The WRITE Support Keeps Students Involved

A common question the Marian University Writing Center receives from first-year students and parents is, “what does a writing center do?” The Marian University Writing Center offers a range of services for writers of all skill levels. The core of what we do is to help foster a sense of confidence in writing abilities. To accomplish this goal, we engage in collaborative learning techniques and deliver writing support through individual consultations, workshops, writing groups, and classroom resources.

Writing—in particular, writing at the college level—can feel like a daunting task for some. When writers come into the Writing Center or meet with us online, peer tutors first engage in dialogue to understand the writer’s concerns and goals. Then, tutors work to identify the individual strengths of each writer so that a plan may be developed based upon the writer’s specific needs and concerns. We base our support on collaborative learning and dynamic modeling because research suggests that sustained conversation about writing and the demonstration of writing strategies leads to increased confidence in writing abilities. And, increased confidence leads to stronger writing. In other words, once students begin to identify as a writer, their writing often improves. Encouraging students to take on the identity of a confident writer who is capable of taking on a variety of writing purposes is an essential element of what the Marian University Writing Center does.

The Writing Center also offers a range of other services beyond walk-in peer tutorials. We offer workshops on a host of academic, personal, and creative writing topics, including using APA style, writing compelling personal statements for graduate school applications, composing podcasts, and writing poetry. Additionally, the Writing Center offers one credit writing lab hours. During a lab hour, students work with a degree-qualified writing instructor to develop personalized and intensive writing strategies that span across an entire semester.

The Marian University Writing Center also provides services to community residents. Everyone, regardless of Marian University affiliation, is invited to visit our center or to stop by our sister center, the Flanner Community Writing Center (2424 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street). Our writing tutors are trained to work with high school students as well as adult writers. Siblings and family members of Marian students are encouraged to visit the Marian University Writing Center.

One way to get the most out of the Writing Center’s services is to make a habit of visiting us. Successful writers make appointments with us early on in the writing process and meet regularly with a peer tutor or lab instructor throughout the semester. Incorporating visits to the Writing Center as a routine part of the writing process is the most effective way to become a confident and successful writer.

Learn more about the Writing Center or set an appointment by visiting www.marian.edu/writingcenter