General information about consultations

Writing consultations are designed to assist you in all stages of the writing process. Writing consultations can help in the following areas:

• Improve your writing skills through non-directive and non-evaluative methods.
• Help you think more deeply about your writing, identify strengths and weaknesses in your writing, and communicate effectively with your audience.
• Connect you with tools and skills that improve your confidence and competence as a writer.
• Help you identify systematic challenges in grammar or tone.

Please note, the Academic Writing Center does not provide copy-editing services. An AWS will not edit and return a draft to identify mistakes.

Faculty and staff may also request consultation sessions, although student support is prioritized during the first year of the Academic Writing Center.

In-person consultation information 

• Please upload your writing project at least 48 hours prior to your appointment time. However, if you do not have a piece of writing ready, that is fine. Just bring with you to the appointment your notes, doodles, outlines, or any other information you think may be helpful.
• Appointments can last up to 40 minutes. 
• Meetings take place at the LRC in the Bethesda campus. 

Online consultations information

• Online writing support provides written feedback via email (asynchronous) or 40-minute google meet appointments (synchronous) to writers across all USU locations.

Writing groups are invaluable in providing accountability, peer-support, and productivity to the writing process. If students, faculty, or staff need assistance in creating a writing group or support for your existing group, please don't hesitate to contact us. We can assist your group by:

• Providing physical or digital space for your group to meet.
• Providing guidance for writing group activities.
• Being available to answer questions as group members engage in the writing process.
• There are many possible ways to support a writing group. If you have a specific request, please let us know. We will do our best to accommodate you.

If you are a professor or staff member who would like an Academic Writing Specialist (AWS) to conduct a workshop on writing for your class, please let us know. We have a variety of general brownbag topics on writing, or we can create a workshop for the specific needs of your class.

Sample Brownbag topics:

• Getting started: Outlining your writing project.
• Strategies for overcoming writer's block.
• Becoming familiar with your writing process.
• Narrowing your research question.
• Strategies for revising your research paper.

In addition, the AWS can also assist you with the writing components of your course. For example:

• Improving assessment and feedback of student writing.
• Creating or modifying clear writing goals/instructions on assignments.
• Using the LMS discussion board for productive writing spaces.
• Setting up peer-review for your students.

Brownbags and webinars are designed to cover general topics related to writing. However, if you have a specific writing topic that you need covered for your class, student group (a minimum of 3 students is required), or writing group, please let us know and we can customize a writing session for you. Here is a list of available topics for a brownbag session:

• Getting started: Outlining your writing project.
• Strategies for overcoming writer's block.
• Becoming familiar with your writing process.
• Narrowing your research question.
• Strategies for revising your research paper.