For Students
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Every session starts with your individual needs, questions, or concerns as a writer.
Your Writing Assistant will ask to see the assignment instructions, so please be prepared
to share these with us. You do not need to have anything written yet, but if you do,
your Writing Assistant will likely ask you to share your draft, either printed or
on a computer. We have desktop computers available, or you are welcome to bring your
own device. If you prefer to have the materials printed, we recommend bringing two
copies.
If we are meeting over Zoom, the Writing Assistant will ask you to share your screen
or send your materials to our email address. In Zoom, we have the ability to draw,
take notes, and share resources and links through the chat. You may keep your camera
on or off depending on your preference. We recommend working from a quiet location.
Once a focus for the session has been identified, the Writing Assistant may read the
paper aloud with you, or silently if you prefer, and discuss appropriate ideas and
strategies to revise the paper.
If you have submitted to the Online Writing Lab, which is a separate service run by
the same people, we will provide you with written feedback that will be shared with
your LBCC student email address through a Google Doc. The content of our "live" sessions
and our Online Writing Lab responses is very similar; we are always working to help
you improve your overall writing skills.
No matter how you work with the Writing Center, we will stay focused on your needs
and questions. We hope that you leave with an idea for your next steps and a plan
to keep writing. The Writing Assistant may encourage you to visit again for another
session; there is no limit to the number of times you can use the Writing Center,
and we are most effective when you visit multiple times.
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If you have met with us over Zoom or in person, we can send your instructor an email
to confirm that we met with you. Just be sure to let us know that you need us to do
so.
If you have submitted your work through the OWL, you can click a box in the submission
form that will automatically send a confirmation email to your instructor. This confirmation
email does not include your form responses; it is just a brief email to confirm that
you have submitted a document to the OWL.
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The length of a session can vary according to the complexity of the project, the stage
in the writing process, and the question or concern being addressed.
In-person drop-in sessions are typically 20-30 minutes, and we will limit our sessions
to 20 minutes if we are busy.
Zoom appointments are scheduled for 45 minutes.
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When it is time for your appointment, you will need to log in to TutorTrac through
My LB. Look for TutorTrac: Learning Center in the bottom row and click on it.
You will be brought to the main TutorTrac page. Under “Upcoming Appointments,” you
should see a link to your Zoom meeting. This link will appear 15 minutes before your
scheduled appointment time. If your Writing Assistant doesn’t arrive on time, please
contact us (see above); there may have been a technical difficulty that prevented
us from getting to you.
Here is a video tutorial that will walk you through the process for attending a Zoom appointment
through TutorTrac.
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For Instructors
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We love visiting with your students to tell them about our resources. Please contact
us to schedule a class visit or tour of our services, in-person or online.
If your course is housed in Moodle, please link students to our webpage. The most
straightforward way to share the page in your Moodle course is with a URL Resource.
If your course is asynchronous and not housed in Moodle, please link students to our
webpage directly. It is best to use a link to the website rather than copy/pasting
our information, as we occasionally need to make changes to our availability.
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Here are the confirmation methods we recommend:
- Zoom sessions (appointment or drop-in): Students can request that their Writing Assistant email you directly to confirm
their session.
- OWL responses: Students can check a box in our submission form and enter your email to send an
automatic confirmation email to you.
- Any type of session: Some instructors assign a Writing Center reflection, which is typically a short
essay asking the student to describe their experience, what they took away from the
session, and what changes they chose to make to their work afterward. This can help
students stay present, think critically, and process what we tell them.
If a student forgets to ask for proof of their visit, we may be able to retroactively
confirm their session. To see if this is possible, you can contact us (see above).
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First of all, thank you for supporting our service and helping us reach your students!
Here are some tips for helping us manage a potentially large influx of students from
a particular class:
- Contact us (see above) with the timeline of your assignment, so that we can make sure
we have adequate staffing.
- Encourage your students to make appointments rather than dropping in.
- Send us a copy of your assignment guidelines, so that we know what to expect.
That being said, we are always prepared to support your students with whatever projects
they bring to us.
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Yes. We do not keep assignment prompts on file for students because keeping track
of the guidelines is an important part of the writing process that we want to reinforce.
However, we love to "read ahead" whenever we can, so that we are prepared before your
students come in. This gives us the chance to discuss the assignment amongst the staff
and come to you with any questions we might have.
If you are working on a new or unusual assignment idea, it is especially helpful for
us to have a copy of the assignment ahead of time. You can email these to us (see
above). You can also set up an appointment to chat with staff in the Writing Center
about your assignment.
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In response to student’s needs and questions, we have created a range of informative
handouts, listed below. Our handouts are designed to be screen reader-friendly and
to meet accessibility standards. They are also displayed in a wall rack in the Writing
Center. Please let us know if you would like handouts developed on additional topics.
Getting Started & Pre-Writing
Citation Practices
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The Writing Center schedules change every term to accommodate the classes and availability
of the student writing assistants; hours typically range from 3 to 12 hours per week.
Writing assistants work with students on writing assignments from any class and at
any stage of the writing process. Most writing assistants not only work with students
through our drop-in service and appointment system, but also respond with written
feedback to students who use our OWL.
Consideration for a writing assistant position is based on a variety of factors:
- Because writing assistants often keep their positions for two to four years, openings
are infrequent; hiring does not happen every year. When hiring occurs, it will be
before the start of the fall term to allow for intensive training.
- Students must be recommended by a faculty member; though this is often provided by
an English instructor, other faculty may also recommend students.
- Students must have a “B” or better in Writing 121.
- Students must submit a sample of their writing.
- Students must have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Students participate in ongoing training and team meetings. Writing Assistants have
been certified through the College Reading & Learning Association's International
Tutor Training Program. What does this mean? Once writing assistants have reached
Level I status, they have completed 25 hours of tutoring, 10 hours of training, and
favorable evaluations by students and their supervisor; Level I training is mandatory
for all staff, but most Writing Center staff have achieved LeveI II status which entails
50 hours of tutoring, 20 hours of training, and favorable evaluations.
Benefits of Being a Writing Assistant
The skills you develop as a Writing Assistant will be personally enriching and transfer
to any future career. Writing Assistants develop and practice excellent interpersonal
communication, develop valuable critical thinking skills, increase their self-confidence,
and improve their own academic performance by guiding other students through the learning
process.
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The Writing Center is a place for all students to get free assistance with their writing.
Our goal is to coach you through the writing process, help you to strengthen your
writing, and give you the steps to become your own best editor. We do this primarily
by talking to you in a one-on-one session or by sending you written feedback. When
we meet with you, we want to know what your writing goals are, and together, we will
determine the next steps for our time .
Our mission is to help you navigate the complicated landscape of academic writing.
We cannot guarantee an error-free paper or that you will receive a perfect grade after
working with us; however, we can guarantee that we will stay present, listen with
respect, and respond with compassion while working with you.
Our Writing Assistants are successful student writers who have been trained to provide
writing feedback. By offering you individualized writing support, we can help you
to identify what is already working well in your writing, as well as what needs more
attention. As you practice new skills and refine your writing process, we are here
to be your cheerleaders, guides, and allies.
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