The Writing Center is located in Caroline Hall, Room 504. Phone: 410-532-5113. We are open for regular hours during the fall and spring semesters. The Writing Center schedule is posted online and sent to all NDMU students via email. We are not open during winterim, summer, or on days when the university is closed.
Services
Notre Dame’s Writing Center is a free service offered to all NDMU students seeking help at any stage in the writing process. Peer tutors can aid you in the following ways:
- Develop stronger essay topics
- Think about the significance of what you have to say
- Improve the support for and development of your ideas
- Organize your material
- Enhance the effectiveness of your style
All sessions are in person in Caroline Hall, Room 500D, unless otherwise noted. Appointments and walk-ins are both welcome. Appointments last approximately 45 minutes.
We are NOT an editing service. Students cannot drop off papers and should not expect tutors to edit for you. Rather, you will learn how to revise your own papers through tutoring sessions. Students are also free to access the writing guides while in the Center during the consultation.
Student’s Responsibility
Students should schedule their consultation online via Bookings on Teams. You should also
- Attend the consultation on time
- Promptly cancel / reschedule as needed
- Be prepared; do not come empty-handed. Rough draft assignments or outlines should be
printed prior to the session (and/or displayed on a device during the session). Students who come unprepared to tutoring sessions may be asked to reschedule
- Be familiar with assignment parameters (e.g., format, citing requirements)
- Be open to suggestions and feedback
- Do NOT attend with the expectation that the tutor will do the writing for you.
Number and Length of Appointments
You may schedule one appointment per day and up to two appointments per week. Only one assignment may be reviewed per appointment.
Tutors will only review as much of the assignment as 45 minutes will allow, which means that your tutor may not be able to address every concern in your paper. For longer assignments, you may need to schedule more than one appointment.
Cancellations and Missed Appointments
While we understand that last minute schedule changes happen, it is important to cancel your appointment if you will be unable to attend. Students can cancel an appointment up to one hour before its start time. If your appointment will begin in an hour or less, you may still cancel by calling the Writing Center at 410-532-5113. If students fail to cancel their appointment it will be marked as missed. Three missed appointments will result in the student’s account being disabled, and you will be unable to schedule another appointment.
If a student is more than 15 minutes late to the appointment, tutors reserve the right to refuse service.
Graduate Students
The Writing Center works with all current NDMU students. The majority of our tutors are undergraduates who are trained to offer tutoring support at every level of writing.
Respect
Writing Center employees have the right to a respectful, equitable environment free from discrimination, disparagement, language of oppression, and/or harassment that is based on their national origin, race, ethnicity, religion, body size, disability, gender, gender identity and expression, or sexual orientation. While we welcome all students, celebrate diversity, and appreciate spirited debate, we reserve the right to request that disruptive or disrespectful students leave the Writing Center or leave an online session immediately for any or all of the following reasons:
- Disrespectful language and/or images
- Disruptive or confrontational language and/or behavior
- Misuse of Writing Center resources
Consequences
As an academic unit in the English Department, the Writing Center has jurisdiction to impose its own sanctions. Any instance of verbal or physical abuse against Writing Center tutors or property will result in consequences, at the discretion of the Writing Center Director. Students who choose to disregard Writing Center policies may face any or all of the following consequences:
- Denied access to meeting with a specific tutor
- Communication from the Writing Center to your instructor or a campus official
- Temporary or permanent forfeiture of your use of the Writing Center.
The student will be held to the sanction imposed by the Director unless the student files a timely appeal as described under “Academic Standards Appeal” in the Student Handbook.
Confidentiality
The consultants at the Writing Center respect your privacy. However, tutors do send consultation report forms to faculty to inform them of what issues were worked on during your session and what aspects of your writing were specifically addressed.
Academic Integrity
The Writing Center follows the University’s Academic Integrity Policy outlined in the Student Handbook.
Required Visits
The Writing Center does not enforce any requirements to visit us or use our services. If you have been required to visit the Writing Center, for example by your professor, or by the Office of Student Affairs, it is your responsibility to schedule all required appointments.
