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Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions for Faculty

  • When are the Writing Centers open?

    • The Writing Center is open Monday - Thursday: 8:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., and online on Saturday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. 

    • The Graduate Writing Center is open Monday - Thursday: 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. and Friday 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

  • Where are the Writing Centers located?

    • The Writing Center, The Graduate Writing Center, and the English Language Support Center share space in the Watson College of Education building, 3rd floor, with our reception desk located in room 310.

  • Who do I contact about having Writing Center consultants come to my class for an introduction or workshop?

    • To set up a time to have the Writing Center visit your class for an introduction or to collaboratively develop a workshop for consultants to co-facilitate, request a time using our classroom introduction visit request form or contact the Writing Center Coordinator, Katie Chavez, at katie.chavez@csusb.edu.

  • I require my students to go to the Writing Center, how can I verify their appointment?

    • We send emails containing a spreadsheet of your students’ visits. These reports go out several times each term. For a detailed summary of our reporting methods, please visit our reporting page.

  • Can faculty make writing consultation appointments? 

    • Yes. Faculty are welcome and do make appointments to work on their own writing projects, including drafting writing prompts, handouts, and syllabi.   

  • How are Writing Center consultants hired and trained?

    • Writing consultants are graduate and undergraduate students from a variety of majors. They are selected by an interview panel of current Writing Center consultants, staff, and the director. Applicants are also required to provide references from faculty and two different writing samples. After being hired, and for the duration of their time at the CSUSB Writing Centers, all consultants engage in regular mentoring time, weekly meetings, evaluations, and a variety of professional development opportunities including workshops within the center and around campus, and participation in the Southern California Writing Centers Association annual conference.

  • I teach online classes, can my students make online appointments?

    • Yes. We currently have two types of online tutoring available: synchronous sessions via Zoom and asynchronous sessions via email.

      • In email consultations, students upload their papers to their appointment along with guiding questions and context that may be helpful for the consultant to understand their process, project, and goals. Within 2 business days, but often sooner, the student will receive feedback. The feedback is attached to their appointment and emailed to them. It should arrive as a PDF that is easily accessed by a variety of applications.

      • Zoom consultations happen synchronously and allow students to dynamically discuss their work much like they would within an in-person session.

    • Please visit our online tutoring page for more information.

  • Can the Writing Centers work with students on citation?

    • Yes, the Writing Centers can support your students as they navigate the most current editions of APA, MLA, and Chicago, and others. We always seek to connect students with reputable sources and to work together with them to understand and effectively follow the standards and expectations of the academic writing style they're working within.

  • I assign group essays and projects, can a group make an appointment together? 

    • Yes. If your students are working on a group project, it is most helpful for the entire group to be present for the session, especially as a consistent challenge with group writing projects is communication between members and effective integration of their various contributions to resolve issues of cohesion, tangents, repetition, etc. One member of the group shouldn't bring the paper in for the group. This is because one student cannot reasonably answer content and writing questions for the group or for portions of the paper that they did not write. However, we understand that students' scheduling constraints may make it difficult for all members to be present. If most of a group is present and consultants have questions about segments written by a group member who isn't present, we'll work with present members to encourage them to take notes and develop questions that they can later use in their discussions with the writer.  

  • Can you work with my students on their grammar?

    • We are happy to work with students on grammar. While we do not correct grammar issues for them, we offer the writer advice for addressing common difficulties, resources for further explanation, and ways for the writer to continue developing a flexible and skilled grammatical repertoire. For example, if a writer is working to resolve issues with fragments, run-ons, and comma usage, we will work with them to identify areas where this issues occurs, discuss why it is an issue, and how they can work to make revisions that result in clearer language for their readers. We'll pay attention to patterns of grammatical usage that impact the clarity of their communication and work with the writer to identify these patterns and develop strategies for addressing them. Our focus is on student learning and development.

  • Do you offer writing tutoring in Spanish?

    • Yes, we have consultants who tutor writing in both Spanish and English. Writers taking Spanish classes or who have personal writing in Spanish are welcome to come to the Writing Centers. To schedule a writing consultation in Spanish, log in to the appointments page and under the “Limit by appt. type or topic” select “Escritura en Español.” This will limit to only the consultants who are available for Spanish writing consultations. Writers can also connect with our reception desk in person, by phone or Zoom for referral to a Spanish language writing consultant. 

  • How can I promote the Writing Center to my students?

    • One effective way to encourage your students to use the Writing Centers is to schedule an introductory workshop, which will give your students an opportunity to hear from our consultants directly and ask them questions. We send out invitations to schedule these each academic term, but you can always reach out to us at writingcenter@csusb.edu.

    • Some faculty integrate working with the Writing Center into their assignment design by asking students to visit the center and incorporate reflective writing that explores their writing process, what questions or issues they had going into their session, and what kinds of revisions or new directions in their process resulted from their work with the Writing Center.

    • Another good way to promote the Writing Centers is to include information on your syllabus or on Canvas. The following text is provided as a sample for your use:

      • Writing Centers: The Writing Center is a resource for all writers, from those who feel like they are strong writers to those who feel like they struggle with writing. The Writing Center is a free resource for CSUSB students, and you should take advantage of it! Tutors will work with you at any stage of the writing process: you can go with an assignment to get help figuring out how to start or you can go with a finished draft – or at any stage in between. Details about working with writing consultants online can be found at: https://www.csusb.edu/writing-center and the Writing Center’s scheduling web app can be accessed at csusb.mywconline.com.