The Catholic University of America

Frequently Asked Questions

What Services Does the Writing Center Offer?

The Writing Center is committed to supporting the writing needs of students at all stages of the writing process. To this end, we offer

  • Advice from trained consultants who are primarily graduate students in the English Department;
  • Techniques for invention, arrangement and style;
  • Assistance for student writers of all levels; and
  • Reference material such as dictionaries, thesauri and citation formats for APA, MLA, and Chicago style guides.

The Writing Center does not offer discipline-specific tutoring services or help interpreting course material. If you are struggling in a class, please contact the Center for Academic Success for information about their small-group tutoring services. They provide support for CUA undergraduates with a special focus on freshmen and sophomores settling into major coursework and college life.

Who May Use the Writing Center?

Writing Center services are available to currently registered part- or full-time CUA students, both undergraduate and graduate, studying any discipline. Students are encouraged to visit the Writing Center as writing concerns arise. Students also may be referred by instructors.

Other members of the CUA community who need writing help should contact our coordinator directly.

How Do I Schedule an Appointment?

To make an appointment, click here. Use your CUA username and password to access the system. You will first need a referral--created by yourself or a faculty member. Once you have a referral, you should see a table of available appointments, each starting on the hour. Choose one and select an available consultant. (NOTE: If you choose a time and find no available staff, the appointment was recently filled, and the online system hasn't marked it unavailable yet. Please use the back button to return to the table and choose another time.)

Appointments are required. Walk-ins are welcome when space is available, but that is not always the case.

Please note that a student, graduate or undergraduate, may make two appointments in the same week, but they must be on different days.

How Long Are Appointments?

All appointments begin on the hour and last 50 minutes. We ask that you be on time for your appointment and expect to use the full time available. If you are late, we are still happy to see you, but your session will only take the remaining portion of your 50 minutes.

What Should I Take to My Appointment?

  • Instructor's assignment sheet or other written instructions;
  • When available, instructor-provided rubric;
  • The printed draft of the paper or any pre-writing already done; and
  • Any specific questions or concerns you have about this assignment or your writing in general.

Please know that the Writing Center is not equipped to work with electronic drafts or to print out material needed for your appointment.

What Happens in a Writing Center Session?

The consultant will talk with you and look at your writing to identify your writing needs, then work with you to show you how to address them. The consultant's goal is not simply to help you improve a particular paper but also to help you improve your overall writing abilities. Near the end of the session, the consultant will offer you advice for continuing to work on your own after the session. The details of the meeting are confidential between writer and consultant. However, when a student is referred to the Writing Center by an instructor, a dated acknowledgement is sent by the online system.

Please note that consultants can

  • Help students with "writer's block" by talking with them about particular writing assignments and/ or suggesting various kinds of brain-storming strategies;
  • Listen and give feedback as students discover and explore new thoughts and ideas;
  • Help students translate writing assignments into writing products;
  • Help students understand teacher comments in a non-evaluative manner;
  • Help writers identify areas for improvement in specific papers regarding, for example, organization, tone and use of sources;
  • Help writers identify areas for improvement in their overall writing style;
  • Supervise writers as they revise their own work;
  • Point out relevant sections of textbooks and other reference materials to enable students to revise drafts on their own;
  • Help writers develop strategies for progressive writing growth; and
  • Offer students advice and strategies to improve their proofreading and editing skills.

Also note that consultants cannot

  • Write any portion of a student paper;
  • Proofread or edit a student paper;
  • Make corrections for a student writer except by way of example;
  • Offer tutorial help in understanding course subject matter;
  • Evaluate a professor's assignment; or
  • Comment on what grade a paper deserves.

To view our Editing Policy, please click here.