Cabrini University’s Writing Center is an essential resource for many students on campus, even if they are unfamiliar with Academic Enrichment. The Writing Center can help students on campus become better writers, make connections with others, and gain skills they may not have had before.
Ambitious students meet writing goals
This writing center is managed by the Center for Student Success. The staff members in charge are Dr. Kimberly L. Boyd, dean for retention and student success, and Dr. Richie Gebauer, assistant dean. The Writing Center strives to be a welcoming space for ambitious students hoping to meet their writing goals.
The center provides an opportunity to devote time and attention to students’ writing. After all, no matter what major or career path a student may follow, writing will always be a part of their lives.
During a session
At the Writing Center, students can brainstorm ideas, outline paragraphs, or create plans that will support them in the writing process. Tutors can help clarify a writer’s content, such as talking them through their goals and what they want their central message to be.
Steffy said students work on “Thesis statements, getting feedback on whether or not they are addressing the prompt, documentation style, revising their introductions or conclusions, sentence-level editing, how to integrate evidence into their writing, and then just doing some writing in the session itself.”
One advantage of the Writing Center is access to knowledgeable peer tutors who have experience with writing at Cabrini. This peer-to-peer interaction can be a special opportunity to connect with others and participate in the campus community of learners.
Student benefits
Students can learn a lot from listening and responding to feedback from a writing tutor. It gives them the opportunity to think broadly about their writing process, such as different strategies for formulating an introduction.
While the center’s work will benefit an individual’s writing, it will also benefit the writer in terms of their overall development and understanding of grammar and sentence structure. It can also serve any level of writer, whether they’re more confident or they feel like they’re struggling with writing.
The Writing Center continues to improve upon its services. Rebecca Steffy, Writing Center coordinator, said, “Last year, the Writing Center did an assessment process to try and get some data on what is happening in the sessions and learn from them and see how students are benefiting.”
During the assessment process, they found out students come to the Writing Center at different steps in the writing process and focus on aspects of their writing. Staff discovered there are usually two to three areas of focus in a given consultation, varying between planning, drafting, revising, etc.
Steffy heard from students who participated in the assessment. She said that through these writing consultations, students learned how to overcome struggles and persevere not just on their computers, but also in life.
To reserve an appointment or find out more information about the Writing Center’s schedule, visit the Center for Student Success.
