UWC Syllabus Statement

We suggest including the following statement on your syllabus:
The University Writing Center (UWC) has trained peer consultants available to work with you on any kind of writing or speaking project, including research papers, lab reports, application essays, or creative writing, and at any stage of your process, whether you're deciding on a topic or reviewing your final draft. You can also get help with public speaking, presentations, and group projects. We can work with you in person at our Evans or BLCC locations or via Zoom or email. To schedule an appointment or to view our handouts, videos, or interactive learning modules, visit writingcenter.tamu.edu. If you have questions, need help making an appointment, or encounter difficulty accessing our services, call 979-458-1455 or email uwc@tamu.edu.

Getting the word out

We hope you will ensure your students know about our services and that you will encourage them to take advantage of one-to-one conferences for individualized constructive feedback. You can also use our writing and speaking guides in your classes or have students complete our new interactive lessons.
To encourage students to use our services, explain that working with a consultant is not the same as getting remediation. Share with students your own process of getting feedback on your own work and help them understand that writing is a recursive process, as well as a social act.
If you'd like a consultant to visit your class and explain what we do, make a request for our Overview of Services workshop. Give us at least five business days notice. (We're happy to visit via Zoom and also have a video overview of our services that you can embed in your Canvas class resources.)

Getting a report

We never report students' attendance at the UWC or one of our events except in cases where academic integrity is an issue and an active inquiry has been made by a responsible university administrator.
A student who needs documentation of a writing center consultation may request that their consultant email them a report, which can be forwarded to an instructor at the student's discretion.
One-to-One Writing & Speaking Consultations. Our consultants work with students on an individual basis to increase their confidence, help them build up their writing skills, and encourage good writing habits. In consultations with certified peer consultants, we can help students:

• understand an assignment
• clarify ideas
• narrow a topic
• organize information
• strengthen arguments
• consider alternative points of view
• overcome writer’s block
• cite and document sources without plagiarizing
• revise for clarity and coherence
• edit for brevity
• proofread for errors
• practice oral presentations
• manage collaborative writing projects

We can’t, however, do all of these things in one 45-minute session. Learning to communicate effectively is a slow and labor-intensive process.

For graduate students, we also offer

• Dissertation and Thesis Advising (DATA) assigns a specific consultant to work with a student for up to 10 sessions.
• Dissertation & Thesis Writing Retreats provide a quiet working environment for students working on a dissertation or thesis after the proposal has been accepted. Retreats last four full days.
• Workshops are offered throughout the year are& geared to graduate student issues such as writing proposals, literature reviews, seminar papers, or articles.
• Write Line offers students a virtual writing space to increase motivation and provide accountability.

If you have questions or concerns about how we can help you or your students, contact us.