The format is two writers talking about writing and rhetoric — in any discipline, at any stage of the writing process.

They can

• Brainstorm ideas and/or develop outlines
• Direct research and/or search computer databases for sources together
• Analyze how an essay is organized and whether it fulfills the instructor's goals
• Discuss sentence-level issues, such as punctuation
• Check citation style, such as MLA, APA, or Chicago style
• Work together to figure out which direction the writing could go.

Types of writing

Sessions can focus on academic papers, business letters, resumes, and other types of writing.

Consultants are peer writers — with expertise

A couple are instructors but most are graduate and undergraduate staff who have gone through a training program. The model is Kenneth Bruffee's "community of like-minded peers."

Your Session

Sessions last up to 50 minutes. No two sessions are alike, because each is guided by the writer. If the writer is working on a class assignment, the consultant helps the writer compare the instructor's assignment sheet to the writer's draft. Typically, the writer reads the draft aloud, and together they discuss the strengths and organization of the thesis and main ideas. They also consider grammar, punctuation, and word choice. They often make use of handbooks, dictionaries and thesauri, the UWC web resources, and handouts made by UWC consultants to address common questions.

Weekly Sessions

A writer could request a series of meetings with the same consultant. Together, they would plan for a progression of assignments and/or writing strategies to be discussed over a number of weeks. This has proven useful for students working on a long-term project, such as a thesis or culminating paper, students who are returning to school, and students whose first language is not English.