As of this fall, graduate students are welcome to make appointments for consultations at the UWC. Previously, appointments were available only to undergraduates, since their fees funded the center’s operation, while grad students were seen only as walk-ins.

Last year, however, the Graduate Student Senate, recognizing the importance of writing for graduate students, voted to pay the $8 per semester fee, opening the doors for those graduate students who pay the fee to have full access to UWC services.

“We’ve always been committed to serving graduate students in whatever way we can,” says UWC Executive Director Valerie Balester. “Of course, they have different needs than undergraduates. They’re typically working on longer documents, and some, especially international students, may want more extensive help. We’re working to meet those needs, but our basic philosophy remains the same: we’re here to help writers learn to become more confident and ultimately self-sufficient. We’re not an editing service.”

Currently, graduate students are limited to five consultations per year on their dissertations or theses, but that policy will be revisited periodically as the UWC gauges demand.

The UWC employs both undergraduate and graduate students as writing consultants, which means doctoral candidates may get tutoring help from juniors or seniors.

Explains Balester: “All of our consultants receive the same training, and all are fully capable of helping their fellow writers. So you might find, for instance, an undergraduate business major helping a graduate student in electrical engineering. That works surprisingly well, since what most writers need is a sympathetic and attentive listener who can bring a fresh perspective to the work.”

Dr. Balester has hired nine graduate consultants; five of them are international students and three have expertise in English as a Second Language. These consultants will help conduct UWC training, ensuring that all consultants are familiar with the specific needs of both graduate students and international students.

In addition, the UWC has created several new programs targeting graduate students:

• The Graduate Student Writing Series. Upcoming topics for these lectures by faculty experts will include scientific writing on February 15 and writing in the humanities on May 9.
• Informal classes for international students. One class is designed to acquaint students with the conventions of writing in English. The other uses popular media to spark discussions about cultural differences. Students also meet with conversation partners to enhance learning.
• Workshops on grammar and style for graduate students. So many graduate students asked to sign up for the UWC’s faculty workshops, even though they weren’t teaching, that the writing center has created additional workshops just for them.