Policies and Guidelines
Conferences | Scheduling | Long Papers | Take-Home Test Policy | Confidentiality
The link to the scheduler is at the bottom of this page. By clicking on it, you agree that you understand and will abide by the policies and procedures described below.
Go here for information on summer online consultation.
We’re in Kirk 120 during the day and on the first floor of the library (north of the elevator then west into the green room by the new periodicals) during the evening.
If you’ve never used the Writing Center before, please note that we’re not a “fix-it” service, nor do we believe that a Writing Center is a place that bad writers go to get “fixed.” Rather, we provide feedback for you, and feedback is an essential part of any effective writing process. We’ll talk with you about what is working well (and why), and what’s not working well (and why), and we’ll offer strategies for understanding and improving the less effective parts of your writing (and why). We can work with any part of the writing process and with any type of document.
The best way to make an appointment is through the online scheduler. WAIT! Read the rest of the page before you go to the scheduler. If you have trouble with the scheduler, call 785-4484. You’ll be required to register once with the scheduler. Please fill out the registration completely. It will take a long time to do so (sometimes even 20-30 seconds). Once you’re registered and logged into the system, you just click on the time/day that works best for you. Then fill out the brief pop-up appointment form. One VERY IMPORTANT thing to remember: when you fill out the appointment form, fill out the “concerns” box thoroughly. During the consultation, we ask writers about their assignments and concerns, but it’s nice to be prepared for a consultation when possible.
The scheduling software allows you to upload your document(s) (find the yellow file icon in the upper left, above the schedule–not on the appointment form). If you have problems with the attachment, or if you just want to make sure we get the document, send it to write@truman.edu.
Making the appointment: If your draft is 7 pages or longer (double-spaced), please consider creating an hour-long appointment, but certainly make the appointment at least 48 hours in advance of the consultation. That gives the consultant time to pre-read the work.
Getting your work to the consultant: It won’t do much good to make the appointment 48 hours in advance if you don’t also send us the writing. Don’t forget to attach/send the writing once you’ve made the appointment. Even if you’ve made the appointment 48 hours in advance, if you haven’t sent the writing within 24 hours the appointment, we will cancel the appointment, opening the time up for other writers.
For paper 15 pages and longer, please contact us at write@truman.edu.
You can send your work to write@truman.edu or, better yet, upload it through the scheduler. Click on the yellow folder icon right next to the yellow word “Help” in the upper left of the online scheduler.
If you send in a take-home test for a consultation, you MUST have expressed permission from your instructor indicating that the Writing Center may work with you on the take-home test. It is up to you to obtain this permission before making your appointment. Your instructor can email us to give permission or discuss as necessary.
In order to foster free and open conversations among writers, The Writing Center does not report the names of any clients to any outside constituencies without the client’s knowledge and consent. If you indicate on the scheduling form that a faculty member should be notified (by putting the instructor’s email address in the form), then your name, the date of your conference, and a brief summary of what concerns were addressed will be sent to the designated faculty member. In all other cases, information concerning individual conferences remains confidential and for Writing Center use only.
Visit us soon and often!