Washington College | Writing Center

Welcome

Writing Center Hours

Schedule or Drop In: Monday - Friday, 10:30am-5:30pm in Goldstein 106

** NEW EVENING HOURS for Spring 2012 - Drop In Only **

Sunday 6:30-8:30pm at Miller Library

Monday - Thursday 6:30-8:30pm at The Literary House

Writing Workshops

Learn more about our writing workshop series.

Become a Peer Writing Consultant

Writing @ WaC

The Writing Center is your writing resource at Washington College. We offer one-to-one, individualized writing tutorial sessions as well as regular writing workshops. Our highly trained peer consultants are experienced student writers who come from a variety of majors and interests. Our professional staff serves as a resource for faculty and staff, both in the classroom as facilitators of peer review and other workshops and also as knowledgeable consultants and educators in student writing development.

We're proud to support the Washington College community and to contribute to the vibrant writing culture here at the College.

What happens in a Writing Center Session?

Each session with a writing consultant lasts about 45 minutes. You and the consultant will read and discuss the piece of writing you are working on. By the time you leave the Writing Center you should have a clearer sense of where you want to go next and some strategies to help you get there.

What can I bring to the Writing Center?

Wherever you are in the writing process, regardless of the course or discipline, we can help! You don't even have to have anything written yet! Our consultants are happy to work with you on

brainstorming at the start of an assignment
developing and sustaining an argument
clarifying your paper's organization, transition, and flow
writing in American academic English, for those who are Engligh Language Learners
developing your Senior Capstone/Thesis projects
preparing work for publication or submission to writing contests or prizes
incorporating research and sources effectively
citing sources accurately in MLA, APA, or Chicago style
crafting personal statements for internships, scholarships, and/or graduate school applications
developing cover letters for job applications
any writing you are working on!

Make an Appointment

To schedule a conference please register with our online scheduling system. From there you will be able to see when our consultants are available and make an appointment at a date and time that suits your schedule. Walk-ins, of course, are also welcome.

First visit? Click here to register. Returning? Log in below.

For more information, email or call us at 410-810-7417. We hope to see you soon!

Our Mission

The Washington College Writing Center provides individualized instruction for students and ongoing development and support for faculty teaching writing across the curriculum. By promoting the act of writing as a means of encountering and making meaning of the world, we contribute to the college's mission to "develop in its students the habits of analytic thought, aesthetic insight, imagination, ethical sensitivity, and clarity of expression" and we affirm the values at the heart of a liberal arts education.

In our work with students, we seek to provide a supportive learning environment in which they can practice and refine the ways of thinking and writing that they encounter in their coursework. In our work with other faculty and staff, we help to advance informed and realistic perspectives on student writing development, and we contribute our own knowledge to enrich the teaching of writing at the college.

In addition to the goals mentioned above, we also strive to provide meaningful instruction and substantial professional experience to the peer writing consultants who participate in our tutoring program. Working with other students on their writing contributes to the consultants' own intellectual growth, and in the process, they gain valuable skills that they take with them as they leave the college.

Finally, we are committed to supporting and contributing to the broader culture of writing at Washington College in ways that help students to see the act of writing as a life-long practice that has value outside of and beyond the classroom.

Meet the Staff

Peer Consultants

Event Gallery

Check back for updated event coverage featuring the Writing Center and Peer Writing Consultants.

What Students Are Saying

"During the four years I spent at Washington College, the Writing Center turned out to be the most valuable 'class' I attended as it helped me to become a better writer, which in turn made me a better student."

"The [tutor] took the time to absorb herself in my paper topics, understand my thoughts, and clear up problems by questioning intentions, rather than telling me I was 'wrong' and giving me the answer."

"Writing conferences helped me generate ideas and rearrange my thoughts. Explaining my ideas to another person made me see my argument from another perspective."

"The Center provided advice for my specific problems, such as how I could go about narrowing my focus or tying two ideas together."

"As we went over the paper, . . . the questions helped me to clarify my own thoughts, both on the paper and to myself. When I left I felt inspired to continue."

"I think the Writing Center was a big help in preparing me for writing at the graduate level."

"I progressed from being an average writer to an honors thesis achiever. The Writing Center assisted me in gaining the ability to express myself in writing, and it allowed me to achieve the confidence necessary to excel as both a thinker and a writer."