respond to your writing as a reader

     

What the Writing center won't do → 

  • edit, proofread, or format your writing
  • evaluate or grade your papers
  • rewrite or dictate your writing
  • work with another person's writing, such as a friend or family member

  • comment on your instructor

     

Appointment Scheduling Policy:

Each week, a client may have any combination of the following sessions:

  • ONE face-to-face tutorial (45 min.) at Smith Lab* 
  • THREE walk-in tutorials (25 min.) at our satellite center on the first floor of Thompson Library.**
  • ONE Live-Chat appointment (45 min.)
  • ONE Drop-Off appointment (45 min.)

*Clients registered with the Office of Disability Services may have two appointments per week (either back-to-back or at different times in the week) at Smith Lab and additional sessions at Thompson.*

  • You can delete your appointment yourself via WCOnline at least one day (24 hours) in advance of your appointment (instructions). 
  • Clients are no longer allowed to cancel an appointment by themselves on the day-of that appointment. To cancel your appointment within 24 hours of the scheduled appointment, call (614-688-5865) or email the Writing Center ASAP.
  • Clients canceling an appointment less than a day before the appointment will be counted as a no-show (see below).
  • Clients canceling more than a day before their appointment may, if we have openings, reschedule an appointment for later in the week.
  • A consultant will hold an appointment for 10 - 15 minutes.
  • After 10 - 15 minutes, the consultant will count the session as a no-show or give the appointment to a waiting client.
  • Clients who miss an appointment without deleting their appointment via WCOnline are considered no-shows and may not hold another appointment that week.
  • If a client accumulates three no-shows, the client will not be allowed to schedule another appointment for the remainder of the semester and any other appointments will be canceled.

Drop-Offs

  • For Drop-Off Sessions: If document is not uploaded to WCOnline by the appointment start time, the session is considered a no-show. 
  • The Writing Center does not proofread or edit writing for clients.
  • The Writing Center has no connections to professional proofreaders or editors and will not make recommendations for outside services.
  • Clients cannot drop off or email papers to us and get them back corrected.
  • Clients can only bring their own work in for consultations--group projects require more than one member of the group present at the session. 
  • During sessions, consultants will discuss surface-level errors if requested, with an emphasis on helping the client identify these errors her/himself .

Real-time sessions (Live-Chat and In-Person) are interactive. Clients must be present at the appointed time and active in the session. Consultants will not provide comments without active participation from the client.

Consultants will not offer further comments on the same piece of writing unless clients have addressed comments from their previous consultations. It's fine to bring in a piece of writing more than once. However, clients must revise a piece of writing before bringing it in for a second consultation.

Clients must bring their own writing to sessions. You may not, for instance, bring in your friend's writing. Consultants will only discuss documents written by you (the client).  If you don't have time to come to a consultation, do not ask a friend to have a consultation for you. Instead, use our Online Services (Live Chat or Drop Off consultations).