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Student Services Center, Room 340
530-898-6839
slc@csuchico.edu
Hours of operation
M–R 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Friday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Writing Center Hours
M–R 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Friday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Writing Center Drop-in Hours
M-R 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Friday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
M-R 5 p.m. - 7 p.m MLIB 4th Floor
Math Learning Lab Hours
MLIB 4th Floor
M–R 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Writing Center
The Writing Center is closed for the summer. Services will resume at the beginning of the fall semester.
What can we help you with today?
The Writing Center provides free, one-on-one writing tutoring to enrolled Chico State students. We are here for writers of all levels and abilities. Even advanced writers can benefit from seeing a writing tutor. Whether you’re brainstorming, writing, revising, or making sure your writing flows, our tutors would love to support you. You don’t even have a draft. We’ll be right there with you to help you write one!
What We Do
- Help you understand and meet writing assignment requirements
- Help you plan and get started on writing
- Discuss your ideas and help you develop them
- Help you set and meet priorities for revision
- Help you learn and apply rules for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure
What We Don’t Do
- Proofread and edit your essay
- Write your essay for you
- Take the place of your instructor or professor
- Guarantee you’ll get high grades on your writing
- Quickly fix your essay without your involvement
We are open Monday through Friday (with the exception of holidays and academic breaks). You can schedule an in-person or Zoom appointment with a writing tutor for one hour, or you can see a tutor today for a 30-minute drop-in session. Visit the Writing Center in SSC 340 or call the SLC. Can’t come in? You can also submit your draft online for feedback from our writing tutors.
How does the Writing Center work?
The Writing Center employs 8 to 15 faculty-recommended peer tutors who are trained to provide feedback on writing. To see a writing tutor, schedule a one-hour appointment or a 30-minute drop-in session. This service is provided free to enrolled Chico State students. Both undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to use the Writing Center often.
Here are some of the writing assignments we have helped students with in the past:
- Essays and research papers
- Literature reviews
- Scholarship applications and essays
- Personal statements for grad school
- Resumes and cover letters
- Lab reports
- Blog posts
- Presentations
- Proposals
Starting this semester, we can help you with crafting your speeches and drafting a script for your presentation.
We also work closely with other offices and programs on campus, including the Career Center and ESL Support Services.
Writing Center Usage Policies and Limitations
The limitations listed below will be strictly enforced and are put in place to ensure writing tutor availability.
Writing Appointments – These are guaranteed 1-hour tutoring sessions scheduled at least a day in advance with a tutor. Appointments can also be scheduled to recur weekly, allowing you to work with the same tutor every week throughout the whole semester.
- One appointment per day.
- Two appointments per week.
- CANNOT be conjoined with a Drop-in tutoring session on the same day.
Drop-in Tutoring – These are same-day, 30-minute sessions. They are first-come, first-served.
- Limited to 30 minutes – If no one else is waiting, then these sessions can be extended to 1 hour.
- One drop-in per day – These are not guaranteed sessions and are on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Two drop-ins per week.
Online Essays
- Must be submitted at least 3 days in advance.
- One submission per week.
- Eight submissions per semester.
- Limited to five pages - Feedback for online essays is limited to the first five pages (double-spaced in 12-point font or two and a half single-spaced pages) of a submission. Students are still allowed to submit essays that are more than five pages in order to provide context for the tutor, but please keep in mind that only the first five pages of the submission will be reviewed.
Do you have any other questions about writing tutoring? If yes, please email Jenni Bolte, Writing Center Coordinator .
What Students Have Said About Their Experiences at the Writing Center
“The paper was full of unfamiliar medical terms, but the tutor was not intimidated. He was still able to check the flow and to make sure that I was addressing the issues and following the rubric. He understood what I needed to accomplish in an hour and did not waste time. He focused on the important aspects so that I left feeling like I knew exactly what areas needed adjustment.”
“She challenged my ideas to ensure I had an essay with a quality direction. She supported my ideas and gave me confidence.”
“Super nice, helped me determine what topics and sentences to eliminate and helped me to discuss relevant topics more in depth rather than listing topics. Gave me good feedback regarding what fits the prompt.”
“She provided me with lots of information about APA, how to form my ideas and organize my thoughts. It really helped restructure my essay and improve my thought process.”
Other Writing Centers and Writing Resources at Chico State
There are many writing support services across the Chico State campus. If our tutoring services do not meet your needs, or if you would like to see what other kinds of tutoring are available, here is a list. Simply click on the link for more information.
School of Social Work Student Writing Resources
Subject Librarians(opens in new window) (who can help you with research for your paper)
Research Subject Guides from the Meriam Library(opens in new window)
Frequently Asked Questions
- When will tutoring start?
Tutoring will start on Monday, January 30, 2023
- How does the draft submission service work?Fill out our submission form(opens in new window). Tutors will provide feedback on your draft and return it to you as a Google Doc within 3-5 business days.
- When can I submit my draft for feedback?
The submission form for drafts will open Monday, August 29, 2022
- How do I see a tutor?
Appointments, available in person and on Zoom, can be made by visiting the Writing Center in SSC 340 or calling the SLC(opens in new window). Drop-ins are available in person on a first-come-first-served basis.
- Who are the tutors?
Writing tutors are also Chico State students. They are hired based on their experience, faculty recommendation, writing samples, GPA, and an interview. Writing tutors go through College Reading and Learning Association training and receive at least 10 hours of pre-semester training in tutoring methodology. They are also observed during the semester and receive feedback from the Writing Center Coordinator and mentor tutors.
- Do you have tutors in every subject?
The Writing Center is not equipped to hire writing tutors in every subject. However, all of our tutors are trained to provide feedback to a diverse range of writing.
- Can I schedule an appointment every week?
Yes.
- How long are appointments?
Appointments are one hour long.
- How many appointments can I get a week?
Two
- How many drop-ins can I get a week?
Two
- Can international students use the Writing Center?
Definitely!
- Can students get a confirmation slip from the Writing Center for extra credit?
If your professor is offering extra credit for requiring a visit to the Writing Center for an assignment, we ask that you notify your tutor and they will verify your visit with a paper form. If your appointment is on Zoom, let your tutor know and you will fill out a Google Form. We will then send your professor an email confirming your visit.
- Can the Writing Center come in and speak to my class about services?
Absolutely. Please fill out our Class Presentation Request Form(opens in new window) and we will contact you about scheduling.