Center for Writing Excellence
Expectations Reminders
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Consultation Expectations and Procedures
Our clients come from a wide range of students and faculty. In other words, consultations are for everyone!
Registration and Scheduling Appointments
Click here to register and schedule an appointment
All clients need to register in our scheduling system before they attend their first consultation. If you are planning to visit without an appointment you may have to wait for an opening, especially later in the semester. Make sure you attend the session you schedule. The system will lock you out if you miss three appointments in a row. If you are locked out, you will need to contact the CWE director to have your account unlocked.
Record Keeping
All consultations are recorded in our system, and a copy of the notes from the meeting are sent to the professor of the course via email. Keep your hard copy of the Client Report Form as verification of the consultation. We cannot notify your professor of your participation if you do not have an account.
In-House and Online Consultations
In-House consultations are scheduled at 30 minute increments; Online Consultations (for students living outside the Shoals region) are scheduled at 1 hour increments. Although you may not use the entire time, you should plan and expect to stay. The more you work, and the more questions you ask, the more you will learn.
Assignment Recommendations
Over the course of an assignment, we recommend a three-visit sequence. Visit the first time to get started on the assignment, visit again for revision feedback, and return one last time to get help with editing and style issues.
Consultation Etiquette
Consultations are opportunities to get educated opinions and advice on works-in-progress. Therefore, consultants will not:
- edit papers,
- conduct back-to-back tutorials with the same client, and
- work with you on assignments due the same day (except in summers, when hours are limited and assignments are rushed).
Consultants are never responsible for your grades.
Consultation Preparation
When visiting the writing center for a consultation, please remember to bring:
- pen, paper, or a flash drive,
- your assignment sheet or syllabus (so we understand the assignment),
- any notes, drafts, or outlines you have produced, or any ideas you have, even if you’ve written nothing,
- any questions about the work (the more specific the better),
- a positive attitude and outlook (you need to participate).
The more prepared you are, the better your consultation will be!
Consultants can and will address any questions you may have, but if you don’t have a plan for the tutorial, they will tend to:
- check to see that you have a useful writing process in place,
- check that your Higher Order / Global Concerns are addressed,
- check for trends of errors (3 or more) in your Lower Order / Local Concerns and
- check your citation style (especially MLA, APA, or Chicago)
Online Consultation Reminders
In addition to the information provided above, Online Consultation clients should note the following:
- Online consultations are limited to clients outside the Shoals area. As a rule, online consultations are overall longer and less effective, so in-house consultations are always preferable.
- Be sure to click the Online Consultation check box when you schedule your appointment. If you don't see this option, you are not setting an online consultation.
- Drafts should be e-mailed to writingcenter@una.edu at least 48 hours prior to the appointment. Failure to do so will reduce the effectiveness of your consultation.
- If the technology fails, call 256-765-6015. Your writing consultant will continue your appointment by telephone.
One Harrison Plaza