What does the UWC do?
The UWC is a completely free tutoring service offered to currently enrolled MTSU students. Since our tutors are also students like yourself, the UWC is a comfortable space to explore your writing. We offer one-on-one help with brainstorming, outlining, formatting, and organizing throughout your writing process. Though we are not a drop-off "paper editing, proofing, or fixing"; service, we are able to help you grow as a writer through 25 or 50 minute sessions. During a session, a tutor and tutee work together to learn about writing.

How awesome are the writing tutors?
We are chock-full of awesome. Don't believe us? Come in and find out!

Can I get proof of attendance for my professor?
The UWC doesn't offer proof of attendance in sheet, signature, or stamp form. However, your professor can contact the UWC via email to obtain a list of students who have attended for their class. If you are hoping to gain extra credit, please make sure to spell your professor's name correctly when making your appointment and on your UWC paperwork.

Can I study in the UWC? Do you have computers available?
The UWC space is an energetic tutoring space; we can get pretty busy and quite loud—not really the best quiet studying environment. However, the library in which we are housed has plenty of quiet study space, so feel free to study in the library after or before your appointment! As to the computers in the UWC, we reserve our computers for tutoring sessions. However, if you need to print off a paper or use the computer during your session, our computers are at your disposal.

How do I make an appointment? Can I make an online appointment?

You may make a walk-in appointment or set up an appointment in advance. To ensure that appointments are available, please make an appointment in advance. If you'd like to schedule an appointment with a Writing Assistant, you can stop by in person (LIB 362) or call 615-904-8237. Also, online appointments are available. Please contact the UWC by phone or stop by to set up an online appointment.

How often can I come to the UWC?
Generally, once a day. We want to serve the MTSU community as effectively as we can, so we do have a few attendance policies in place. If you feel like you could use frequent assistance with your writing concerns, ask us about Long-Term Tutoring (see below) or visit our Tips for a Successful Visit page.

What is long-term tutoring?

Long-term tutoring is available for students who feel that they would be best served by meeting with a set tutor at a set time once a week (all long-term sessions are 50 minutes). To be eligible for long-term tutoring, you will need to have a long-term goal in mind. This could be anything from preparing for a test such as the GRE or PPST to general essay writing to improving your academic grammar and essay writing skills. In order to set up a long-term tutoring session, please email Caty Chapman with the following information:
1. Your Full name
2. Your MTSU email address
3. A description of your long-term goal(s)
Feel free to contact us if you would like more information about long-term tutoring.

Is the Writing Center only for English papers?

No. The UWC is not only for English papers—we serve all of the MTSU community of learners. We're glad to assist writers from any subject and we also serve faculty and staff! Stop by the UWC to check out our resources or look at some of our handouts for Writing in the Disciplines.

What is MEEBO?

Meebo is our online messaging service. This service is available during normal UWC hours and is best used to answer quick questions. If you would like us to direct you to a more in-depth resource, answer a quick punctuation question, or run an idea by us, Meebo is a great place to do this. For larger questions, looking at entire papers, or complicated citation questions, please make an appointment with us so that we can best help you. You can access Meebo here.

What is the Creative Writing Group?
The Creative Writing Group meets once a week in LIB 362B (inside the Writing Center). This group is student-led and is a space to share your writing freely and openly with others who are interested in creative writing. The best news? You don't have to have any prior creative writing experience to attend!

Can I drop by for a quick question?

Of course! Have a question that will only require a few minutes to answer rather than a whole session? Feel free to drop by and ask a tutor, pick up a handout, or be referred to a resource.

Can you help with speeches?

Sure! We will be happy to help you prepare these sorts of assignments. We have resources and technology specifically for aiding in preparing for speeches and presentations. We even have space for you and/or your group to practice with one of our Writing Assistants there to give you feedback.

Can you help with writing even if it isn't for a class?

We can! We serve the MTSU community's professional, academic, and creative writing needs. Anything you are writing from academic letters, resumes, and applications, to limericks, short stories, songs, and novels are fantastic things to bring to the UWC.

Can you help me fix my commas?

Yes and no. While we aren't a place for you to drop off your work and have it corrected, we can help you learn about how to use punctuation and grammar in your own writing and we can offer resources to guide your learning. We want you to own your writing, so it is up to you to learn—and we can definitely help with that!

I'm stuck! How can I get started writing my essay?

What is your writing process? Do you work better from structured notes or do you prefer to freewrite about a topic before beginning your essay? Do you like to type or would you rather write your ideas out by hand first? Try looking through our list of Brainstorming Techniques for one that suits your writing style!

How do I format my paper using Microsoft Word?

Click here for instructions for formatting using Microsoft Word 2003 and Microsoft Word 2007.

How do I organize my essay?

How you organize your essay can vary depending on your type of essay, topic, and/or purpose; however, the UWC has some handouts that can help you get started. Try our Essay Organization handout, Outlining handout, or our Visual Essay Organizer .

Where can I find UWC handouts?

Our complete list of handouts can be found right here .

How do I cite this source?

What citation style are you using? We have handouts on APA , MLA , Chicago , Turabian , AP , ADA, and ASA . If you aren't sure which citation style to use, check with your professor. If you're having trouble documenting your sources, make an appointment to work with one our UWC tutors.

When do I need a Works Cited page?
Whenever you reference ANY outside information (other than yourself, of course), you should cite where the information came from. Documentation styles can vary (MLA, APA, etc.), so make sure you know which style you are using (links to our handouts on documentation styles can be found here ). More information about using research or other sources in your essay can be found here.