Frequently Asked Questions

Just follow this link to our scheduling program. If you do not have an account, follow the directions to register. You can also use the program to reschedule or cancel an appointment.

Yes, walk-ins our welcome. The tutor on duty will enter you into the system when you arrive. However, we prioritize scheduled appointments.

At the beginning of your appointment, the tutor will ask you what your goals are, and together you will discuss the areas you have identified. The tutor will ask you questions about your ideas and ask for clarification about your sentences. You will write notes to yourself about the changes you’d like to make to your paper. Together, you and the tutor will map out a revision plan that you’ll complete when you leave.

At the end of the appointment, you and the tutor will collaborate on a session narrative that describes what you discussed during the appointment and what you plan to do next. The tutor will send copies to you and your professor (although you can always request that the session narrative not be sent to the professor).

Our sessions have the goal of improving you as a writer, and not just in your paper. In light of this, we are not a simple proofreading service. It is important to us that you understand how to revise your own writing.

You can get help with any essay from any tutor. You can expect your tutor to be highly trained in giving advice about your writing, but not necessarily an expert in your particular topic. Having a non-expert read your work can be extremely helpful, and we strongly encourage it! That said, if you want to see what tutors’ majors are, you can check out their profiles under “Who We Are” on the navigation bar.

Yes! Just as with a writing project, you can make an appointment to get advice about speaking projects, and you can visit at any stage of your process. If you’re just starting out, you can come to brainstorm. You can have a tutor look over your PowerPoint or other visual materials, and figure out a revision plan together. Or, you can visit the Center to rehearse your almost-finished presentation. Your tutor will record your rehearsal on video and play it back for you, so you can see how you did and collaborate with your tutor on a plan for improvement.

The Center runs workshops periodically, which we will inform the campus about via email. Additionally, we have a number of supplementary educational materials.

We offer several handouts on writing in academic courses, here. We also offer partnerships with Writing Fellows, wherein Fellows are assigned to eligible class sections, consult with the professor about his or her pedagogical goals, and consult with students about their essays. We can also visit your class for a one-time informational session or workshop. Our director, Talia Argondezzi, is also available for more detailed consultations, if you want to introduce a new innovation in your class, are having trouble with a particular aspect of teaching writing or speaking, or just would like someone to bounce ideas off of.

Our full list of resources available for faculty is available here. Contact Dr. Argondezzi at targondezzi@ursinus.edu with questions.