What do you recommend that we put on our course syllabus or tell students?
Located in CDC 21, the Writing/Reading Center offers students free one-on-one assistance with their writing. Trained peer tutors are available by appointment, in-person or online, seven days a week, throughout the semester (except during University holidays and breaks). Drop-ins are also accepted, depending on tutor availability. The schedule during the academic year is: Monday-Friday 9-5 (in-person or online); Monday through Thursday 5-8 (online only); and Saturdays 12-3 and Sundays 10-1 (online only).
Writing tutors love working with other writers, and they can help at any stage of the writing process—planning, organizing, drafting, and revising. While we hope that faculty will encourage students to visit the writing center, our preference is that faculty not require students to come. When students visit us of their own volition, they are typically more engaged and their sessions are more productive.
We also have Math/Science Center tutors who can help students with introductory concepts in math and science courses, including math, chemistry, and biology, and we offer mentoring sessions for students in certain Health Sciences programs, as well as guidance with study skills and test taking strategies.
For more information, call 651-690-7277 or email tutoring@stkate.edu. To access additional online resources, to view the schedule for mentoring sessions, or to make an in-person or online appointment with a tutor, go to the Tutoring and Learning Center.
What is your policy for "take-home" final essays?
While many instructors encourage their students to visit us throughout the semester, they might not want students to receive tutoring assistance with a take-home final. It is therefore our policy not to work with students on final exams or papers unless we have prior approval from their instructor or it is clearly stated on the assignment sheet that tutoring assistance is acceptable. Instructors may approve specific students or an entire course.
Will you notify me if a student of mine is utilizing your services?
The Writing/Reading Center provides confidential support to students, a policy that aligns with writing centers nationally. We do not contact instructors or provide them the names of students who have visited us without their permission. This policy allows students to freely discuss and develop their writing in an evaluation-free space.
Will a tutor sign a paper they have worked on if I require proof of a visit?
We do not allow tutors to sign off on students’ papers; doing so would change the dynamic of the tutoring session. The type of session we promote is a one-on-one conversation about writing strengths and weaknesses. Tutors do not evaluate or correct a student’s writing so that students can become empowered to see their own abilities and shape their own work.
Will the Writing/Reading Center help my students with [APA, MLA, Chicago] citation style?
The Writing/Reading Center is currently using the following editions of popular style guides and handbooks to assist students:
- APA Manual of Style: 7th edition
- MLA Handbook: 9th edition
- Chicago Manual of Style: 17th edition
- AMA Handbook: 11th edition
Tutors are trained to refer students to these and other online citation style resources and to support students with effective source usage in the context of their paper. Tutors will help students to answer their questions about how and when to cite, but will not proofread for correct citation or reference formatting.