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Making & Attending Appointments

To make an appointment, either call us at (360) 867-6420 or come see us in person in Library 2304. You will need to tell us your last and first name as officially recorded by the college; but if you prefer to be called by a different name, please let us know! We will also need to know what program you're in, what type of writing you're bringing in, and any other notes you want your tutor to have beforehand.

At this time we are unable to make appointments online, but if you have further questions or need to make a special request in regards to your appointment, you can email us at tescwriting@gmail.com.

Our appointments are 50 minute long and begin on the hour or half hour. Please note that appointments do not go for a full hour because our tutors need downtime between appointments. You can make up to two 50-minute appointments per week. Walk-ins are welcome as availability allows.

Let us know as soon as possible if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. After fifteen minutes with no notice, late appointments will be opened to walk-ins.

How Tutoring Sessions Work

The Center is staffed by peer tutors who are also undergraduate students at the college. Any student or alum of the College may meet with a tutor. Tutors are trained to work on any kind of writing at any point in its development.

Tutors will work one-on-one with you. They ask questions and share observations to help you think about your writing and gain a greater awareness of how you write. They also share or help you develop new strategies that will make all of your writing more effective. Tutors shape their feedback to where your paper is in its development, and can work with you on ideas even before you have a draft. Tutoring can be beneficial to all student writers, not just those who are stuck or struggling.

How to Get the Most from Your Session and the Center

1. Use an Author’s Note—we will give you one at the start of your session. The Author’s Note is a tool for you to use to consider what kind of feedback you want before your session; the more clearly and specifically you can articulate it, the easier it will be for tutors to provide that feedback.

2. Arrive on time with your paper (if you have one). When possible, the Center recommends students bring two, double-spaced copies of their draft, a copy of the prompt, and any resources they’re using to write.

3. Make multiple appointments. If you’re working on a longer or high-stakes paper, consider making multiple appointments over the span of a couple weeks. With all appointments, give yourself time afterward to think through and incorporate the feedback you received. Bear in mind only so much can be accomplished in a single tutoring session, so coming in as early as possible before a deadline can be beneficial.

4. Meet with the same or different tutors. If you find a tutor you work well with, consider meeting with them on a regular basis. Working with the same tutor can save time because they become familiar with your writing style and what you’re working on in your program. You can schedule a weekly appointment to reserve the same time each week with your tutor. Alternatively, you may find it beneficial to meet with different tutors to get varying perspectives on your paper. Please note that tutors cannot read your paper before the session or meet anywhere off-campus.

Increasing Accessibility

The Writing Center can offer alternative tutoring arrangements, such as longer or more frequent sessions, on a case-by-case basis. Tutors can meet with students in the Assistive Technology Lab, where students can access screen readers, dictation software, and other technological resources. Alternative arrangements are best made ahead of time and must be agreed to by all involved.