About Our Consulting Services

About Our Consulting Services Image

Our goals are long term

Our consultants work with writers on specific assignments, but our goals go beyond helping the writer improve the paper at hand: we support student learning. We want students to develop knowledge they can use going forward, so they become stronger, more assured writers in the long term. Thus in any given session, our consultants are likely to work in depth with the writer on two or three important issues and strategies, and the session will include conversation, analysis, explanation, and, of course, writing. We believe this kind of focused work leads to learning that students can transfer to the next writing task.

Please keep in mind that consultants do not proofread or edit writers' drafts. If you would like your students to have their drafts professionally edited, you may suggest they contact Jay Patel, the English Department's Graduate Coordinator (jpatel2@gmu.edu), who can circulate requests for freelance editing among the English graduate students. 

We need your permission to consult on essay exams

Unless we have written permission from you, we do not consult with students on assignments and essays distinguished as “take-home exams.”

You may include a note in your syllabus or exam prompt telling students they may speak with a Writing Center consultant as they work on take-home exams; your student may show this note to their consultants. In the absence of such a note, you may email us at wcenter@gmu.edu to give permission for individual students to have a consultation on a take-home exam.

Verifying that students have visited the Writing Center

We provide a visit verification form to students who request them; the student may then pass the form on to you. This form indicates the date and length of the session, and provides a few notes on issues the student and consultant worked on during the session.

Consultants may not sign off on or certify student work; thus we must respectfully decline to sign such forms provided by instructors.