For Students

What is the Writing Center? 

View our brief Writing Center presentation by clicking the image below:

The Writing Center offers free face-to-face and online peer writing tutoring. The Writing Center offers assistance with the following:

• Generating ideas and developing content
• Organizing, editing, and revising
• Transitioning between ideas and sections
• Developing proofreading and editing skills
• Developing professional documents such as resumes, cover letters, scholarship and fellowship essays, and personal statements
• Integrating sources
• Properly formatting in MLA, APA, and Chicago Style

Writing tutors can help writers at various levels of experience and at any stage of the writing process. Tutors come from a variety of majors and are trained to analyze a piece of writing in order to help the writer strengthen their writing ability and have a clear plan to feel confident during the revision process. The tutors do not correct or edit writing; instead, they will ask you relevant questions about your work and discuss strategies to improve your writing.

APPOINTMENT TYPES

• Face-to-Face appointments: The writer meets with the tutor one-on-one to read through the paper aloud and discuss specific strategies for revision. You should bring the assignment sheet, evaluation criteria/rubric, any class notes about the assignment, and a complete or partial draft if you have one. This can be scheduled for 30, 60, or 90 minutes. Walk-ins are also welcome, but appointments are encouraged.
• Real-Time Phone appointments: The tutor calls the writer on the phone to engage in a conversation about the writing and devise a plan for revision. Both the writer and tutor use Google Docs to view the paper and highlight patterns or necessary changes. When making your appointment at lewisu.edu/appointment, select “Real-Time Phone,” and upload your paper, assignment sheet, and evaluation rubric. The tutor will contact you at the beginning of your session. This appointment type must be scheduled for a minimum of 60 minutes.
• Joint Writing Center and Research Librarian appointments: Writers meet with both a tutor and a library staff member. This type of appointment is highly recommended for writers who need support during the research process. This appointment type must be scheduled for a minimum of 60 minutes.
• Email Online Response: Writers receive written feedback to their papers via email. Writers should email their draft, assignment sheet, rubric, the name of the class and instructor, and what you’d like feedback to writingcenter@lewisu.edu. No appointment is necessary. A tutor will provide feedback within 24-48 hours.

To schedule a Face-to-Face, Real Time Phone, or Joint Writing Center Tutor and Research Librarian Appointment please visit lewisu.edu/appointment

LOCATIONS/HOURS OF OPERATION

Main Writing Center: Located on the first floor of the Library at the Romeoville campus. Open daily. Hours vary by semester.

Graduate Writing Services: Located on the third floor of the LRC in room 336 at the Romeoville campus. Days/hours of operation vary by semester.

Oak Brook: 1111 W. 22nd Street, Suite 700, Oak Brook, IL 60523. Days/hours of operation vary by semester.

THE WRITING CENTER: GRADUATE WRITING SERVICES

Students seeking graduate writing support can visit us in LRC 336 for help with course specific writing assignments as well as:

• graduate school statements
• personal statements
• scholarship and fellowship essays
• volunteer and service applications
• resumes and letters of intent

Graduate tutors are indicated on our schedule with “(Graduate Tutor)” next to their names. Our schedule can be found at lewisu.edu/appointment

FREE WRITING WORKSHOPS

The Writing Center offers a variety of free writing workshops. Workshops currently include Intro to Graduate Level Writing, APA, and Literature Reviews. 

The tutors in the Writing Center will not correct or edit your writing; instead, they will ask you relevant questions about your work and discuss in detail the options and strategies available to you for making your writing more effective—in terms of content, organization, language use, and format style.

Writers can make an appointment online by visiting lewisu.edu/appointment or calling (815) 836-5427 during normal business hours.

We encourage you to stop by!  We have a welcoming and energetic space where tutors help students to become more effective writers.