Support Services for Your Students
Recommending the Writing Center to Your Students
Students report that they are more likely to visit the Writing Center when their advisors, coaches, and instructors encourage them to seek us out. You can invite us to speak to your in-person or virtual class about the Writing Center, embed our presentation video in WebCampus, or inform students about us. Below are a few tips for recommending our services to your students:
- Remind students that all writers benefit from receiving feedback. Many students think they should only visit the Writing Center if they are a “bad” writer, but we work with all writers! Sometimes they are stuck because they are writing in a new genre or do not understand the assignment prompt, and other times they just want another set of eyes to make sure what they have written makes sense.
- Encourage students to come early in their writing process. Often students come after they have written an entire draft or right before a deadline, resulting in little time or motivation to rework major parts of their writing. If they come early, we can help them brainstorm, organize, and get a clear direction for moving their project forward.
- Be mindful about requiring students to come. We ask that you consider two factors when requiring students to schedule consultations:
- Students required to have a consultation might not understand why they are being asked to visit the Writing Center and, as a result, might not come with a mindset to engage and learn. If you require one or a few students to visit, speak with them about the revisions you would like to see in their writing to help guide their learning and our instruction. If you believe a student needs specialized support, reach out to us so we can coordinate possible arrangements with you.
- If you wish to require your entire class to visit the Writing Center, allow them to come for any writing task during the semester rather than for one assignment. Often students cannot get appointments if they all try to come right before a major deadline. Giving them more choice lets them visit at the time they most need help.
Consultants typically assist students with all writing projects, including take-home exam essays and written exam preparation. If you have an exam or other assignment for which you do not want your students to use the Writing Center, please reach out to us.
Notifications of Student Visits
We are happy for students to request that we notify you of their Writing Center consultations.
To do so, they will need to add your full name and email address on the intake sheet they complete at their visit. Once each week, we will send emails to the instructors, coaches, and advisors whose students have attended a session.
Please be aware of the following policies related to these notifications:
- UNLV Writing Center staff respect all writers’ confidentiality and will not communicate anything about consultations – even with instructors, coaches, and advisors – without the student’s permission.
- Consultants will not sign anything, take photos with a writer, or offer any other options for notifying instructors of consultations.
- We can send a notification retroactively if a student would like you notified of a previous consultation. Ask your student to call, email, send a Google Chat, or stop by with that request.
- We will not send notifications for writers who do not engage fully with the consultant during the session or if they simply stop by the Writing Center.
Presentations, Handouts, and Additional Support Services
Feel free to reach out to us about the following:
- Adding our handouts to your WebCampus page to help students learn writing skills
- Inviting a consultant to speak to your in-person or virtual class to explain our services to you and your students, or embedding our presentation video in WebCampus
- Requesting a customized workshop or resource for your course/unit
- Meeting with our administrators to receive feedback on assignment prompts and course curriculum
Writing Support for Faculty and Staff
Writing Center consultants do not only work with students! Our consultants regularly hold consultations with faculty and staff writers on emails, newsletters, letters of recommendation, assignment prompts, research projects, and more. If you are stuck on something you are writing or want another set of eyes on it, we invite you to schedule an appointment.
The Writing Center’s administrative team is also available to collaborate with faculty on integrating writing into course or program curriculum. We can assist with crafting assignment prompts, scaffolding learning into writing tasks, giving meaningful writing feedback, and managing the time it takes to give written feedback. We can also create tailored resources for the writing your students are doing. Contact us to schedule a meeting.
Additionally, the Writing Center administrative team is available to visit your office, unit, or department meetings to share more of our services with your staff or faculty. Additionally, if you would like to discuss workshops or resources we could provide to support the writing happening in your unit, contact us to schedule a meeting.
Note: If you are not registered as a student in the current semester, you must contact the Writing Center before scheduling your first appointment so we can have OIT’s Digital Strategy team set up an account for you.