Writing Tutoring Guidelines & Practices
The writing tutoring staff in the Academic Success Center (ASC) offer help at every stage of the writing process, from basic sentence mechanics to brainstorming and composition.
In particular, ASC staff members take a learning-centered approach writing support that helps students improve and develop their own writing skills. Therefore, the ASC members do not proofread; rather, they work to help students as they revise and proofread their own writing.
The main goal of the ASC staff is to help students become independent learners who can apply their skills on current and future writing.
ASC Service Guidelines
| We will.. | We will not... |
|---|---|
| Answer specific questions students have regarding any writing concern only after they have first proofread their work. | Proofread, edit, correct or read an entire paper. |
| Review the first page or first paragraph of students' papers — if their concerns are not specific — and help them learn how to identify and correct their errors. | Check for every potential mistake in a paper. |
| Suggest or provide students with reference materials and other resources which should help them to start writing or revising their papers. | Write or revise a paper. |
| Provide students with objective feedback on the coherence and clarity of their work, especially if they can present us with their instructors' expectations or provide previously graded assignments. | Predict or guarantee grades. |
| Help students thoroughly if they bring their papers to us early enough to make any necessary changes. | Be able to give students much help at the last minute. |
| Help students find the most frequent mistakes in their writing. | Provide a quick fix for every single error in students' writing. |
| Provide general suggestions on reading comprehension or ask questions that may help students better understand their assignments. | Interpret reading assignments. |
| Better assist students if they present us with a typed draft that they have already proofread and spellchecked. | Always be able to read students' handwriting. |