The Writing Center

The Writing Center provides tutoring in writing to all UMBC students. You can bring in a writing assignment for any UMBC course as well as seek help with resumes, application essays (or personal statements) and letters, and personal writing. Tutoring from peers is available on a walk-in basis. The Writing Center's goal is to help you become an independent writer as you work with a tutor on these writing issues:

• The generation of ideas
• Thesis statements and paper unity
• Organization
• Content that is clear and adequately developed
• Introductions and conclusions
• Transition and coherence
• Sentence and paragraph structure
• Documentation
• Spelling, grammar, writing mechanics
• Other important writing issues

In a tutoring session, you have the opportunity to receive an objective view of your writing from a friendly and skilled writer. Another person's opinion is always helpful! As a result of your discussion with the tutor, troublesome writing can become stronger and strong writing can become even better.

A writing session usually lasts about 45 minutes so plan to spend that amount of time. To help you experience a productive session - Bring the assignment sheet for the paper - Bring two copies of a typed draft (if possible) - Allow time to revise your paper after the session. - Be open to a session that will help you become a strong and independent writer.

We also can offer limited tutoring from your computer disk. Please provide a backup text version (.txt) of any file that you bring in on a computer disk.

Tutors do NOT just proofread or correct papers.

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The Writing Center Tutors

Writing tutors have been recommended by an English professor, have submitted writing samples, and after acceptance, have been trained in English 395 (The Tutoring Internship), an academic course that deals with writing theory and pedagogy and also teaches effective tutoring methods. While taking the course, the students work as tutor interns in the Writing Center, learning from this practicum and from working with experienced tutor mentors.

Once they complete the course, the 395 students are then hired as writing tutors. They may take additional tutor training through the LRC's nationally recognized CRLA Tutor Certification Program. Six writing tutors have achieved Master Tutor status. The writing tutors represent a variety of majors and minors at UMBC and, like all LRC tutors, must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA.

The Writing Center Coordinator

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Mary Hickernell , the Coordinator of the Writing Center, has been teaching writing for over 30 years. She is the Writing Coordinator for the LRC as well as a writing instructor in the English Department where she has taught many of the courses offered. Besides writing courses, Ms. Hickernell co-teaches English 395 for writing tutors and teaches an extension of that class, English 495, to further writing tutors' education. Ms. Hickernell can be reached in the LRC at 455-3291 (voice mail), in the Writing Center, or by email at hickerne@umbc.edu .