Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Undergraduate Writing Center?
The UWC is on the third floor of Weeks Hall, at the corner of Broadway and University. You can use Google Maps and Apple Maps to find us.
On Tuesdays and Sundays during the fall and spring semesters, the UWC has face-to-face
appointments in the Research Hub (Room 132) on the Main Floor of the Library. Other
satellite locations include Holden Hall for engineering students and the Architecture
Library during spring semesters.
For details on the days and time, view the schedule or visit the Hours and Locations page.
When are you open?
During the fall and spring semesters, we are open
- Monday – Thursday: 10 AM – 7 PM
- Friday: 10 AM – 4 PM
- Saturday: 12:30 PM – 3 PM
- Sunday: 2 PM – 7 PM
Summer hours vary.
The UWC is closed on student/TTU-observed holidays and breaks.
How can I contact the UWC?
If you would like to schedule a consultation, you can find our schedule online here.
If you have questions about our programming or would like to contact our director
staff, please email us at writingcenter.undergrad@ttu.edu or call our center at (806) 742-2476 ext. 2.
Making Appointments
How do I make an appointment?
Visit the Undergraduate Writing Center webpage, and click the “Schedule an Appointment” button. If this is your first time using the Writing Center, you will need to create a profile. Once you are in the schedule, click on the day and time you would like to have an appointment. The white boxes indicate available appointments, the light blue boxes are appointments scheduled by other students, and dark blue boxes indicate when a consultant is not available.
You can select a 30-minute (the default option) or 50-minute appointment. You can choose face-to-face (the default option), online, or asynchronous. If you are having trouble with the system, call 806.742.2476 ext. 2 for help.
How many appointments can I have?
You can schedule one (1) appointment a day and up to three (3) appointments a week. You can choose 30- or 50-minute appointments. The weekly limit is three, regardless of the length of each appointment.
There are a limited number of appointments available each day. These are first scheduled, first served. Drop-ins are available as space allows.
Can I get an online appointment?
To schedule an online, synchronous appointment, select the radio button next to “Yes. Schedule Online appointment.” in the designated box when filling out the appointment form.
These online appointments are in real time (synchronous). They work best with the
Chrome browser. You will need to give the browser permission to access your microphone
and camera (if a camera is available).
We also have asynchronous online appointments.
How do asynchronous writing consultations work?
With an asynchronous consultation, you and your writing consultant do not work together
at the same time. To make an appointment, make sure you are scheduling an eTutoring appointment.
Next, attach a draft (preferably a MS Word document) to the appointment form.
Then your writing consultant reads your draft and the concerns/questions you listed in the appointment form and provides both written and audio/video feedback based on those concerns. The more specific you can be in your questions, the more specific and helpful the consultant's feedback will be. In addition, the consultant will provide feedback on other important issues they notice in the draft.
At the end of the appointment hour, the consultant will attach the document with their feedback to the appointment form where you can download it, read/watch the comments, and then apply the feedback to your next draft.
Do you take drop-ins?
We do serve drop-ins. However, priority is given to people who scheduled an appointment.
If you are having trouble with our online scheduler, give us a call or stop by, and
one of our student assistants will walk you through the process.
Click here to schedule an appointment at the Undergraduate Writing Center.
Our phone number is 806.742.2476 ext. 2.
Is there a waitlist available?
Yes! At the bottom right corner of each day on the schedule are the words: "Waiting
List:" followed by the date.
When you click on it, a pop-up menu will appear. You can use that to be notified if
any appointments become available for that day, or you can choose to receive a notice
about a specific consultant or time range.
Will you notify my instructor that I came to the writing center?
Students have the option to have their instructors notified about their appointments with the Undergraduate Writing Center. If you want your instructor notified, please provide the instructor's TTU email address when filling out the appointment form.
Usually, notifications are sent on Mondays. Instructors are only notified of students' names, not what was discussed during the consultation.
I am a student at TTU Health Sciences Center. Can I use the Undergraduate Writing Center?
The UWC is specific to the TTU Main campus and satellite campuses. You can make an appointment at the TTUHSC Writing Center by clicking here.
Services
What do you do?
We help students become better writers through practice and thinking about their purpose. We help with any kind of writing at any stage of the writing process. For class assignments, you can bring in just a prompt and brainstorm how to get started. We will help you think about “global” concerns, such as audience, purpose, organization, citations, genre, and meeting requirements of the assignment.
We also help with professional documents such as résumés, cover letters, emails, scholarship applications, and graduate school applications.
Students from all colleges are welcome. We regularly work with students from all majors. Additionally, we have consultants with a wide variety of majors and minors.
What if I need help with writing that is not for a class?
We are available to help with any kind of writing, including résumés, cover letters, emails, scholarship applications, and graduate school applications. The writer must be enrolled at TTU, even for writing not associated with a class.
Will you “fix” or edit my paper?
Our purpose is to help students develop their writing skills. We do not make changes to students' papers. We help writers think about their work from a different point of view and with a fresh set of eyes. Our trained consultants will also share their knowledge of different writing genres, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and citations.
Can I get help with citations?
Yes! We can help you learn the specific requirements for style guides such as APA, MLA, Chicago, or IEEE. We can also help you figure out other citation styles required by an instructor.
Proper citation of paraphrases, ideas, and direct quotes helps avoid plagiarism. Our consultants help students think through what needs to be cited.
Can I bring in a group project?
Yes, but consultants can only provide feedback on the parts you wrote. However, your whole group is welcome to come in for a joint appointment.
Can I bring in someone else's paper?
No. The UWC is only available to undergraduates enrolled at TTU. Bringing in friends' or family members' writing takes appointments away from Tech students whose fees are paying for the services.
Undergraduate Writing Center
-
Address
Weeks Hall, Third Floor, 2508 15th St., Lubbock, TX 79409-5033 -
Phone
(806) 742-2476 -
Email
writingcenter.undergrad@ttu.edu