Frequently Asked Questions
The first floor of Horrmann Library; make a right upon entering the library.
The Writing Center’s services are free for all Wagner College students.
No, you are welcome to simply come by the Writing Center when it is open and meet with a tutor; however, appointments are encouraged as they ensure that a tutor will be able to meet with you at a specified time.
You can schedule Writing Center appointments through this website. First, register with the website (the site will walk you through the steps in the registration process). You can then view the Writing Center’s weekly schedules and reserve a time-slot with a WIT. Simply click on one of the white boxes and enter the relevant information to reserve your slot. If you need further instructions on how to use the appointment website, please see Wagner Writing Center Scheduling Instructions.
An appointment can run either an hour or a half an hour. It is advisable to book an hour appointment for drafts running more than three full pages.
You can make an appointment weeks (and even months) in advance. We encourage students to plan ahead when engaging in the writing process, and booking Writing Center tutoring sessions in advance will help you to set goals for yourself as you work on various writing projects.
Log back into the website, click on your appointment time, and click the “Cancel Appointment” button at the bottom of your appointment form.
Absolutely not. The Writing Center is meant to assist students at any stage in the writing process, including the pre-writing stage (which typically revolves around brainstorming, outlining, and thesis writing). While you are welcome to bring a complete draft to the Writing Center, you could also come in with just a few notes, a list of ideas, or a working thesis statement.
It is always helpful to bring a copy of the assignment prompt, a hard copy of whatever writing you have done for the assignment so far, copies of your notes, and whatever texts you are using.
Proofreading–that is, reading through a draft and marking/fixing errors–is a very important skill that every writer should develop. WITs will not proofread students’ papers, but they will help students learn to proofread their own papers by teaching them how to identify and correct grammatical and stylistic errors. Typically, WITs will look for recurring errors and teach students strategies for fixing these errors.
Yes, the Writing Center does offer e-tutoring through WCOnline. You cannot, however, email the paper or drop it off for corrections. It is imperative that you take the time to sit down with your paper and read through it under the guidance of a tutor. This process will not only grant you the opportunity to improve the paper, but it will likewise help you to hone your skills as an editor of your own work.
Although there is no formal procedure for booking weekly/bi-weekly “standing appointments,” students can book a series of appointments by using the online schedule module; simply click through the online calendar and reserve the same timeslot each week. This practice is strongly encouraged: meeting a WIT on a weekly or bi-weekly basis will not only help you to improve as a writer, but it will also encourage you to plan ahead in completing your writing assignments.