FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

Why should I go see a writing tutor? Aren't tutors just for people who struggle with course work?

Actually, smart students are the ones who work with writing tutors. They have discovered the value of testing out a draft on a reader to see if the writing is working. Professional writers, and even your professors, check their drafts out with others to see what is working in their writing and what needs work. Here at EOU, "A" students go to writing assistants. Writing tutors go to other writing tutors. They know networking with others is a quality of successful students, and that conversation with others about a draft is an important part of the writing process.

Who are the writing tutors?

Writing tutorts are EOU students from all disciplines who have taken WR 220 Methods of Tutoring (a 3-credit course) in order to train to become effective writing assistants. They study writing process theory, learning theory, and writing center theory. They learn strategies for turning that theory into practice. They go to get help from and observe other peer writing tutors, and they work on making their own writing stronger. As tutors-in-training, they begin tutoring students in the Writing Center.

To become a writing tutor, students just need to have taken WR 121. The Writing Center Director, Donna Evans, is always looking for interested students to take the course. She is especially looking for writers from all disciplines (you do not have to be a great writer, just a writer open to improving). The class is offered on campus each term, and also online each Spring term. If you are interested in the course or have questions, visit Donna in LH 234A or email her at devans@eou.edu.

Can a writing tutor edit my paper for me?

Editors cost $50 - $100 an hour. Writing tutors are free. Tutors cannot work as editors and proofread your paper for you. A writing tutor can help you learn to recognize your error patterns and help you learn to correct those errors. The writing tutor motto is this: Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach him to fish, and he eats for the rest of his life.

So if writing tutors can't edit my paper for me, what can they do?

Writing tutors can help fellow writers at all stages of the writing process. They can help students to

* get started and brainstorm or plan a response to an assignment

* choose or clarify an assignment, and to understand the purpose, audience, and occasion of a piece of writing

* understand that there are different conventions and expectations of different academic disciplines

* focus, develop, clarify, refine and organize ideas, helping writers to pay attention to, analyze, and improve their writing process to create effective writing

* discover spelling, punctuation, grammar, usage, and style error patterns, and learn how to correct their own errors

* find and use available writing resources such as handbooks and online resources

* discuss appropriate methods of summarizing, paraphrasing, and documenting outside reading and research

When and where can I find writing tutors?

For daytime sessions, you can find writing tutors in the Learning Center/ Writing Center in Loso Hall 234. Register with the Writing Center and sign up for appointments online at eou.mywconline.com/. Sessions are generally 30 minutes long, but you can sign up for an hour if necessary.

For evening Drop-In sessions, when you don't need an appointment but can just drop in, you can find writing assistants in Loso Hall:

Drop-In Tutoring Hours

Sunday - Thursday 7-9 p.m.

Are there other kinds of tutors available?

Yes! Math tutors are also available in the Loso Learning Center. The Math Lab operates exclusively on a drop-in schedule. No appointment is needed. Math tutors work during the day and in the evenings. Check the LRC website for an updated schedule: http://www.eou.edu/lcenter

Also, the Learning Center offers Group Study Sessions for some courses. Signs listing times and locations of specific sessions will be posted in various locations around campus.

What if I am taking EOU online courses?

If you are taking an online or on-site course, you can submit drafts online to the EOU Online Writing Lab (OWL) at http://www.eou.edu/writelab/.

Where can I find some Writing Guides?

You will find Writing Guide notebooks that contain many handouts that student-writers find useful in Loso 234. (Ask at the Student Desk or in LH 234A if you do not see them.) On the OWL you will also find a "Resources for Writers" link that contains a variety of guides to help you with your writing.