Writing Improvement
By Fran Hooker, Writing Center Coordinator

Homepage blurb:

Does your student have a lot of papers to write this semester? Encourage them to take advantage of one of the Academic Resource Center’s most used resources: The Writing Center. Our trained coaches are available to help with every stage of the writing process, from brainstorming ideas, to organizing papers, to documenting sources.

Writing Improvement
By Fran Hooker, Writing Center Coordinator

The Writing Center offers free and friendly writing advice to students, staff and faculty at Webster University. Our trained coaches are available to help with every stage of the writing process, from brainstorming ideas, to organizing papers, to documenting sources. In addition, we have an on-line service for students who are studying abroad or at one of Webster’s extended campuses. In the near future, we hope to begin offering workshops on specific writing-related topics.

We see all levels of students in the Center, from freshmen to graduate students. People are often surprised to discover how many of our appointments are with upperclassmen and graduate students seeking to refine and polish their prose. These more experienced students have learned—often after long nights spent toiling over the computer keyboard—that writing is a process, it’s hard work, and even the best writers benefit from having a thoughtful reader. We find that once students have used our service, they almost always return!

One of the rewards of working in the Writing Center is the community built around collaboration, creativity and trust. The students who work here truly enjoy their jobs. We all know that writing can be a lonely and intimidating prospect, but our clients trust us because they know that we won’t judge or grade their papers. A number of our appointments every day are with “regulars” who have built strong, on-going relationships with one or more of our coaches.

We are proud of our coaching staff, which includes undergraduate peer coaches, graduate students, and adjunct instructors. All of our coaches are excellent writers, and they have all had special training in working with writers one-on-one. Many of our coaches are published writers and several are multi-lingual. One coach is a graduate student putting the finishing touches on the sequel to her novel, which was published last year. Another is the managing editor of the campus newspaper. Several of our undergraduate coaches have been published in writing center journals and have presented papers at national conferences. We’ve also heard many success stories from clients who have published or presented their work.

We are located on the ground floor of Loretto Hall, in the Academic Resource Center. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are recommended, especially during busy periods just before mid-terms and finals. Students may reach us at 314-961-2660, ext. 7589.

THE COACHING SESSION AT A GLANCE:

We believe we will better assist students as "coaches" than as proofreaders or editors of your work. In a session with a student, a coach will:

• Ask questions about the assignment and the student’s paper.
• Read the student’s paper.
• Comment on global issues (focus, development, organization, logic, clarity).
• Help the student determine where they might tighten and polish their prose.
• Discuss documentation and citation conventions.
• Point out patterns of mechanical and grammatical problems and provide suggestions on how the student can learn to recognize and correct them.

Writing Center Hours:

Monday through Thursday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Friday: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Saturday: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sunday: 4 to 7 p.m.

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