Writing Center General Information

We offer guidance no matter where you are in the writing process. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, we can help with brainstorming. We can work with you to clarify the organization of your paper, to make your writing clearer and more concise, to make sure you have all the elements you need, to use your sources correctly, to avoid plagiarism, and to assist with grammar. We can also help with resumes, creative writing, and other work. For course assignments, always have your assignment guidelines accessible to your consultant.

We’re glad to work with you whether or not the writing is for a class.

The Writing Center staff has no influence on course grades, but we are confident your writing will improve the more you work with us.

Consultations are scheduled by appointment, although walk-ins may be accommodated according to availability. Schedule your appointment through WCONLINE here or through the myMU Portal. Please do not send drafts by email. Drafts should be attached to your reservation form. Contact a consultant or representative if you encounter problems with attaching a draft to your appointment form.

All clients accept the terms of the Client Consultation Agreement at registration. Please read this agreement carefully as it has essential information about the writing center guidelines and policies.

We offer four types of consultations:

• Face-to-Face – Allows you to have a face-to-face meeting with your consultant. This option requires you to meet in person with your consultant.
  Online – Allows you to have a real-time meeting with your consultant via phone or video conference. This option requires you to be present either online or via telephone during your consultation.
  eTutoring – Allows you to submit your paper to the consultant and have them provide written feedback. This option does not require you to be present in person or online during your consultation.
  Walk-In – Allows you to sign up for a same-day consultation in the Writing Center (based on consultation availability).

Book appointments early. Our services are in demand, and the schedule can fill up fast. Appointments are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Heed the Cancellation Policy. Clients may cancel an appointment with no penalty provided the cancellation happens at least one (1) hour prior. Appointment cancellations affect other clients’ ability to schedule an appointment and utilize the writing center’s services, so cancellations that occur less than one (1) hour prior to the scheduled time and/or no-shows will result in a penalty.

Heed the No-Show Policy. If you find that you may be more than five (5) minutes late for an appointment, contact the writing center or your consultant to let them know you’ll be late. If you neither show up nor contact your consultant, you will be marked as a no-show.

Be aware of the policy. If, on more than two (2) occasions during a semester, a student violates either the Cancellation or the No-Show Policy, the student’s account will be deactivated, and future appointments will be canceled. The student can contact the writing center’s director to discuss the situation and have their account reactivated at the director’s discretion. Future appointments which have been canceled due to violating this policy will need to be rescheduled by the student utilizing appointment availability at the time of account reactivation.

Please contact the Methodist University Writing Center if you need help scheduling appointments in WCONLINE, accessing the waiting list, signing up for text message alerts, and so on. Contact us by phone at 910.630.8451 or by email at writingcenter@methodist.edu.