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Writing Center

Welcome to the Writing Center!

The Virginia Tech Writing Center is a free service for all Virginia Tech undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff. We also are happy to assist Language and Culture Institute students and area high school students. We're located in Newman Library's second floor Learning Commons, just past the elevators.

We help students with writing assignments from any university course. We can also help you with writing projects that are not linked to classes.

 

See all of the schedules and make an appointment: https://vt.mywconline.com/.

Note: If you do not wish to create an account in WC Online, you may call the Writing Center director at 540-231-9270 for help with scheduling an appointment instead.

Writing Support

Synchronous Tutoring
Face-to-face in Newman Library or live online writing consultations

  • These appointments take place in real-time with both the client and coach, face-to-face in our location in Newman Library or online.
  • Clients can talk with a writing coach on anything writing-related — from brainstorming topic ideas to issues of development, organization, or editing.
  • These appointments are the best option for most writers; we can help at any stage of the writing process.

 

Asynchronous Tutoring
24 hours later written feedback

  • This is a very one-sided appointment, so we recommend using it as a follow-up to a synchronous appointment (with the same coach whenever possible) for a final read-through of a draft.
  • For this type of appointment, clients share information about their project and attach their draft to receive written feedback from the coach within 24 hours of the appointment's start time.
  • Coaches do not edit clients' papers but will try to provide some revision suggestions, in addition to briefly commenting on global concerns such as focus, development, and organization.
  • This service does not provide writing assistance beyond a quick read-through. For more comprehensive assistance, choose a synchronous appointment instead.

 

English Conversation Support in the Writing Center
English conversation support sessions take place in Newman Library. Schedule an appointment, and one of our language coaches will help you practice English through informal conversation.

The Power Hour of Writing

  • The Power Hour of Writing aims to empower writers to protect short but regular time slots to work towards their writing projects with the support of an online community.
  • The format is split into three parts: (1) the check-in, where participants outline their goals verbally or by writing in the chat box; (2) the 60-minute 'Power Hour,' where cameras and microphones are muted while people independently engage with their projects; and (3) the follow-up, where participants come back together to share their experiences facilitated by the session's host.

Stop by and see us! Drop-in appointments are often available!

Virginia Tech Writing Center
Second Floor, Newman Library
Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Wednesday, 4 p.m. - 7 p.m.

For more information about the Writing Center, please contact the director, Jennifer Lawrence, at jlwrnc@vt.edu.

The Virginia Tech Writing Center aims to support all writers within our community and foster an environment in which students' learning differences are respected and addressed. We employ a diverse group of graduate and undergraduate writing coaches working in multiple disciplines across campus. We strive to uphold VT's global land-grant values of discovery, learning, and outreach. In doing so, we are committed to:

  • Supporting students in all stages of the writing process.
  • Encouraging and facilitating collaboration among students.
  • Celebrating language diversity and growth.
  • Promoting interdisciplinary understandings of thinking and writing.
  • Engaging in research-supported pedagogy and best practices.

We believe this view of writing, literacy, and research allows us to support our diverse VT community and challenges us to continually grow and shape our programs accordingly.

Like many university writing centers across the nation, the VT Writing Center was created in the early 1970s to support all students with their writing. Over the past decade, our Writing Center has experienced exponential growth under the direction of the current director, Jennifer Lawrence, and Dr. Diana George, who served as the director from January 2005 until retiring in June 2016. Notably, in the spring of 2012, the Writing Center moved from Shanks Hall to its current home, the 2nd floor of Newman Library. The Writing Center continues to play a central role in support of VT's mission by offering a place of interdisciplinary growth and cross-cultural collaboration, with a specialized focus in the art of written communication.

Writing Center Coach positions (undergraduate):
Would you like to develop your communication skills by working as a writing center coach in our campus writing center?

If so, you must first apply to take the tutor training course, English 3744H: Writing Center Theory and Practice.

You do not have to be an English major, or even in the humanities. In fact, the students from STEM disciplines find it to be a particularly distinctive addition to their resumes.

Check the current timetable to see when the course is held, although some of the class times are dropped in order to allow for internship hours in the Writing Center. After completing the course, you may apply for a coaching position.

Application link: https://goo.gl/forms/NcyF0zTiyLvOSD182

Work study positions:
The Writing Center employs a few office assistants through the Federal Work Study Program. To apply for an office assistant position, you must have been awarded and accepted Federal Work Study on your financial aid notification (through the FASA), available on Hokie SPA.

Application link: https://goo.gl/forms/JMgnm2LBI1qfGWfz2

Location

Newman Library, 2nd Floor
560 Drillfield Dr.
Blacksburg, VA 24061

Contact

Jennifer Lawrence, Director
jlwrnc@vt.edu
 

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