Writing Center Tutoring

The Writing Center, under the direction of the English Department, provides a space for scholarly collaboration centered on writing, reading, and critical thinking. This dialogic environment thrives by bringing together undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty to work and think side-by-side, free from the hierarchy of the classroom.

Our mission is to foster this collaboration through workshops, events, and writing consultations. All consultations focus on providing meaningful feedback and guidance, rather than direct instruction. Our pedagogical methods are collaborative and adaptive to writers’ needs and learning styles. We celebrate and respect the voices of individual writers. By establishing an atmosphere where students feel free to share their work and ideas, we aim to help them express those ideas fully, build confidence, and reach their potential as learners.

The Writing Center also engages in research that supports our local practices while addressing broader concerns in writing center and writing studies scholarship.

The Writing Center strives to be a welcoming environment conducive to thinking and writing. The WC is a great place to do your work independently (using our computers or your own) with the added security of knowing a consultant is nearby to answer questions!

• Weekly scheduled sessions meet with a designated consultant at a set day and time period for the length of the semester. This mode of tutoring allows a deeper level of insight and comfort within the tutor-tutee relationship.
• Scheduled one-to-one consulting sessions are made in advance of the appointment time and self-scheduled by the student using the Navigate app. This is the most utilized mode.
• Drop-in sessions require no appointment and students will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis depending on the availability of the consultants. Students are encouraged to work independently in our space while they wait for a consultant.
• Classroom embedded tutoring entails one or more tutors visiting a class in their space to assist the class as directed by the instructor.
• Other services offered include workshops, such as conversation workshops for ESL students, full class workshops with the instructor present and guiding group collaboration with students, workshops led by student clubs and publications such as LIT and The Banner.
• Research is done in collaboration with student and faculty consultants. Regularly scheduled reading groups and discussion meetings help facilitate group and individual projects. Professional conference memberships are encouraged, and when able, provided.

The Writing Center tutor will ask what you would like to work on during the session. They will also ask to see the assignment prompt and to hear about any feedback you have received on your writing from your professor.

The Writing Center tutor will discuss your writing with you, which will frequently involve asking you questions about your ideas and getting you to talk through problems arising from your writing.

If you haven't yet written anything, the tutor will help you brainstorm and organize ideas. If you have a draft, you will then spend time together reading the parts of the paper that you have both agreed to focus on.

You can expect to take plenty of notes! You will spend the last part of the session developing a plan for further writing and revision.

Please come prepared with a physical or virtual copy of any writing assignments, prompts, instructions, rubrics, or anything else relevant to the writing you would like assistance with. Feel free to ask any questions or seek out any specific guidance or feedback. It never hurts to have some questions prepared ahead of time, but you will probably think of more during the session. Tutoring is a collaborative process, and what you can bring to the session is as important as what the tutor can provide!

• Purdue OWL MLA
• Sample MLA Paper
• Purdue OWL APA
• Sample APA Paper
• Purdue OWL Chicago
• Sample Chicago style paper
• Zotero Bib

The Writing Program at CSI accepts submissions in May of each academic year for its annual Inkwell essay contest. We look for the best essays written for a first-year writing class (English 111, 111P, or 151)

Six winning essays are published in our campus anthology Inkwell. Winners will also be invited to take part in our Inkwell Celebration and Reading event. We encourage faculty to help students choose which paper to submit, but submissions should be submitted by students.

Students should submit their papers as pdf attachments to inkwell@csi.cuny.edu

If you have any questions about the contest, please contact Melanie McNulty or Lewis Dimmick

To read the the 2023/2024 volume of Inkwell, go here:  https://heyzine.com/flip-book/8fb82e7303.html