One of the most valuable resources available to Motlow's students is the Writing Center. For this Spotlight session. ARC Coordinator Tamara Jones interviewed Dr. Will Murphy, the Writing Center's Assistant Coordinator:

As we approach Spring Break, it’s time to spotlight the Writing Center and what they have to offer to faculty and students. Professor Jenna Caviezel, Writing Center Director, and Dr. William Murphy, Assistant Coordinator of the Writing Center, have worked hard to ensure that students have a wonderful and inviting space to receive assistance with all of their writing needs: essays, lab reports, or even cover letters for job applications.

 

According to the Writing Center website, “tutors help with the development of ideas, formatting, punctuation, and grammar through an individualized and collaborative learning process. The ultimate goals are to provide writing support to a growing and diverse community and to help students become more confident, competent writers. Tutors will work with students to revise and edit their assignments by listening, asking questions, making suggestions, and providing helpful resources. The student will leave each session with a concrete revision plan.”

 

Tutors are available to visit classrooms to make students aware of the services offered. The tutors are great at encouraging students to seek assistance and reminding them that tutoring is a positive step toward academic success. In addition to classroom visits, a video and a PowerPoint are available for online courses. According to Dr. Murphy, “Faculty can remind students of the services within their course shells or in class, and post flyers on office doors or inside classrooms.” In addition, faculty can also send students to the Writing Center for extra credit as tutors can provide proof of the appointment to instructors.

 

Students who use the Writing Center are happy with their services. Some comments from students include:

            "He did a great job at explaining where I went wrong and how to fix it"

             "I love going to the writing center"

"Mysti was very sweet and helped me with refining my essay; she saw errors in my

essay that I would not have noticed."

 

Dr. Murphy asks that we “keep in mind, while tutors provide an important service to students, the Writing Center also provides an important service to the tutors: Tutors learn how to communicate better, strengthen their writing skills, design resources, and prepare presentations for the annual Tutor Collaboration Day presented by the Southeastern Writing Center Association (SWCA). These skills benefit tutors, especially those seeking honors scholarships, further education, or careers.” 

 

Please feel free to encourage students to use the Writing Center as they work through the writing process. Students can register within the MOTLOWHUB by clicking on the Writing Center icon. Remember, the Writing Center is there to assist both faculty and students to help ensure success by “helping students cultivate both confidence and their abilities as academic writers.” If you have students who demonstrate strong writing or peer review skills, the Writing Center invites you to nominate them as potential peer tutors. If you would like to recommend a student for a tutoring position, or if you or your students have questions, please contact the Writing Center at [email protected]. There is also a great Instagram video for the Writing Center which can be viewed here.

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To make a nomination for an upcoming Spotlight, please contact Ramona Shelton at [email protected], 

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