Writing Center
We strive to be a welcoming, inclusive space for all Alma College community members to share their writing in an interactive and collaborative learning environment.
The Alma College Writing Center is a community of writers supporting writers. Our goal is to make space for practicing and learning about writing. Our work is conducted through peer-to-peer mentoring by undergraduate writing consultants. The work of consulting requires respecting and valuing the unique cultural and personal histories, knowledge, and language practices each writer brings into their writing. We see ourselves as advocates of writers and writing. We strive to be a welcoming, inclusive space for all Alma College community members to share their writing in an interactive and collaborative learning environment.
We are committed to:
- Listening to and respecting writers
- Mentoring and empowering writers
- Valuing multiple literacies and language diversity
- Encouraging self-reflection and critical thinking
- Promoting a broad understanding of writing, language, and literacy
- Conducting and disseminating research related to writing centers, writing pedagogies, and rhetoric and writing that strengthens our programming and commitment to writers
Services and Programming
One-to-One Consultations
Writers need readers, so consider visiting the Alma College Writing Center to talk about your writing with a peer consultant. All writers are welcome. We can support you in writing across all courses and majors and in any stage of the writing process — from brainstorming to drafting to revising to editing a final draft. We are located in Collab 004 in the lower level of the Hatcher Learning Commons. During the regular academic year, we offer consultations Monday through Thursday. To create your account and schedule an appointment, click the link below.
Writing Groups
Book Clubs
The WC often offers campus-wide book clubs across the Winter semester. Our books clubs are open to students, faculty, and staff.
Faculty Workshops
The Director, in partnership with the Andison Center for Teaching Excellence, provides workshops focused on teaching writing a few times a year.
What to Expect
Everyone’s writing process is different, and we want to learn about yours and your relationship with writing and talk about ways for you to improve that process. What’s working for you, and what’s holding you back? Talking about what restrains or inspires you as a writer can be key to growth.
Writers of all types can benefit greatly from sharing ideas with one another. We strongly believe that writing should be seen as a collaborative process, so we emphasize discussion in our consultations.
Making, Rescheduling, or Canceling an Appointment
Making, Rescheduling, or Canceling an Appointment
Making, Rescheduling, or Canceling an Appointment
- Make an appointment
- If you are more than five minutes late, you may have to reschedule. Keep in mind that being late will reduce the total time available for your consultation.
- If you need to reschedule or cancel your appointment, you can do this through our online schedule. Just click on the appointment you made and choose
Cancel Appointment
at the bottom. Please cancel if you cannot make it so another student can have a consultation.
Preparing for a Consultation
Preparing for a Consultation
Preparing for a Consultation
- Standard sessions last 50 minutes. Sessions begin on the hour (e.g., 2pm).
- You can visit the writing center at any stage of the writing process. We love to brainstorm and discuss rough drafts and outlines if you don’t know where to start, and we can help you untangle your complicated ideas to improve organization and clarity. We can also support you in polishing a draft that’s almost done.
- Bring the assignment guidelines or any materials relevant to your project. We recommend that you print out your materials or have them ready to access on your computer by the beginning of the session.
- Think a bit about your strengths and limitations as a writer. How do you feel about writing? What specific concerns do you have about the piece of writing you want to discuss? Maybe you feel your thesis is weak, or you’re not sure about your organization, or you don’t know if you explained your ideas enough.
- Keep in mind that we focus more on higher order concerns, like idea development, source integration, and organization. We can also provide support with lower order concerns, like grammar and punctuation, but we won’t copy edit your work. Instead, we can point out patterns of error and discuss specific rules to help you avoid those errors in the future.
Creating a Plan for Your Consultation
Creating a Plan for Your Consultation
Creating a Plan for Your Consultation
- The consultant will usually spend a few minutes asking you about your purpose, audience, writing process, strengths, and limitations.
- Typically, we read the paper aloud. You can either read your paper aloud for the consultant or have the consultant read aloud for you.
- We want you to have ownership over your writing. Since the consultant won’t write on your paper, it’s best to take notes as you discuss your writing with the consultant. Let the consultant know if you’d like them to take notes, since it might be easier for them to capture your ideas when you’re talking.
- At the end of the session, we’ll ask you to reflect on your session and you can send the session notes and revision plan to your instructor if you would like. Additionally, we’ll ask you to complete a very brief survey about your experience at the Writing Center so we can continue to improve our consultations.
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) Policy
The Writing Center is committed to supporting all writers in their development while upholding the Alma College Academic Dishonesty Policy. At times, writers will come in with work that was created through inappropriate use of genAI. If a writer has used genAI inappropriately in writing they bring to the Writing Center, the writing consultant will attempt to make the session productive by providing strategies for rethinking their approach. They will also inform the Writing Center Director about the session.
If the same writer is found to have used genAI irresponsibly for writing shared in more than one session, they must meet with the Director of the Writing Center before being allowed to visit the Writing Center in the future. The Director will report the offense to the Provost’s Office.
Contact Us
Location: 004 Collab in the lower level of Hatcher Learning Commons
Director
Dr. Marilee Brooks-Gillies
brooksme@alma.edu
(989) 463-7224