Writing Center FAQs

Any UW-Superior undergraduate or graduate student (campus or online learning) can use the services of the Writing Center for any piece of writing they are doing for any class or for their internships and on-campus jobs. We also see students about writing that is not assigned in classes—for instance, resumes. Faculty and staff can also schedule individual writing consultations with the Writing Center director or associate director. For more information, contact either of the Directors of the Writing Center, Emilee Howland and Kate Nolin-Smith.

During the fall and spring semesters, your students can meet with our consultants in person in the Writing Center (Swenson 1030) or online during the following hours: MWTH, 9:00-5:00; Tues., 9:00-9:00; Fri., 9:00-4:00.

The Center also offers online consultations from 6-11 pm on Sunday evenings during the fall and spring semesters.

In the summer, the Center has an online-only service, available in the evenings (M-Th).

Your students can make appointments by going to https://www.uwsuper.edu/writingcenter/.

Appointments can also be made by phone at (715) 394-8095 , or in person in Swenson 1030.

Drop-in consultations are often available for in-person consultations, but to be certain to be able to see a consultant, students should make appointments!

Because our mission is to support students as they become better writers, our consultants do not proofread and correct student papers but, rather, help your students learn strategies to better proofread their own papers. Our consultants do not take over authorship of the students’ work; instead, they hold conversations with students about the written work and offer suggestions, while leaving authorship in the students’ hands. Further, our consultants do not discuss with students any personal comments about the writing assignments or grading of student work; that is strictly between instructor and student.

Surveys of UW-Superior Writing Center clients have shown that instructor encouragement is the most frequently cited reason for student visits to the Writing Center. Here are a few ways you can encourage your students to make use of this service:

Have one of our consultants visit your class. The Writing Center consultants will be happy to visit your classes to talk to your students about the Writing Center. A classroom visit takes only ten minutes of class time. To schedule a visit, contact Yvonne Rutford, Assistant Director of the Writing Center, yrutford@uwsuper.edu.

Arrange to have your class visit the Writing Center as a group to hear about its services. A Writing Consultant will talk to your students briefly about the services while the students are there to see firsthand what the Center is like. A group visit must be pre-arranged; to make the arrangements, contact Yvonne Rutford at yrutford@uwsuper.edu.

Require, or offer extra credit for, a Writing Center consultation. An opportunity to earn extra credit can encourage students to give the Writing Center a try. Some instructors even build a required Writing Center consultation into student writing assignments. If you choose to require a Writing Center consultation, you can help our consultants prepare by notifying us what the writing assignment is and when we can expect your students to visit. (Tip: Please allow adequate time for your students to complete their Writing Center visit. Depending on the class size, up to two weeks’ notice will help ensure that all your students can make appointments.) If there are specific expectations of the genre, it would also be helpful if you could provide a model. You can e-mail this information to Yvonne Rutford, yrutford@uwsuper.edu.

Our consultants will set an agenda with your students on arrival for consultations. Setting an agenda helps focus a consultation on a student’s needs, whether that be topic ideas, thesis statements, organization, research and citation, or other needs. The consultant then talks with the student about his or her writing, offering suggestions and working together with the student to help arrive at ideas for the written work.

Face-to-face consultations typically last 30 minutes (though 60-minute sessions are also available); online sessions require 45-60 minutes. 

Online consultations take place via our WCOnline platform. Students paste their written work onto a “whiteboard,” and the consultant and student communicate via a chat session. 

Make appointments at https://www.uwsuper.edu/writingcenter, by phone at (715) 394-8095 , or in person at our Swenson 1030 location. Walk-in appointments for in-person consultations are welcome if a consultant is available.

In fall and spring, you can meet with our consultants in person or online during our operating hours:
 

In our Swenson 1030 location

Mon. 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Tues. 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Wed. 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Thurs. 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Fri. 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
 

Additional online-only hours:

Sun. 6:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.
 

In the summer, online-only consultations are offered M-Th evenings.

Simply ask the consultant for “instructor notification” of the consultation and provide us with your instructor’s campus e-mail address. Your instructor will then receive an e-mail letting her or him know you completed a Writing Center consultation.

If you are coming in regard to a specific writing assignment, bring the assignment sheet/instructions and a draft, if you have one. You can use Writing Center services at any stage in your writing process, but regardless of the stage, it is helpful for our consultants to know the overall assignment requirements. If you aren’t coming because of a specific assignment, a writing sample will help you and the consultant start exploring how to enhance your writing skills. Please print your piece before you arrive and bring it with you (for an in-person consultation), or have it on hand and ready to paste onto the online whiteboard (for an online consultation).

At the start of your consultation, the consultant will work with you to establish an agenda. This helps keep the consultation focused on your needs, whether that be topic ideas, thesis statements, organization, research and citation, or other needs.

The consultant then chats with you about your writing to help you engage with the assignment (if you have come because of a particular assignment) and meet its requirements by using critical thinking and collaborative learning strategies.

Face-to-face consultations typically last 30 minutes (though 60-minute sessions are also available); online sessions typically require 45-60 minutes.

The UW-Superior Writing Center, located in Swenson 1030, exists to support all UW-Superior students (both on-campus and distance-learning) in their work to become better writers.

Our mission is to engage students in conversations at any stage of their writing process to support them in becoming more thoughtful and engaged learners and writers. To that end, we offer in-person and online one-to-one peer writing consultations with students.

Encourage your students to bring the assignment details with them to the consultation. Your students can make use of Writing Center consultations at any stage in the writing process, but regardless of the stage, it is helpful for our consultants to know the overall requirements for the assignment. If a consultation will concern a rough draft, encourage your students to bring the drafts with them for in-person consultations or to have them on hand and ready to paste onto the online whiteboard for online consultations.

Simply ask your students to request “instructor notification” of the consultation and make sure your students know your campus e-mail address. You will then receive an e-mail letting you know your student completed a Writing Center consultation.