Writing Center
225 Briggs
Phone: 993-1022
http://liberalarts.udmercy.edu/english/twc/

All English 130 students must attend a minimum of six tutoring sessions in the Writing Center. Each tutoring session is scheduled for one-half hour.  Students may not receive credit for more than one session per week.  Attendance should be aligned with the work being done in class: students must bring prompts, writing projects, and other related materials to their sessions.  Students coming to a session without these materials will not be tutored nor will they receive credit for the session.  Instructors are responsible for making sure students attend the Writing Center based on the instructor’s stated requirements. Students who miss one tutoring session and do not make it up will have their grade lowered one letter grade.   Students who miss two tutoring sessions without making them up will fail the class.  Instructors should clearly explain this policy on their syllabi, track students' progress toward fulfilling this requirement, and remind the students over the course of the term of the consequences of missed tutoring sessions.  Instructors must consult student compliance before assigning midterm grades.  No student who has not made and kept three tutoring sessions before midterm grades should be given a passing grade.

English 131 students should be encouraged to attend the Writing Center as well. During the second week of classes, the Director of Writing will distribute informational handouts on Writing Center walk-in and referral policies and hours.  Just as in English 130, all students will be tracked via online forms, which will be available to instructors.  Instructors may require Writing Center attendance if they desire. Attendance must be aligned with given assignments and no student should be referred to the Writing Center without specific instructions as to what help is needed.

All students should see their writing prompt in writing.  Students should also understand all planning exercises required, due dates for exercises and drafts, and weight of the paper in the semester grading.  English 130 instructors are required to forward to the Director of Writing one copy of every writing prompt.  Other instructors who request tutoring for their students should also submit their prompts to the Director of Writing.