Welcome to the Writing Center
The Writing Center's regular hours of operation for the Spring 2019 semester are Monday, January 14 - Saturday, April 27, 2019:
Mondays - Thursdays: 10 AM - 8 PM
Fridays: 10 AM - 5 PM
Saturdays: 12 PM - 4 PM
The Purdue University Fort Wayne Writing Center has moved to the first floor of Helmke Library.
Students can schedule appointments with consultants through TutorTrac, or ask the Writing Center staff member working at the first floor library service desk to see if there are same-day appointments available. Unfilled appointment times become available to students for walk-in consultations, but we always recommend scheduling appointments to ensure time with a consultant. We cannot guarantee a consultant will be available for a walk-in appointment. Quick questions, however, can be asked of the Writing Center staff member at the service desk during our regular hours of operation with no appointment necessary.
Students can also submit email consultation requests online 24/7. Please allow 2-3 days for your submission to be returned. For more information, please visit our Online Consultation page.
Mission
The mission of the Purdue Fort Wayne Writing Center is to help writers learn to use language more effectively, produce clear writing appropriate to their purposes and audiences, and develop positive attitudes about writing and about themselves as writers.
Policies
Because we have a limited number of staff but serve all courses held at the Purdue Fort Wayne campus, we must enforce several policies:
- Students may schedule one appointment per day, per class. If a student schedules more than one appointment per day for the same class, the first appointment of the day will be kept and the following appointments will be canceled.
- Students may schedule up to three appointments per 6-day period, per class.
- Please do not overlap submissions to the online consultation service and face-to-face appointments for the same assignment.
- Due to appointment time constraints, please do not plan to have more than 8-10 pages of text consulted on in a single appointment. If the paper is more than 10 pages long, be prepared to provide a 10-page range of text to focus on during the appointment.
- Graduate students must meet with graduate student consultants or undergraduate student consultants that have been approved for graduate work.
- We do not provide transcription or dictation services.
Student Resources
Faculty & Staff Resources
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Student FAQs
What is the Writing Center?
The Purdue University Fort Wayne Writing Center is an academic support service that works with undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in courses on our campus. We don’t do the writing for students; we coach them. Our goals are:
- To help student writers grow and improve at every stage of the writing process, and use language more effectively, clearly, and appropriately.
- To teach new skills for a variety of communication contexts.
- To counsel writers about the options they have and the choices they have made in their texts.
- To help students develop positive attitudes about different forms of communication.
This means we meet with students and talk about their projects, their goals, their papers, and their revision strategies. We discuss everything from writer’s block to the passive voice, from a student’s writing schedule to proper citation. We don’t edit, proofread, or otherwise write on students’ drafts; rather, we help students identify and address problems themselves.
Who uses the Writing Center?
We work with all Purdue Fort Wayne students, Indiana University Fort Wayne students, and students enrolled in the English Language School (ELS), in all majors, first years to seniors, undergraduates and graduates, native and non-native English speakers. We consult on many types of assignments, including lab reports, speeches, presentations, and senior projects.
How do I make an appointment in the Writing Center?
You can use TutorTrac to schedule an appointment with the Writing Center and/or the speech service any time, from any internet-ready device. First, you'll need to sign in to TutorTrac using your Purdue Fort Wayne user name and password (Central Authentication will be required). Then, once you're in TutorTrac:
- Click on “Search Availability. . .” (located on the upper left of the window)
- Choose the "Center"
- Writing Center: any writing-related support
- Speech and Presentation Service: support for presentations and speeches
- Choose your Section (the course you need help with)
- Click the Search button. We recommend that you not change the time or date parameters as this limits your results. Leaving the default settings will return every available appointment for your course for the next 60 days.
- Click on the time slot you would like to schedule. (Scroll down and across the page to see a list of consultants and their available times.)
- Save your appointment
Which kinds of issues will the Writing Center help me resolve?
- Developing and supporting the thesis
- Understanding the rhetorical situation
- Organizing ideas
- Citing sources
- Improving clarity
- Revising and incorporating peer and instructor comments
- Lots more!
Does the Writing Center offer editing and proofreading services?
The Writing Center is not a proofreading or editing service, although we are happy to help writers with these skills. Our consultants work collaboratively with you and, after reading through your assignment and paper together, we’ll discuss your concerns—which may include sentence-level errors like grammar and punctuation. We will most often point out an example of an error that happens frequently in your paper and help you understand why it's an issue, and then help you find and fix that error elsewhere in your paper, but please don't expect to drop off your paper for us to review without you or for us to go through your draft with a red pen and mark or fix your errors. Our goal is to support your long-term development as a writer, giving you new skills to use in future writing projects.
What if I don’t have a draft yet?
You don’t have to have a draft to come in and talk with a consultant. We can help you brainstorm, organize your ideas, or draft an outline if you’re having trouble getting started. Often, a willing, curious, and nonjudgmental listener can be particularly helpful in the early stages of writing.
Do I need to have an appointment, or can I just walk in?
We recommend making an appointment, though you can always stop in and see if a consultant is available. You can schedule an appointment through TutorTrac at least twelve hours before an appointment time. If want to check for same-day appointments, you can call us at 260-481-5740 or ask the Writing Center staff member at the library's first floor service desk about our availability.
When should I make an appointment for an assignment?
Come early in your writing projects and come often to allow ample time to develop, revise, and edit your draft. The Writing Center can help make your writing easier, more efficient, and save you time. Keep in mind that many students use the center, especially as midterms and finals approach, so you should plan ahead and make your appointment well in advance of the assignment’s due date.
How long are appointments?
Plan to meet with your Writing Center consultant for 45 minutes. If you can accomplish your goals in less time, that's fine, but please do not expect the appointment to go longer than the scheduled 45 minutes.
What happens when I come in for an appointment?
When you arrive for your appointment, check in with the Writing Center staff member at the library's first floor service desk. They'll log you in for your appointment and connect you with your consultant. At the beginning of the consultation, you'll chat about the assignment, identify your concerns and needs, set goals about what might be addressed during the 45-minute session, and establish a plan for how to accomplish those goals. At the end of the consultation, you and your consultant will review what you discussed and write a brief summary, which will be emailed to you. You can use this email as proof of the consultation for your instructor (if needed), and to use as you continue to work on your assignment.
What should I bring?
Bring any information you have about the assignment: the assignment sheet, due dates, the course syllabus, your textbook, notes, research, and/or any drafts or outlines. A rough agenda of items to cover during your appointment and any questions you have can also help you get the most out of your writing consultation.
How often can I have an appointment?
The Writing Center allows students to schedule one appointment per day per class, and up to three appointments per week per class. Be advised that if you schedule more than one appointment per day, per class, the additional appointments will be canceled.
What if I can't make my appointment?
You are expected to cancel appointments you cannot keep so other students have the opportunity to use that time. You can cancel your appointment through TutorTrac at least twelve hours prior to your appointment. To cancel within twelve hours of your appointment, call the Writing Center at 260-481-5740. If you need to leave a message, clearly give your name and the date and time of the appointment you are canceling. If you fail to cancel three appointments, you will be blocked from making appointments in TutorTrac until you speak with the Writing Center Supervisor.
What if I'm going to be late to my appointment?
We will wait ten (10) minutes past your appointment start time before assuming you are a no-show and working with another student. In other words, if you are late, you may lose your appointment. If you believe you will arrive late but close to the 10-minute mark, we may be able to hold the appointment if you call the Writing Center (260-481-5740) to let us know.
Please do not schedule an appointment with a starting time you know you cannot keep, such as scheduling a 10:00 appointment when you’ll be in class until 10:15.
My teacher requires that I come to the Writing Center for help. How do I get proof?
Your proof is the consultation summary that you and the consultant write together at the end of your consultation, or is the consultant’s response to an online consultation. Whether you had a face-to-face appointment or an online consultation, the summary will be sent to your school email account at the conclusion of your appointment. You are responsible for giving the email to your professor.
Should there be issue with the network or our TutorTrac system have a glitch at the time of your appointment, students are also able to print out a visit history that documents their attendance for all tutoring-related activities. You will need to log in to TutorTrac, click the Visit History button in the top left corner of the screen, and print the window that opens.
I am not a Purdue Fort Wayne student. Can I still receive help in the Writing Center?
As much as we would love to help everyone in need, our services are reserved for current Purdue Fort Wayne students enrolled in Purdue Fort Wayne classes. The exceptions to this policy are active Indiana University Fort Wayne students, and students enrolled in the English Language School (ELS) on our campus. As we are supported through student fees and generous financial assistance by the SGA (Purdue Fort Wayne Student Government), we need to focus our limited time on assisting our students. However, everyone is welcome to view and use the online handouts and resources found on our website and blog.
How can I become a Writing Center Consultant?
All Purdue Fort Wayne students, graduate and undergraduate in all programs and majors on campus, are encouraged to consider working in the Writing Center. We accept applications year-round, but review candidates and hire once per semester. For more information, please visit the Working in the Center tab on this page.
Faculty FAQs
What is the Writing Center?
In general, a writing center is a beyond-the-classroom space where students can explore confusing or challenging educational issues through dialogic relationships, providing individualized, engaged responses to compositions (written, oral, and visual) for writers across the university in all disciplines and at all levels and stages of the composition process. This can be brainstorming ideas, discussing assignment requirements, or reviewing style and correctness. Just as the consulting relationship serves the student choosing to take part in it, consultants, too, learn to communicate better and improve their understanding of writing.
Our goals are:
- To help student writers grow and improve at every stage of the writing process, and use language more effectively, clearly, and appropriately.
- To teach new skills for a variety of communication contexts.
- To counsel writers about the options they have and the choices they have made in their texts.
- To help students develop positive attitudes about different forms of communication.
This means we meet with students and talk about their projects, their goals, their papers, and their revision strategies. We discuss everything from writer’s block to the passive voice, from a student’s writing schedule to proper citation. We don’t edit, proofread, or otherwise write on students’ drafts; rather, we assist students in identifying and addressing problems themselves.
Who uses the Writing Center?
We work with all Purdue University Fort Wayne students, Indiana University Fort Wayne students, and students enrolled in the English Language School (ELS) on the Fort Wayne campus, in all majors, first years to seniors, undergraduates and graduates, native and non-native English speakers. We consult on many types of assignments, including lab reports, speeches, presentations, and senior projects. We can also help construct personal statements for scholarship or graduate school applications.
Does the Writing Center offer editing and proofreading services?
The Writing Center is not a proofreading or editing service, although we are happy to help writers with these skills. Our consultants work collaboratively with students and, after reading through the assignment and paper together, discuss the student's concerns—which may include sentence-level errors like grammar errors, punctuation errors, and typos. Our goal is to support each student's long-term development as a writer, giving new skills to use in future writing projects.
How can I introduce the Writing Center to my students?
The Writing Center offers orientations as a means to introduce our services to students. Typically orientations are done in the center--though we can also come to your classroom--and last approximately 15 - 30 minutes. We give an overview of our services, walk your students through what happens during a visit, and answer questions about what we do and how we do it. We can also provide information on a variety of related topics, such as citation styles and plagiarism.
The Writing Center can also deliver workshops for your class or organization. We have presented in classes for a variety of degree programs about rhetorical choices in PowerPoint, how to write scholarship essays, basic outlining techniques, formatting college papers, citation styles, plagiarism, and more.
How do I request a Writing Center Orientation or Workshop?
To request additional Writing Center services, please send an email to writingcenter@pfw.edu with the particulars of your request (topic/s to be covered, size of the group, location, date, etc.). We will respond as soon as possible to discuss the event and confirm our participation.
Can I require my students have a Writing Center consultation for an assignment?
There are many professors who require consultations on assignments as student drafts. If you choose to require your students to use the Writing Center, we respectfully request that you contact us (writingcenter@pfw.edu) to let us know about the expected influx of students and provide a copy of your assignment so we can be prepared to assist your students. Also, please remember that many students use the center, especially as midterms and finals approach, so appointments can become scarce. Please ask your students to make their appointments early as they may not be able to meet with a consultant before the assignment due date if they wait too long.
How frequently can students have appointments?
The Writing Center allows students to schedule one appointment per day per class, and up to three appointments per week per class.
What "proof" is available to verify my students came to the center for help?
The "burden" of proving attendance at a Writing Center consultation is placed upon the student; the Writing Center does not provide lists of student visitors to instructors. What we provide as proof is the consultation summary that is automatically emailed to the student's school email account at the end of their appointment. The consultation summary lists the class name, the appointment date, and the appointment duration as well as a summation of what was discussed in the appointment (online consultations receive a similar conference summary sent as a pdf attachment). The student is responsible for giving the document(s) to their professor.
Should there be issue with the network or our TutorTrac system have a glitch at the time of the student's appointment, students are also able to print out a visit history that documents their attendance for all tutoring-related activities. The student must log in to TutorTrac, click the Visit History button in the top left corner of their screen, and print the window that opens.
Can staff and faculty members use the Writing Center for their own writing?
Unfortunately, no. As our staff consists of mostly undergraduate students, the university has decided that consulting on work for staff and faculty members is inappropriate.
Faculty & Staff Resources
The Writing Center has developed and adapted a series of references for scholarly writing. Please reference the links below to find documents that are relevant to your assignments. If there is a particular writing concern you would like addressed in a handout, please contact us with comments and recommendations.
The following handouts should only be used as general guidelines; please use your professor or departmental guidelines when they conflict with those used on these references.
Most Popular
Academic Writing
Sources and Citation
The Writing Center recommends using the Purdue Online Writing Lab (Purdue OWL) [link] for the most up-to-date information on sources and citations. If you need assistance with Purdue OWL, please stop in to the Writing Center during our business hours. Please Note: Though we are a Purdue University campus, we have no control or impact on the content of the Purdue OWL. It is entirely run through the Purdue West Lafayette campus with a separate staff.
Grammar and Usage
Helpful Links
The Purdue University Fort Wayne Writing Center hires degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate students to work as writing and speaking consultants, working one-to-one with fellow Dons to become more effective communicators.
We are always looking for qualified applicants to join our staff. Summer work is not available for new hires.
Candidates must:
- Be an active, degree-seeking Purdue Fort Wayne student
- Have successfully completed at least one semester at Purdue Fort Wayne
- Be highly responsible and mature
- Possess excellent writing skills, interpersonal skills, and oral communication skills
- Have completed ENGL 131 and ENGL 233 (or equivalent) with a B or higher for Writing Center Consultant positions, and ENGL 131 and COM 114 (or equivalent) with a B or higher for Writing Center Speech and Presentation Service Consultant positions.
- Maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
Candidates are encouraged to be enrolled in or have taken the Writing Center theory class, ENGL 397/507, or an equivalent course. The Writing Center will give preference to candidates who have completed ENGL 397 or its equivalent with a B or higher.
How do I apply?
Complete the online application on Handshake at https://app.joinhandshake.com/jobs/2098752
Please note that to be considered complete, your application must include additional documents:
Writing Center consultant:
- A statement of intent
- Two Purdue Fort Wayne faculty recommendations from professors familiar with your writing
- Two writing samples (at least one with extensive citations)
- A current unofficial transcript
Writing Center Speech Service Consultant:
- A statement of intent
- Two Purdue Fort Wayne faculty recommendations from professors familiar with your public speaking ability
- A current unofficial transcript
If you have any questions about the application process, please e-mail the Writing Center at writingcenter@pfw.edu.
8 things to know about becoming a Writing Center Consultant
1. What do writing consultants do? Consultants help writers think about how they approach different forms of communication. This means that consultants read student work, or have students read their work aloud, ask questions to help students clarify their focus, organize their work, and support their ideas. Because consultants are not teachers or editors, they don't assign grades or “fix” student work. Rather, they ask questions and give feedback to students with the goal of improving their ability to successfully communicate their ideas.
In addition to consulting in person and online, consultants also help develop tutoring materials, conduct classroom orientations and workshops, represent the Writing Center at various functions and conferences, and do special projects.
2. Who do they consult with, and where? Consultants work with students in many ways: one-on-one consultations in the center by appointment or on a drop-in basis, and through online consultations. Our Writing Center is located in the Helmke Library on the first floor. Consultants work with students across the disciplines: history papers, lab reports, speeches, and English compositions, even visual communication pieces like infographics and PowerPoint presentations. We also offer workshops and orientations.
3. Why would I want to be a consultant? There are many reasons! It's enjoyable to help others to write better. You'll have the opportunity to associate with a talented and creative group of colleagues doing meaningful work, and you can improve your own writing and communication skills. The skills you learn by becoming a Writing Center Consultant are applicable across a wide variety of professions—and it looks great on your resume. Many of our consultants have credited their Writing Center consulting experience as a reason they were hired!
4. How many hours can I work? Most consultants work 8-12 hours a week. We typically do not schedule for more than 20 hours per week.
5. How will this job fit into my schedule? We request your availability at the beginning of each semester, and your consulting shifts are scheduled to fit around your classes and other commitments.
6. How much will I get paid? Graduate and undergraduate Writing Center Consultants are paid $8.00 an hour with the potential to receive a wage increase after successfully completing additional training and/or taking on extra responsibilities.
7. How do I learn to do the work of a consultant? Every consultant receives training before they are permitted to consult on student work. All of the training is paid. You will also be required to attend (paid) meetings where you learn strategies and how to deal with situations that may arise during consultations.
You may also register for ENGL 397/507, the Writing Center Theory class. It is offered each fall semester and is open to all students on campus. The goal of the course is to teach the theory and research that informs writing center consulting practices. While it is not a requirement for employment, if you choose to become a writing center consultant, we ask that you please save a space in your schedule for the class.
8. When and where do I apply? We accept applications for the Writing Center year-round, but actively review applications, interview, and make hiring decisions once a semester. The link to our online application is available above.
To Letter of Recommendation Writers
Candidates for writing consultant positions are required to submit two letters of recommendation from Purdue Fort Wayne faculty or staff members familiar with their writing and work habits. These letters should address the candidate's demonstrated writing competencies, competencies in providing appropriate peer response to writing and/or to working within a group, and work ethic.
