CTS Library

General Overview

1. Assistance is available free of charge to any CTS student wanting to become a better writer.
2. Sessions are 30–60 minutes, by appointment, and offer individual one-on-one assistance. Focus is on individual needs of the student.
   • Students seeking assistance with other related Learning Skills (such as critical reading skills, or formal argumentation) are encouraged to contact the Writing Center.
   • Students needing ADA accommodations are always welcome at the Writing Center.
3. The Writing Center is a supportive and encouraging place for collaboration between writer and writing tutor.
4. Writing is often an incredibly personal experience; few things are more intimate than our inner thoughts—students can expect that their confidentiality will be respected.
5. While students utilizing writing centers typically improve their performance in a course, the goal is to help students to become better writers—rather than improve performance on individual assignments.

Basic Guidelines: Writing Center Dos & Don'ts

1. Students are expected to keep their appointments and to arrive at their scheduled time; when cancellations are necessary, they should be made at least 24 hours in advance.
2. The Writing Center cannot assist students with take-home quizzes or exams without written approval from the instructor.
3. The Writing Center tutor is a writing coach and collaborator, not an instructor; the writing tutor has no comment on any instructor's syllabus, grading, or teaching style.
4. The Writing Center can assist with grammar questions, and citation reference, but student benefits are maximized when we avoid reiterating information readily available in standard grammar texts and citation manuals.

Motivation and Success

1. In our experience, highly motivated students are highly successful in improving their writing skills—nothing is more important than commitment.
2. We ask that instructors encourage their students to utilize the Writing Center, rather than direct them to do so—many writing centers have found this practice improves student motivation and fosters a more positive learning experience.

For assistance with writing, citations, and fair use, please contact

David Stout
Manager for Writing, Research, & Digital Scholarship
(317) 931-2364
dstout@cts.edu