The Emory Writing Center is starting a pilot program on Monday, Dec. 3, which will offer students walk-in help at a satellite location in the Robert W. Woodruff Library. The programs aims to meet an increasing demand for appointments as final exams approach.
From Monday through Thursday on Dec. 3 through Dec. 13, students will be able to obtain 30-minute-long appointments on a first come, first serve basis between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m behind the service desk on level two of the library, according to a Nov. 26 University press release.
The Emory Writing Center has used the library as an auxiliary location for regular appointments in the past, but closed it at the beginning of this semester due to a staffing shortage and confusion among tutees about where their appointments were taking place, according to Graduate Fellow at the Writing Center Maureen McCarthy, who is responsible for cultivating a relationship between the Writing Center and the library.
The pilot program will offer insight on whether or not the Writing Center can use the second location exclusively for walk-ins, McCarthy said.
In an attempt to reach as many students as possible from both Laney Graduate School and Emory College, the additional location can provide help to students who otherwise would have been unable to visit the Writing Center due to a lack of open appointments during finals time, according to veteran tutor at the Writing Center and College senior Nick Going.
Because the appointments are only half as long as appointments at the main Writing Center location in Callaway N212, Going said tutors will focus on higher order concerns, such as particular questions students may have about their papers.
According to Going, tutors at the satellite location will try to offer students cohesive advice on their paper as a whole instead of attending to many of the smaller issues they would correct at a regular appointment in order to make the best use of their appointment time.
He added that students will likely get the most out of their walk-in appointments if they proofread their own papers ahead of time.
Despite the shorter appointment time, McCarthy said tutors at the new location will ultimately offer students a chance to talk to someone about their writing and gain feedback to let them know if they are on the right track.
“Writing is a process that should be collaborative to some extent, because you’re always speaking to an audience and trying to anticipate that audience’s questions,” she said. “It can be really useful to have a good listener to listen to what you’re trying to say help anticipate questions.”
Going said it is not uncommon for students to approach tutors outside of the Writing Center and offer to pay them to look over their papers when no appointments are available. The new location, on the other hand, offers students a free alternative.
In addition to walking in at the library, students also have to option to walk in or make appointments at the regular Writing Center location.
– By Elizabeth Howell
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