Ways To Encourage Students To Use the Writing Center

• Mention the Writing Center in your syllabi and on assignment sheets.
  
• Mention the Writing Center in comments on papers or in conferences: "Take your draft to the Writing Center to work on integrating sources."
  
• Announce to the entire class that you recommend a Writing Center conference. Students need to know they have your support for using the Writing Center.
  
• If you require Writing Center conferences for a specific assignment, be sure to give a deadline for the visits. Consider giving students who make a Writing Center appointment an extended deadline. Remind your students that we work with walk-ins only when space is available. If your students delay making appointments, we cannot guarantee that a conference will be available before your deadline. We have a form students can turn in to show you what they worked on in the conference.
  
• Build the Writing Center into your assignment: "Bring your draft to the Writing Center to test whether your explanation of these concepts is clear to a reader."
  
• Please do not imply that the Writing Center works only with weak writers by saying, "Everyone with a C or lower should go to the Writing Center for extra help," or "I will refer you to the Writing Center if you have problems." Discussing and revising papers is a normal part of the writing process, not something only inexperienced writers need to do. If students consider the Writing Center remedial, they will be reluctant to use this resource. When you refer students to the Writing Center on an individual basis, please talk to them privately.

Students can make appointments on our Web site at http://web.presby.edu/writingcenter