UCA Writing Center

Writing Center Services

One-to-One Conferences with a trained consultant in the Writing Center who will read your work with a fresh pair of eyes: writers often get so close to their work that it becomes difficult to see where to go next. Writing Center consultants will read your work and give you a sounding board for developing ideas, rethinking organization, creating focus, strategizing research techniques, and more. Our writing becomes stronger by benefitting from feedback. Writing is meant to be read, so it is helpful to make use of a reader as we develop our projects.

Further, writers need readers throughout the writing process, from the idea generation stage, through the initial and later drafting stages where you map out an organization and develop ideas, all the way to the final stages including editing and constructing the works cited or references pages. The Writing Center is a free service for all UCA students, and we would love to work with you throughout the development of all your writing projects. You are welcome to come as often as you would like. You can make an appointment, or drop in. Appointments are given priority.

E-mail Conferencing: One way to integrate feedback into all stages of the writing process is to e-mail each draft, as it is developed, to one of our consultants. A consultant will read the draft and make a few suggestions to help you in the development of the next draft. There is a 48 hour turn-around time for e-mail conferencing.

E-mail Conferencing + Instant Message Discussion: Another option for integrating feedback easily into your writing process is to e-mail a consultant a draft; the consultant will e-mail back with comments, and then you can set up a time with that consultant to discuss the comments via Instant Message.

Writer's Hotline: If you are in the middle of a writing project, and you have a quick question, pick up the phone and call 450-5123 and ask a consultant.

Workshops on various writing topics

Book Club: Whitney Jones leads a book club every Tuesday from 4:30-5:30 in the UCA Writing Center, Thompson Hall 109. The current book is Neil Gaiman's Coraline. For more information, call Whitney at 450-5123.

Conversation Group: Come to the Writing Center every Friday afternoon at 4:00 to participate in a fun, informal group conversation to practice English language skills. Contact Jonathan Dao for more information: 450-5123.

Tip Sheets containing guides for a variety of writing issues and techniques such as grammar, focus, and idea generation

Resource Books, including documentation guides, grammar handbooks, dictionaries, and textbooks