Beverly Reilly is the English Assistant Professor in charge of this program and can be found helping students seeking help. It’s a way to get one-on-one help with any of the English faculty in half hour sessions for students who are disproportionately impacted, as defined by the Student Equality Task Force.
The facility’s main goal is to help students understand and take charge of their academic writing. If there’s a doubt about analytical or critical thinking assignments, this is the place to find help! This isn’t a proofreading program but instead a service meant to help students improve their writing skills through a third party.
Student Jessica Contreras shared her opinion on the new writing center, “I think it’s a great idea. Having instructors who are willing to commit their time to their students outside of class times and office hours really shows their commitment.”
All a student has to do is bring in a copy of the assignment they require assistance in with a response page from their instructor. The response page should specify the requirements necessary for the assignment such as whether it should be in MLA, APA, or Chicago style.
If a student finds they are in need of more assistance away from school, instructors will refer students to sites such as Purdue OWL or other websites depending on the assignment. A student may also be redirected to the library for students who do not have an English handbook.
Detailed data is being kept (via students ID’s) in order to compare success rates. The data will allow officials to see if the program is making a noticeable difference. With the program in its early stages the school must keep an eye on who using the program to determine whether it will be kept or not.
No private information will be held, only information such as whether the student is a Veteran, single mother, athlete, or anything considered a special student program.
Funding has finally been made available to kick start this pilot program and with more students attending the center it will be able to be kept afloat. Even though it is a bit secluded, it should not discourage anyone from finding the support they require. It’s a great resource for any kind of writer whether it’s philosophy, English, history or any other type of academic writing.
With the Writing Center currently in full swing, everyone is encouraged to stop by.
