AdvisingHandbook

• Asynchronous in the form of email feedback. The goal for turnaround is 48 hours.

What do we not do?

• The SMWC Writing Center is not an editing service. Tutors will not simply read and correct student work. Their job is to teach and help the tutees grasp the concept at hand. Students are expected to take an active role in all steps of the brainstorming and revision process. Tutors will not write on student papers. Unless ADA accommodations state otherwise, students are expected to take their own notes during the tutoring session. Online tutoring works much the same way. Tutors will pick 2-3 concerns (starting with higher order-lower order) based on student need and requests. The tutors will comment only on these issues and not others that may be present within the writing. This way the tutor will be able to write substantive feedback without overwhelming the student. Tutors will, for example, inform the student that her thesis statement is missing, tell her why the missing thesis is a problem, and then write a lesson based around writing an effective thesis statement.

Can I get grammar and editing help?

• Absolutely! Grammar mistakes are considered a lower-order concern, so tutors will generally work with larger issues first, but when needed or requested grammar issues will be addressed the same way. The tutor will pick one or two problems that repeat throughout the writing and teach a lesson on how to correct them. The tutors will also explain and model editing strategies so that you can then work toward editing your own work.