Policies and Guidelines
Consultations | Scheduling | Long Papers | Group 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.
We’re in Pickler Memorial Library 107. However, while classes are being delivered online, writing consultation will also be delivered online (see the Writing Center’s home page for details), at least partially. Typically, this would only be summer. Typically.
If you’ve never used the Writing Center before, please note that we’re not a “fix-it” service. We also don’t believe that a Writing Center is a place where 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.
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SCHEDULING
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, please. It may save you some grief. If you have trouble with the scheduler, call 785-4484 or email write@truman.edu. 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 (20-30 seconds). Once you’re registered and logged into the system, you just find and click the white space (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 do 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 writing (find the yellow file icon in the upper left, above the schedule–not on the appointment form). However, this may not nbe relevant if you’re sharing a Google doc. To share a Google doc with your consultant (whose email is on the appointment form), just email it to them. If you have problems with the scheduler attachment, or if you just want to make sure we get the document, send it to write@truman.edu.
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LONG PAPERS
Making the appointment: If your draft is 7 pages or longer (double-spaced), please consider creating an hour-long appointment, but certainly both make the appointment and send the writing 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.
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GROUP PAPERS
All members of the group must be present for the consultation. For online consultations, the Zoom + Google Drive option must be chosen. Put each group member’s email address in the “Concerns” box in the appointment form. The consultant will share the Zoom link with the group members a few minutes before the consultation. A hybrid consultation is possible (group members both Zooming and face-to-face), but the consultant must approve.
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TAKE-HOME TEST POLICY
If you send in a take-home test for a consultation, you MUST have written 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.
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CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT
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 internal use only.
Visit us soon and often!