Registration and Scheduling Appointments

All clients need to register in our scheduling system before they attend their first consultation. If you are planning to visit without an appointment, then you may have to wait for an opening, especially later in the semester. The system will lock you out if you miss three appointments. If you are locked out, you will need to contact the CWE director.

Record Keeping

All consultations are recorded in our online system, and a copy is sent to the professor of the course via email. Keep your paper 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, and online consultations (for distance learners) 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.

Online clients should note the following:

• Online consultations are limited to clients who are taking distance learning courses.
• Be sure to click the Online Consultation box when you schedule your appointment. If you do not see this option, you are not setting an online consultation.
• You may email a draft of your paper to writingcenter@una.edu 48 hours prior to the appointment if the paper is more than five pages long.
• If the technology fails, call 256-765-6015. Your writing consultant will continue your appointment by telephone.

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 (unless otherwise specified by the director);
• 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;
• any notes, drafts, or outlines you have produced, or any ideas you have;
• any questions about the work (the more specific the better);
• and 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 do not 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).

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Writing Center Hours

In-House Consultations
Spring & Fall:

Mon-Thurs: 9:00am-9:00pm

Fri: 9:00am-3:00pm

Online Consultations
Spring & Fall:

Mon-Thurs: 2:00pm-4:00pm & 6:00pm-8:00pm

Fri: 1:00pm-3:00pm

Summer I & II
June and July Sessions:

Mon-Thurs: 12:00pm-5:00pm

(Check the CWE scheduling page at tutortrac.una.edu for availability.)

Schedule an Appointment

Learn more about scheduling appointments.

Schedule an appointment now!