HPU Writing Center aims to improve student writing
By Carly Delengowski
High Point University offers a unique program for students to meet with other experienced writers for assistance in the writing process. The Writing Center provides assistance for students working with any subject, as well as at any level – from freshman to graduate school students. Writing Center tutors do not proofread, create or edit student’s papers for them. The purpose of The Writing Center is to work together in the development of a successful paper. Through working together, the paper can be guided from invention to revision.
“We are not grade oriented – we are interested in helping writers develop at any stage in the process,” said Dr. Leah Schweitzer, the Writing Center director.
From time to time the Writing Center also provides interactive workshops like “Understanding Pronouns: The Ultimate Co-Dependent Relationship” which took place on Nov. 2, 2015. Students should jump at the opportunity to attend these events because they help students brush up and review concepts and skills they have not practiced in a while.
“The Writing Center is a peer-tutoring, university service that seeks to help students at any stage of their writing, from developing ideas through editing a final draft,” Schweitzer said. “Our hope is that we can help students improve their writing skills and become more independent and confident writers.”
The purpose of the Writing Center is to go over brainstorming and developmental strategies to create a successful piece tailored to each different assignment, instructor or writing style.
The Writing Center also holds a one-hour studio course that can be taken in conjunction with ENG-1103. There are 10 sections with five students on the roll. A librarian and Writing Center tutor teach each section.
As of the beginning of the semester, the Writing Center has 249 new student clients who have created an account with the online scheduling program. There have been 437 hours of tutor time booked. Those numbers are consistent with the Spring 2015 semester and show that the Writing Center has a pretty steady influx of demand. Sixty percent of their clients are freshman who make more than one appointment throughout the course of the semester, with only around one percent of clients who are graduate students.
The Writing Center has locations all across campus. Tutors are located in areas from Smith Library to the School of Education.
Appointments must be made online through the Writing Center portal. Appointments are available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information on the Writing Center, contact Dr. Leah Schweitzer, at lschweit@highpoint.edu.