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SJU Writing Center

"The desire to write grows with writing." – Erasmus

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Faculty FAQ

Who can use the Writing Center? Expand

Your students, your former students, even you! 

Can faculty use the Writing Center? Expand

Yes! We’ve had faculty request appointments to work on scholarly articles. They work with our director or assistant director and generally in the more private group study rooms where we tutor in the Post Learning Commons, but we'll follow your lead and your comfort level.

How can I encourage my students to take advantage of the Writing Center’s services? Expand

Drop our name—a lot. Writing Center. Writing Center. Writing Center. We also have a syllabus statement that you are welcome to cut and paste into your syllabus. You can find that here. Students also tell us that they are more likely to come to the Writing Center after tutors visit your classes to pitch the Writing Center. And we endorse bribes—the extra credit kind. Whatever you can do to get students into the Writing Center, short of requiring them to come, do; in turn, we’ll do our best to serve them so well that they want to return again and again throughout their college careers

How will I know that one of my students has visited the Writing Center? Expand

If your student okays us communicating with you, then you will receive an email of our Client Report Form, which includes a description of the writing issues that your student addressed during their tutorial. The Client Report Form is written by the tutor.

How can I schedule a tutor to visit my classroom to pitch the Writing Center? Expand

Tutors are available to visit your classes to make brief presentations (5-10 minutes) about the Writing Center’s services. To request a class visit, fill out this form.

Do you have any promotional materials that you can send me so I can distribute them to my students? Expand

Yes! We have bookmarks with our locations and hours. Please stop by one of our locations to pick some up and give us a shout and let us know how many you need. We'll have someone drop them by your office or pop them in intercampus mail.

Can I require an entire class to use the Writing Center? Expand

It seems like such a good idea, but, in practice, it doesn’t work out that well. We end up with a bunch of grumpy writers filling seats that could be occupied by writers who really want to be there. So, please don’t require your students to come to the Writing Center. Nudge. Urge. Shove. But don’t require.

Should I give extra credit to students who use the Writing Center? Expand

That we don’t mind. Why? Your students still must take the initiative to seek our help for their writing. It’s their initiative, their responsibility. We’re okay with the extra credit dangling at the end of the stick.

I have an ESL student who needs additional help with grammar. Can you assist this student? Expand

Yes. We welcome students for whom English is not a first or home language. All of our tutors are trained to assist such students. Remember, though, we don’t assist students solely with grammar. To that end, if you think of us as a fix-it shop for grammar while you handle the content, everyone will emerge from the process disappointed. Just as we do with all writers, we step back and look at the whole, and when we find grammatical errors, we help students learn to recognize and correct those errors themselves. It’s a journey. Please encourage your students to come, and come often. (They are eligible for up to three hours of free assistance per week!)

Also, we host an ESL Conversation Group from 4 to 5 p.m. every Thursday in the Center for Inclusion and Diversity (Campion 211). Research shows that conversation practice can help improve ESL student writing.

Does the Writing Center help students with take-home mid-term or final essay exams? Expand

Yes. However, we do require students to allow us to send a Client Report Form to you detailing our session. We advise students to make sure ahead of time that you permit your students to seek outside assistance on exams.

My students are working on a group project. Can the entire group come in for an appointment? Expand

For students working on group projects, we require that all writers who contributed to the document be present for the tutorial. If only one group member attends the tutorial, we can only work on the part of the project that that group member composed.

Can the Writing Center help me develop writing assignment for my courses or help me get a syllabus ready for the Writing-Intensive GEP certification process? Expand

Sure, we’re happy to help. Contact Director Jenny Spinner at jspinner@sju.edu or (610) 660-3272. You might also consider enrolling in the Writing-Intensive Summer Seminar, which is held every May. 

Make an Appointment
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Hawk Hill
162 Merion Hall
Phone: (610) 660-1341

University City
108 Alumni Hall

PLC Satellite, Hawk Hill
128 Post Learning Commons

Contact

Jenny Spinner, Ph.D.
Director
(610) 660-3272
jspinner@sju.edu

Brian Moloney, M.A.
Assistant Director
bmoloney@sju.edu

Heather A. Foster, M.S.L.I.S.
Administrative Assistant
(610) 660-2645
hfoster@sju.edu

Julianne McGuire '23
Social Media Manager

Tori Lindenmuth '23
Lead Receptionist

Maddie Dalton '23
Colleen Huzinec '23
Anna Owens '24
Lead Tutors

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5600 City Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19131 • 610-660-1000