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The Writing Center

Pittsburg State offers free sessions to students, faculty, and staff who would like help with writing papers, creating citations, need a second opinion on their homework and so much more! Writing Center consultants are experienced writers who are committed to helping clients achieve their writing goals with any type of writing project.

Our 2024 Spring Semester hours are:

9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Wednesday
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Thursday
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Friday

NEW Location:

311 Grubbs Hall

Appointments are available for in-person consultations. As well as online by email, video chat, or phone.

For questions please call: 620-235-4694
or email: writingcenter@pittstate.edu

What does the Writing Center do for students?

During a writing consultation, we can help you with any type of writing assignment, for any course, at any stage of the writing process. Use our online schedule http://pittstate.mywconline.com to make an appointment for a consultation by chat or email.

We can help with finding, using, and citing sources; planning and getting started on a writing assignment; checking to make sure you’ve followed the instructions; proofreading for final submission; and document formatting using Microsoft Word.

Our schedule fills up quickly, so plan ahead.

What is an online consultation by e-mail?

An online consultation by e-mail is a chance for you to get personalized feedback on your writing at a time that works for you.  To use this service, go to the online appointment schedule at http://pittstate.mywconline.com, select any available appointment, and choose “Yes. Schedule Online by email appointment.” Use the appointment reservation form to tell us what kind of help you need, what you want us to pay attention to in reading your paper, and what special questions or concerns you would like us to address. Please also upload the instructions for the assignment, if you have them. Then attach your paper to the appointment, and you’re done. A consultant will respond to the issues you’ve identified, and you will have the consultant’s feedback within 60 minutes of the scheduled appointment time.

 For best results, please send your draft in MS Word (.docx) format so that we can put comments directly on your draft. We can work with a .pdf if that’s your only option, but we can give you more targeted feedback using a Word document.

What is an online consultation by chat?

An online consultation by chat is a real-time conversation with a Writing Center consultant using either Zoom or the Writing Center’s private chat feature. During a chat consultation, clients can share documents with the consultant, ask questions and get feedback about their draft, and even work collaboratively on revision. Chat appointments can be made using the Writing Center’s online scheduling system http://pittstate.mywconline.com by selecting “Yes. Schedule Online by chat appointment” in the appointment reservation form.

What if I just have a quick question?

For genuinely quick questions, we’re happy to help by phone (620-235-4694) or by chat via the chat tool on our website https://www.pittstate.edu/office/writing-center/. You can also email questions to us at writingcenter@pittstate.edu.

Is there a charge for using the Writing Center?

No. The Writing Center @ PSU provides all services free of charge to students, staff, and faculty.

What kinds of writing can the Writing Center help with?

We can help you with any academic or workplace writing, including writing assignments for PSU courses, graduate school applications, resumes and cover letters, reports, grant proposals, and writing for publication. We can also work with creative writing for a PSU creative writing course and poetry or short stories for submission to a magazine or literary journal.

Will the Writing Center edit my paper for me?

Our goal is to help you address the issues that brought you to the Writing Center, whatever they are, so if editing is what you need, then editing is what we do. But we do also want to help you become more proficient in working with your own writing, including editing, so we will try to use the opportunity to teach you some things about editing that you can use for the future.

My professor wants proof that I came to the Writing Center. How can I get that?

If you have made an appointment using our online scheduling system, you just need to tell us in the appointment reservation form that you need proof of your visit, give us your instructor’s email address, and we’ll send it. If you work with us in a different format (by phone or using the chat tool on our website, for example), you’ll need to remember to tell us that you need proof of visit and spend a couple of extra minutes in the chat or on the phone while we collect that information from you.

Resources for Writers

The Writing Center provides addition help with information about how to write and use punctuation and sources correctly here online. Additional resources are provided to you to use at your discretion if you are working off campus or are not able to come in to see us immediately.

Resources at the Writing Center

Information for Graduate Students

Like all other members of the PSU community, graduate students are invited to get feedback on their writing for individual writing assignments using our regular consultations by chat or email. Specially for graduate students, we also offer the Graduate Writing Studio (GWS), which lets you get more intensive feedback from a full-time faculty member on your master’s thesis or doctor of nursing practice project, extended research or creative project, or article for publication. You can find the application for the graduate writing studio below.

Graduate Writing Studio Application

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For graduate teaching assistants, our full-time faculty are also experienced writing teachers, and we’re happy to help you develop writing assignments for your courses, develop strategies for giving feedback on student writing, and plan classroom instruction to improve student writing. GTAs are also welcome to use our classroom presentations on using APA or MLA format, writing the review of the literature, or developing a research project.

Finally, we can assist with graduate school applications and personal statements and preparation for the verbal section of the GRE.

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Information for Faculty

We invite you to send your students to the Writing Center to address specific issues that you identify or for a general revision prior to final submission of an assignment. We’re happy to send you verification of students’ use of the Writing Center if you need that for your records.

The full-time faculty in the Writing Center are also experienced writing teachers, and we’re happy to help you develop writing assignments for your courses, develop strategies for giving feedback on student writing, and plan classroom instruction to improve student writing.

We’re also happy to do classroom presentations on using APA or MLA format, writing the review of the literature, or developing a research project. To schedule a classroom presentation, please use the presentation request form.

We also offer support for your academic and professional writing, including for writing publication and completion of an academic degree (e.g. the master’s thesis or dissertation).

Classroom Presentation Request Form

Request a Classroom Visit

International Students

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Conversation Partners

The Conversation partners program allows international students to practice spoken English with English-speaking students in casual settings. This program encourages American and international students to interact with students from different cultures and promotes the intercultural understanding among students. The participants will meet for an hour with the English speakers and can have conversations of their choice.

Benefits

  • English-speaking students can interact with international students and tell them about American culture.
  • International students can practice English and become proficient in it.
  • Both American and international students can make new friends.
  • American students are encouraged to study abroad for higher studies.

Who We Are

We are well trained language consultants able to provide services to both undergraduate and graduate students. Every semester, we help students boost their speaking confidence and encourage engagement with American students with the goal of making friends and creating successful English speakers.

Conversation Partner Sessions

  • Book Face-to-face conversation partner through our online form linked down below.
  • Each appointment typically last for an hour.
  • Students can meet with conversation partners in a variety of locations across campus.
  • Appointments are available in Spring and Fall semesters, during the Writing Center timings.

Want to know more about Conversation Partner?

Please contact, The Writing Center Director, Janet Zepernick: jzepernick@pittstate.edu

Conversation Partner Application Form

List of Books to Improve Your English

Consultant Bios

Director and Assistant Director

Janet Zepernick

Director of the Writing Center

I have a Ph.D. in English, and I’ve been associated with writing centers in various ways since my first WC job as a peer tutor in 1988. I’m interested in practically everything, so I love being in the Writing Center because that lets me work with people from all over the university.

I think my biggest strength as a writer (and writing consultant) is getting to the point and staying on point. In aspects of writing where I’m not naturally gifted (for example, in getting to the point!), I’ve worked hard to develop those skills, so I’m also a good example of someone who has become a proficient writer over time with a lot of effort and feedback from others rather than being a “born” writer.

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Lora Winters

Assistant Director of the Writing Center

I’ve been one of the assistant directors of the Writing Center since 2014. I have a BSED in English Education and an MA in English with an emphasis in Literature. I love learning, and so I’m interested in basically everything. My current interests are sewing, teaching English as a foreign language, fiction writing, and reading about how the brain works.

One thing that I think helps me as a writer, and also as a writing center consultant, is that I am very detail-oriented.

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Writing Specialist

Glenn Storey

Writing Specalist

I have an MA in English with an emphasis in literature, but I have spent the past several years developing into a writing specialist. Besides working in the writing center, I teach English composition courses here at PSU, and I do grant writing.

I am passionate about history (I have a BA in the subject), especially medieval British history, and I am filled with wanderlust, so if you can’t find me in the Writing Center, you can find me on an adventure!

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Writing Consultants

Briley

Hi! I’m Briley and I’m a senior studying English and Creative Writing. I’ve been working at the Writing Center since the Spring 2023 semester. My favorite things to do are writing, playing with my puppy, and going on road trips whenever I get the chance.

As a writer, my strengths are literary analysis and creative writing. I am particularly knowledgeable about APA formatting. I am also detail-oriented and a good organizer. I look forward to working with you!

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Ram

Hi, I am Ram. I have been a consultant in the Writing Center since February 2023. I am pursuing my Master of Science in Technology with an emphasis in STEM College teaching.

I am always eager to learn new technology and knowledge. My hobbies are running, swimming, coding, long drives, and reading. I love to help others.

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Sujin

Hi! I’m Sujin and I’ve been working at the Writing Center of PSU since June 2023. I’m an exchange student from South Korea. I major in English to learn about language and literature. As an English major student, I always write and read various media.

My hobbies are cooking, workout, traveling, and watching movies. Let's increase writing ability and achieve academic goals!

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Contact Us

Janet Zepernick, Director
jzepernick@pittstate.edu
311 Grubbs Hall | 1701 South Broadway
Pittsburg, Kansas 66762 USA
+1 (620)-235-4694
Pittsburg.
Our Community.