Writing Center Policies
Student Expectations
Treat your tutor with respect. If you are disrespectful or unwilling to engage, your tutor may end or cancel the appointment at any time.
Your appointment is subject to change based on tutor availability or APSU closures. In the event of a closure, your appointment may be moved to an online format or canceled. You will be notified via your student email if there are any changes.
During your Writing Center session, you will work together with your tutor to improve your paper.
Come with specific questions or topics in mind to make the most of your 30-minute or 1-hour session. This ensures a productive and focused meeting.
We discuss responsible AI use and how it can help identify grammar mistakes and other errors. However, AI should support your writing process and not replace your own original voice or understanding. The Writing Center focuses on helping you develop confidence in your ideas and unique writing style so you don’t feel the need to rely on AI.
You may submit AI generated work only if your professor policy allows it and you disclose that use both to us and your professor. We do not participate in making AI sound like your voice without your professor's knowledge.
Appointment Policies
Students may book up to 1 hour per day and 2 hours per week.
- Our services are designed to supplement learning by reinforcing concepts and providing guidance. To encourage independent learning, we maintain a weekly appointment limit. This encourages students to apply what they’ve learned and develop their problem-solving skills.
- This limit also ensures that more students at APSU have an equal opportunity to access tutoring sessions.
- Please avoid resubmitting on the same day unless meaningful revisions have been made in response to feedback from the previous sessions. Up to two submissions per day are permitted, provided the total time does not exceed the two-hour weekly limit. Appointments may be canceled if sufficient revisions have not been made.
- If you are working on a long project (dissertation, research paper, etc.), we recommend scheduling an in-person appointment. Please reach out to us at writinglab@apsu.edu for more information on long-term project support.
Tutors typically review the first 2-3 pages of a submission during a 30-minute session. Please submit no more than six pages at a time and specify which pages you’d like reviewed. Graduate and doctoral students should indicate their program level and submit papers in smaller sections.
Please do not resubmit on the same day unless meaningful revisions have been made based on feedback from the first session.
Students may resubmit the same paper twice only after making revisions.
You may book two separate 30-minute appointments for different assignments on the same day.
If you have a handwritten draft, we recommend scheduling an in-person appointment as our online and etutoring appointments are only able to review papers that are uploaded in Word via .doc or .docx.
For online and eTutoring appointments, please provide an assignment sheet or relevant details (such as purpose, length, due date, and citation style). Without this information, you may be asked to reschedule.
We are not responsible for converting PDF, PNG or other files into Word format.
Appointments will be marked as no-show and canceled if you arrive:
5 minutes late for a 30-minute appointment
10 minutes late for a 1-hour appointment
Students who miss more than three appointments without canceling in advance will be unable to book further appointments for the rest of the semester.
If you're feeling sick, please take care of yourself and don't come to the Writing Center. To cancel last-minute due to illness, simply use our online scheduling system at apsu.mywconline.com.
Indicate on your appointment form if you’re working on a group project. Tutors can work with multiple group members, but each student must be registered in our system. We recommend booking simultaneous appointments with multiple tutors for the best feedback.
Faculty members who schedule tutoring appointments on behalf of a student must obtain the student’s permission prior to booking the session. When submitting the appointment request, faculty should attach an assignment sheet or provide detailed information about the assignment to ensure the tutor can prepare effectively for the session.
The APSU Writing Center is dedicated to supporting currently enrolled students at APSU. Due to staffing, we are only able to help students at this time. Faculty, Staff, and other non-student individuals are not eligible to schedule appointments or receive individual writing consultations.
Appointment Information
Our goal is to help you improve your writing skills, not to guarantee a specific grade. Tutors will focus on addressing two or three types of mistakes per session rather than attempting to "fix" the entire paper.
The APSU Writing Center serves all student writers! Tutors may provide reasonable assistance with physical handwriting needs on a case-by-case basis within the two-hour weekly appointment limit. Although tutors do not write or complete academic coursework for students, they are ready to support a variety of writing challenges. Tutors have varying levels of experience and comfort and may establish boundaries when requests extend beyond their training.
Accommodations do not require documentation from APSU Disability Services, though we encourage students to connect with all the campus resources offered to them Potential accommodations the Writing Center provides:
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Three flexible appointment options (in-person, online, and asynchronous).
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Written feedback, video tutorials, and handouts to supplement tutoring sessions.
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Adjustable lighting: The Writing Center has windows that provide natural light, but students who are sensitive to light may request that the blinds be lowered
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We strive to keep a low-noise quiet tutoring space. However, because the doors remain open to the library, some noise may be unavoidable.
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Additional tutoring time for appointments if you provide documentation from APSU Disability Services
Can the Writing Center help me find sources or citations?
- The Writing Center can help you integrate and cite sources you already have. However, tutors are not trained as research experts and do not locate sources for students. We recommend working with the library front desk for research assistance and scheduling.
Our tutors focus on strategies to improve understanding of prompts and texts, but do not complete or summarize readings for students.
If you need proof of attendance, the student is responsible for requesting it before they leave their session, downloading it, and emailing it to you directly to ensure you receive it without any issues. Please note that tutors are not responsible for sending proof of attendance to professors.
Frequently Asked Questions
All currently enrolled APSU undergraduate and graduate students can use the Writing Center’s services for free.
We’re on the main floor of the APSU Woodward Library, right next to Starbucks.
Yes! Walk-ins are welcome whenever slots are available between scheduled appointments.
Yes! Use eTutoring to upload your document and assignment sheet. Feedback is returned in the “Attached Files” section. No meeting required.
A written draft is best, but tutors can help with brainstorming and planning even if your paper isn’t started.
During a 30-minute session, tutors typically review the first 2–3 pages. Please submit no more than six pages at a time and indicate which pages you’d like reviewed.
When you book a 30-minute or 1-hour tutoring session, the actual tutoring time is 25 or 50 minutes. The remaining time is used to complete your client report form and document the session.
Reschedule through apsu.mywconline.com or call us.
Yes! Tutors help with grammar, word choice, clarity, and organization. We guide you through improving your writing, but we are not editors; students actively work on their own papers during appointments.
Yes! We assist with personal statements, scholarship essays, and cover letters. For resumes and full job application support, visit the Career Success Center.
Yes! We discuss responsible AI use and how it can help identify grammar mistakes and other errors. However, AI should support your writing process and not replace your own original voice or understanding. The Writing Center focuses on helping you develop confidence in your ideas and unique writing style.
When you bring your class to the Writing Center, we will introduce students to our services. We will share our handouts and show students where these resources are available on our website. Staff will also demonstrate how to create a myWConline account and how to schedule appointments. Students will be reminded that appointments can be booked anytime on apsu.mywconline.com.
The Writing Center can help you integrate and cite sources you already have. However, tutors are not trained as research experts and do not locate sources for students. We recommend working with the library front desk for research assistance and scheduling.
For students who are required to attend sessions for credit, appointment information is recorded for each visit and documented in a Client Report Form. This form can be accessed through the “Attached Files” section.
Students may work in the Writing Center without an appointment if space is available. However, if the center becomes busy or a scheduled client arrives, you may be asked to leave.
We’re here to give feedback and talk through your ideas, but you’re the one actively writing and revising. Tutor are not editors or graders. If you’re worried about your grade, it’s best to look over your professor’s comments and check in with them about what they’re looking for.
All users must register using their official APSU @students.apsu.edu email address, so we can verify student status and contact you when necessary. Emails from our system may occasionally be sent to your junk or spam folder, so please check these regularly.