1. What the Writing Center Can Offer You

2. Friendly Environment  First, the Writing Center is a friendly, open, and inviting place for students, faculty, and staff to visit to receive free assistance with most aspects of writing.

3. Assistance  The Writing Center is student-focused. We assist students with most aspects of writing from brainstorming and drafting to refining the final product and citation/ reference styles.

4. Assistance Specifics Come visit us at the Writing Center where you can:  Receive free tutoring on writing assignments  Identify and solve your writing problems  Brainstorm the organization of your paper  Review APA Style guidelines

5. What We Do Not Do  The tutors at the Writing Center will work with you to guide you through your papers rather than simply pointing out errors.  In this way, it is our hopes that you learn more about yourselves as writers and gain skills that will help you throughout your time at UMW and beyond.

6. Sessions  The student should always email a copy of the paper to their tutor and bring a printed copy of the paper to the session.  While it is not required, it is never a bad idea for you to bring in or send the assignment as well so the tutor understands what is being asked for the assignment.

7. The Tutorial  The tutor typically begins by reviewing the assignment sheet and asking what concerns the student has about the paper.  The tutor may work on only one section or try to cover the entire draft.  The tutor asks questions rather than gives answers, leading the student to discover what is wrong and what to do to correct the problem.  Sessions normally last from 30 to 50 minutes.

8. The Tutorial  At the end of the session, the tutor writes a report giving a summary of what was discussed during the session. The report is not an evaluation of the paper or the student. A copy of the report is sent to the instructor for whom the student is writing the paper.

9. Making Appointments  To make an appointment, come by the South Building Lobby or call 540.286.8109

10. Hours of Availability  Monday through Thursday 3:00 pm-8:00pm  Monday through Thursday 10:00-12:00pm (Online Only)  Friday 3:00am-7:00pm  Additionally, there are online only weekend hours on Saturdays from 10:00-12:00 pm and Sunday 6:00-9:00 pm.

11. Stay in the Know  Our website is expanding constantly with new information and tutorials. http://academics.umw.edu/writing-stafford/ http://academics.umw.edu/writing-stafford/  Like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/StaffordWritingCenter  Follow us on Twitter @StaffordWC