Where are you located?
We are in room 112 of the Trustee Library. Feel free to come on in!
Who uses the Writing Center?
The Writing Center is a free service available to all Brenau students.
Who are the tutors?
The Writing Center is staffed by trained undergraduate and graduate-level peer tutors from a variety of disciplines.
What services do you offer?
We offer a variety of services:
- Brainstorming suggestions
- Drafting feedback
- Goal-setting advice
- MLA and APA help
- Prewriting techniques
- Revising methods
- Speech preparation
- Feedback forms
- Thesis statement development
- Grammar help
- In-class essay tips
- Paragraph pointers
- Final draft polishing
- Research strategies
Do I need to have a full draft before I can come to the Writing Center?
No! We’re ready to help students at any point in the writing process. Whether you just want to go over your assignment and create an outline or polish your completed draft, we can help!
How do I make an appointment?
Use Brainfuse Tutoring Services (embedded in every Canvas course). For live help, select “TutorMatch” and either “Undergraduate Writing Center” or “Graduate Writing Center.” If you submit a draft to the “Writing Lab,” you will receive written feedback within 48 hours.
What do I need to bring to my conference?
The more you can bring, the better. Your assignment sheet, the work you want to go over, notes, any relevant texts or materials, sources, or comments from your professor will all be extremely helpful. But most importantly, come with an open mind and a willingness to engage in constructive criticism. We only want to help you turn in the best assignment possible.
What if I need to cancel my appointment?
It happens. Please just give us a call or use the link in your confirmation email to remove your name from the schedule.
How long are conferences?
We know you’re busy. That’s why our conferences typically last 30 minutes, but for longer assignments, you can also book an hour. Please don’t block more than an hour at a time out of consideration for other students who wish to visit the Writing Center. You are more than welcome to schedule a follow-up conference if needed.
What is a Writing Center conference like?
Every conference is unique, but typically tutors will ask about the assignment and determine an area of focus for the conference (thesis statement development, brainstorming, organization, etc). After that, it all depends on the dynamic between the tutor and student, but we want each conference to be a comfortable experience. Once the session is over, the the tutor will ask the student to fill out a short evaluation form; this form helps us determine how we can improve the Writing Center experience in the future.
My professor required me to come to the Writing Center. How will they know I had a conference?
Professors can assign tutoring through Brainfuse directly. Alternatively, a form recording your appointment will also be sent to you and logged into our system, so we have a record of your visit if your professor asks.
Do you have virtual appointments?
Yes! We have live virtual appointments (like a Zoom call) for both undergraduate and graduate students. Online and graduate students can also submit to the “Writing Lab” and receive written feedback within 48 hours. We encourage Women’s College students to use the on-ground Center, and they can expect the possibility of a longer wait if work is submitted online.
Do you help graduate students?
We do. For shorter graduate level work, our free tutors can be very helpful (see above). If you are working on a thesis or dissertation, there is the fee-based Graduate Writing Services to better serve your needs.
You didn’t answer my question.
Please email us at writingcenter@brenau.edu with any other questions you might have. We’ll be happy to help however we can. You can also email Dr. Emily Smith, Brenau’s Writing Center Director, with any specific questions. Her email is esmith19@brenau.edu.
