209 Andy Holt Humanities Building

Martin, TN 38238

Ph:

(731) 881-7277

Em:

owl@utm.edu

Center Coordinators:

Em:

Dr. Kelle Alden

How do I schedule a consultation at the writing center?

To schedule an appointment, please use WC Online. Here are some instructional videos explaining how to make and attend appointments: 

What should I bring to a writing center session?

While it’s fine to arrive empty handed, we recommended you bring the following if possible:

• The prompt/instructions/rubric for any classroom assignment you want to discuss.
• Any outlines, drafts, or writing you’ve done so far.
• Your student ID (this is required if you want to print something. We have access to a Skyhawk printer, but it requires money.)

How do sessions work?

When you arrive, sign up for an appointment if you haven’t already. From there, you can wait on our comfortable couches until your appointment time arrives. A member of our staff will then work one-on-one with you on your writing. Writing center sessions are discussion-based, so come prepared to engage in a helpful conversation about your paper.

How long do sessions last?

During busy times (like midterms or finals), we may have to cap sessions at thirty minutes. Tutors will try to leave you with some parting advice so you can work on your paper while they help other writers.

What can we do during a writing center session?

We can talk about any stage of the writing process, including brainstorming, outlining, organization, drafting, revision, research, creative writing, and source citation. We even talk about grammar, and rather than proofreading or editing (which is only helpful short-term), we strive to explain grammar concepts so you can leave feeling more confident in your ability to spot and correct sentence errors.

Please note that we cannot assign grades or guess what your grade will be (that’s the instructor’s job). We also cannot look at your paper without you present. Furthermore, we sometimes run out of time and cannot go over everything (it takes, on average, 30 minutes to go over three pages of an essay), so plan ahead!

How do I prove that I went to the Writing Center?

When you make an appointment using WC Online, you will have an opportunity to give us the email of a professor who needs to know that you went to the writing center. We will then send that professor a report about the session.
If you need us to send a report for a session that already happened, or if your professor does not receive a report from us, please let us know so we can address the issue.