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Services

The Â鶹ÊÓƵ Writing Center offers consultations either in-person or online, and we frequently offer group workshops on special writing topics. Read on for instructions on how to access our services. When booking your session, to ensure your feedback occurs timely, you must follow instructions carefully and contact us at (409) 880-8571 immediately with any concerns.

In-Person   Virtual-Synchronous   Virtual-Asynchronous   Workshops

In-Person Sessions

These types of sessions are most common. You will come to the Writing Center and sit with a consultant. To begin the session, you will be asked for the reasons for your visit, the assignment on which you are working and your goals for the session. It is crucial for you to be able to verbalize these elements so we can best assist you.

A face-to-face session can address any step in the writing process and isn’t restricted to academic assignments. For example, if you are writing a scholarship essay, working on a website or a literature review, we can help you.

Face-to-face sessions are offered in 30-minute or one-hour time slots. Additionally, we can accommodate groups working together on projects.

Virtual-Synchronous Sessions

These synchronous virtual sessions are held online via Blackboard Collaborate. Synchronous means the client is present in the meeting with the writing coach. Â鶹ÊÓƵ has a significant online student population as well as many students who commute. Therefore, the Writing Center wants to provide support if you cannot physically come into the center.

If you are interested in having a synchronous virtual session, you should have the following:

  • Computer with camera/speaker/headphones (optional)*
  • A solid Internet connection
  • Questions about your assignment

To ensure a productive session, you must be at your computer for the entire session.

Follow these instructions:

  •  and specify that you would like a synchronous virtual session.
  • Send any pertinent documents to uwc@lamar.edu (outline, assignment, assignment sheet, etc.)
  • 5 minutes before your scheduled time, go to our staff page to find your coach and their meeting link.
  • Click the link and share video/audio.
  • Have your document open to reference and make adjustments.
  • The session will proceed as normal, so please make sure you are prepared.

*Please test your camera and speaker prior to your session. .

Virtual-Asynchronous Sessions

The Â鶹ÊÓƵ Writing Center is now offering asynchronous e-tutoring sessions! 

These correspondence sessions, or asynchronous sessions, allow clients to upload their assignment after making an appointment. They then receive feedback on that assignment from their consultant within 48 hours. The consultant will embed comments throughout the right margin of the assignment and provide the client a brief synopsis letter of cumulative feedback. 

When you sign up for one of these sessions, you must immediately email your Word document to uwc@lamar.eduYour coach will return your paper with comments within 48 hours of the appointment slot you selected. 

This is not a line editing ("paper-fixing") service. Just like an in-person or synchronous session, asynchronous writing center sessions depend on a collaborative learning philosophy. You can expect to receive both embedded comments in the paper and for the feedback to include an advice letter at the end. Our goal in these sessions is to help you engage a realizable, coherent revision plan. 

Workshops

Faculty, Cardinal Community peer and pro mentors, and student organization leaders can request workshops by emailing the director, Casey Ford.

Common workshop topics include: 

  • Effectively communicating in an academic environment
  • The research process
  • Writing in the sciences
  • Writing the personal statement
  • Critical reading strategies

Additionally, our style workshop series aims to teach the purpose of academic style guides, the conventions of discipline-specific writing and the formatting specifics for the following styles:

  • MLA, 8th edition
  • APA, 7th edition
  • Chicago Manual of Style/Turabian

If you identify a writing issue you would like the Writing Center to address, please contact Casey Ford to set up a meeting to develop workshop content.