Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Do I have to make an appointment?
No, we accept walk-ins. But if you would like to meet at a specific time, you can make an appointment with us by stopping by or calling 410-543-6332. Keep in mind that each session lasts about 30 minutes.

2. Can I drop off my paper and have someone correct it for me without having to stay?
No, the writing center is here to engage, encourage, and improve your writing. We will go through the writing process with you so that in the future you can use the skills you obtain here. The staff here will help you with many other things besides proofreading--like brainstorming, creating a thesis, organizing a paper, and much more.

3. Can you help me if I don’t have a finished draft?
Yes, at the writing center we are here to help you at any stage of your writing. If you are at the beginning of an assignment and have ideas but nothing written down, we can give you feedback. If you think you have a fairly polished draft, we can also look at your work together. You can receive assistance at any stage in your personal writing process.

4. What kind of assignments can I bring?
All of them. The staff at the writing center is trained to help not only writers of English papers, but also writers working on a wide array of assignments such as lab reports, research papers, reviews, lesson plans, and much more. We are here to help students in all disciplines.

5. Are the sessions confidential?
Yes, the sessions are not reported to your professor or anyone else outside of the writing center. Your questions, thoughts, and ideas stay between you and your consultant, unless you decide to tell someone about the session. This environment is different than a meeting with your professor because we will never be in a position of having to grade you. We are here to offer you feedback and to support what you are learning in the classroom, not to judge you.

6. How do I know that your consultants will be able to help me?
The consultants at our center have been selected for their strong writing skills. They have also been through extensive training, making them familiar with many different types of writing. It is possible to request a certain consultant if they are available during the time you wish to meet. Additionally, if you want to work with a consultant who has a background in a certain subject area, our consultants represent a variety of majors and minors—not just English.

7. How can I prepare myself for my visit to the writing center?
A hard copy of your work-in-progress is helpful when attending a session (although we do have a few computers and a printer that you may use). It is also useful to bring along a copy of the prompt or the assignment if your professor gave you one. Also, please give some thought to what you would like to focus on during your session. This will give you and your consultant a starting point for your consultation, and it will help the two of you use your 30-minute-session most efficiently.

8. Can I come to the center for help with a group project?
Yes, we can work with you individually or in small groups. For group projects, however, we recommend that all group members attend the writing center session simultaneously. Our sessions are highly interactive--if one group member is designated to bring a paper to the writing center, that group member may not be equipped to answer all of the questions that come up during the writing center consultation.

9. What if I have a very long paper, can I make an appointment for an hour-long session?
Yes, if you have a very long paper and you do not think that the 30-minute-session will be enough, just mention it when you come in and we will try to make arrangements for an extended session. As a guideline, papers that are more than seven pages in length typically require an extended session.

10. What if I have a very long paper or if I am a graduate student—can I come to the center for help?
Graduate students are more than welcome to visit the center and the consultants will be able to work with you (we recommend, though, that graduate students request hour-long sessions).

11. How can I become a writing consultant?
At various times throughout the academic year, we recruit new consultants. If you are interested in applying, you can email the Writing Center to ask about application deadlines (uwc@salisbury.edu). Click here to download the application and the job description.