Writing Center

• Home
• Writing Tips
• OWL
• Workshops
• FAQ
• Staff

• Home
• Writing Tips
  • Downloads
  • Links
• Online Writing Lab
• Workshops
  • Classes
  • Schedule
• FAQ
  • Students
  • Instructors
• Staff
  • Administration
  • Assistants
  • Consultants
  • Satellites
• Classroom Presentation

• Search site:
  

• Contact Us
  • Patrice Hollrah, Ph.D
  • Jacquie Elkouz
  • writingcenter@unlv.edu
  • Office: 702-895-3908

What does our Writing Center do? Simply put, we can help you with any writing assignment, and we can help you at any stage of the writing process. We can help you brainstorm, make an outline, work on your drafts, or just be a second set of eyes for that final draft. We can help you in person, or you can send us your paper using the simple form on our Online Writing Lab (OWL) page.

We also have a computer lab with thirteen computers for student use. Our lab is open every day except Saturday during the fall and spring semesters, and Monday through Friday during summer sessions II and III. It is equipped with the latest versions of major word processor and internet software, as well as grammar and writing programs. Come in to work on your drafts, do research, or work with a consultant!

Who works at the UNLV Writing Center? Most of our consultants are graduate students pursuing an M.A., M.F.A, or Ph.D. in English or Creative Writing. All of the graduate students in English instruct (or have instructed) courses in English Composition and/or English as a Second Language. We often have graduate students from other disciplines as well. We have had consultants from Psychology, Sociology, and even Theater Arts. We also typically have one or more peer tutors, undergraduates who are excellent writers, who receive intensive training to work in the Writing Center.

How do I get help? Call us, drop by our office in CDC-301 to schedule an appointment, or use our Online Writing Lab form.

If you call and no one answers the phone, please leave a message. Messages are checked often, and we do return calls as soon as we are able, so please do not call back repeatedly if no one answers the phone. When our consultants work with clients, we do not answer the phone under any circumstances; a staff member will call you back as soon as possible.

Can I come as often as I want? Yes and no. When we are busy, we may limit you to two scheduled appointments per week so that we can provide service to as many students as possible. You also cannot have back-to-back appointments, but you may walk in at anytime and see if someone has cancelled his/her appointment or has not shown up for an appointment. You may walk in as often as you like, but we cannot guarantee a session with a consultant unless you schedule an appointment in advance.

Anything else I should know about appointments? If you are more than ten minutes late for a scheduled appointment, we consider you a "no show" and we will give your time to anyone who is waiting for a walk-in consultation. We cannot "hold" appointments since consultants and students might be inconvenienced.

Also, if you "no show" two times during the semester for scheduled appointments without calling or stopping by at least an hour ahead to cancel beforehand, you lose the privilege of scheduling appointments. We will continue to see you on a walk-in basis only. It is in your best interest to call and cancel your appointment if you won't be able to make it to the center, and it frees up appointments so that we don't have to turn so many people away.

What happens in a consultation? You get 45 minutes of undivided attention from one of our consultants. As you read your writing, we listen or look for gaps in ideas, problems in organization, grammatical errors, and elements of style. This helps us identify the most important aspect of your writing to talk about and how to best help you during your consultation. There's more to writing a good paper than just grammar, so we look at the whole paper. We will probably not get to everything in your paper during our 45 minutes together, but your paper will be better because of your time with us.

Will you tell my teacher I came to visit?: Only if you want us to. There is no shame in coming to visit us; in fact, it shows your teacher that you are dedicated to writing and becoming a better writer. If you would like, we will send a summary of the items we disussed during our session to your instructor.

Can I just drop off my paper and pick it up in a few hours? No. We are not a proofreading service. The philosophy behind our writing center is one-on-one interaction and learning. Picking up a proofread paper will not help you learn anything or help make you a better writer.

My paper is for my Physics class or for a job application; can I still come in? Yes. Please drop by. We will work with any member of the UNLV community on any paper. Our consultants have helped a wide variety of people in a wide variety of disciplines with papers at all levels of collegiate and post-collegiate writing. In addition to papers for class, we will also help you with application essays, personal statements, query letters, and cover letters. We can even take a look at your résumé. The Career Services Department is another resource for help with your résumé.

I have to write an essay test. Can I come here? If your instructor permits it, we will be happy to brainstorm answers to possible questions with you and teach you strategies for taking essay tests. However, we do not give practice timed writing tests.

I don't have anything written yet. I just want to talk to someone and see if I'm on the right track. Can you help me? Yes. Bring your assignment, any notes you may have, and anything you may have written. Talking about your ideas with someone is an important part of the writing process for many people. Bounce your ideas off of us; we'll give you feedback. We can talk to you about ways to develop your ideas, strategies for getting unstuck, and places to go for research (if that's necessary).

English is not my first language. Can I come to the center? Absolutely. We will work with you to help you express your ideas clearly. The one-on-one instruction you get from us helps you learn English grammar and style better and faster. We always have one or two ESL specialists on staff who are better equipped to help students from non-English speaking backgrounds.

Can I just come in and write? Yes, please feel free to come in and write. Whether you would like to work on one of our thirteen student computers, or whether you simply want a quiet place to write by hand, feel welcome to come into CDC-301.

How much does this cost? This is a free service. You paid for our services when you paid your tuition. Come early and take advantage of your two weekly appointments!

Will my paper get an A? Perhaps. It depends on many things, including your skill level, the state of your draft, and what issues your consultant was able to discuss during your session. Forty-five minutes is not a lot of time. We may spend the whole session working with you on organization and development issues and never even get to grammar. We cannot promise any particular grade because we are not the ones grading your work!

If you want to increase your chances of getting an "A," come as early in the drafting process as possible and be prepared to write several drafts of every paper and see a consultant or get reader responses after each draft. [ top ]