Skip to Main Content
Spalding University Library Logo

Writing Center Student Resources: Home

Writing Center Student Resources

Resources for Students Banner

Our Services

While writing process is generally our focus, the Writing Center offers all kinds of services to help students. Our goal in the Writing Center is to build confidence in students while helping them understand the writing process, so that they can improve their revision practices. Check out the list below to see what we do:

  • Offer assistance in understanding the writing process for a variety of papers from any subject or course
  • Recommend strategies for improvement in revision
  • Brainstorm ideas, discuss direction, and formulate a writing plan
  • Collaborate on organization, rhetorical structure, thesis statement, flow, and other writing conventions
  • Provide an audience for speeches and presentations
  • Help with resumes, CVs, personal statements, and other career documents
  • MLA, APA, and AMA formatting

How We Provide Feedback

Spring Hours: Monday through Friday 8 am to 6 pm

To schedule a face-to-face or Zoom appointment: You can now schedule Writing Center appointments through Navigate! In the desktop or the app, go to the “Appointments” menu and select “Make an Appointment.” When asked who you want to schedule with, just choose the Writing Center and answer the other questions about what you need help with. If you would like to meet in person, choose the “Spalding Library 2nd Floor” option under “Location,” and if you would like a virtual face-to-face meeting, choose the “Video Conference” option. You can still schedule the old-fashioned way too, by emailing us, calling us, or stopping by our desk.

Schedule face-to-face appointments through Navigate: spalding.navigate.eab.com

You can also contact [email protected] if you have additional questions or concerns.

In order to accommodate all students, we offer a maximum of two appointments per student per day with at least a one-hour break between appointments for you to have time to process the feedback received during the appointment.


Email Consultation

Sometimes it's hard to get in to see us in the Writing Center. Luckily, we are able to work with students through email. Using the link below you can email us your work. We have a turn-around time of 24-48 hours for 5 pages (longer papers have a longer turn around time). We ask that you submit the assignment, rubric, or any other directions that will help us tailor our feedback to fit your needs. Fall Hours: Monday through Friday 8 am to 6 pm

How do I submit my work?

  • Be sure to attach your work as a MSWord document (the following formats work best: .doc, .docx, .rtf) to the link provided below.
  • Once your work is received, we provide feedback in the form of comments within the margins of your paper. We will also include a letter in our email response explaining our notes and any areas of praise or concern that stood out to us.
  • Please provide us with your concerns in the writing, your goals in the writing, what you feel is the focus of the revision, or any other questions or directions you might have.

Email your workhttps://library.spalding.edu/wc-consult

 

In-Person Consultation 

Interested in working with the writing center in-person? Come by and see us!
You can make an appointment by calling or emailing us. We take walk-ins as well. Our appointments last from 45 minutes to an hour. We are located on the second floor of the Spalding University Library. Spring Hours: Monday through Friday 8 am to 6 pm. Our staff is really friendly and knowledgeable. Our goal is to help you with your writing. 

Phone: (502) 873-4494
Email: [email protected]

What do I need to bring to a consultation?
We ask that you bring...

  • a printed copy of your work
  • the assignment
  • grading rubric (if possible)
  • any other information that will give us the most direction as we tailor our feedback to fit your needs for a particular assignment

Writing Process
The following handouts are guides to help identify and understand the components of the writing process. These files are provided in pdf format and can be downloaded below.

Audience Awareness

Editing

Email Etiquette

A video discussing email etiquette: https://youtu.be/U1RQlcjXXuc

Outlining​​​​​​​

Passive Voice

(Pre)Writing Activities

Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing

Link to a video on quoting and paraphrasing: https://youtu.be/T5X1uUkTGn4

Link to a video on quote integration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQauIJGgLfs

Link to a video on quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGQPYJUyWj4

Link to a video on paraphrasing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VACN6X2eF0

Revision

Synthesis

Thesis Statements

Link to a video on writing thesis statements: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVxXpzaPJhE

Topic Sentences

Link to a video on writing topic sentences: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R-9T9TgGnE

Transitions

Writing Process

Link to a video on the writing process and how to organize your ideas: ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_objZtokYk

Types/Modes of Writing Handouts
The following handouts are guides to help identify and understand the components of different types of writing. These files are provided in pdf format and can be downloaded below.

Academic Writing (General)

Analytical Essays

Annotated Bibliographies

Argumentative Essays

Artist's Statements

A link with advice on how to write an artist's statement: https://www.wikihow.com/Write-an-Artist-Statement

Cover Letters

A link to advice on writing cover letters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrZSfMly_Ck

Descriptive Essays

A link with advice on how to write descriptively: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4ENH-zQgWU

Expository Essays

Literature Reviews

Narrative Essays

Persuasive Essays

Reflective Writing

Résumés

Here is some advice on how to start on a résumé: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9zUHApj6Zw

For more help with writing resumes, visit the Purdue OWL's résumé writing templates: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/job_search_writing/resumes_and_vitas/sample_resumes/index.html

Scientific Reports

Link to more detailed advice for writing scientific reports: https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/scientific-reports/

Situation #1: I am writing a paper, but I’m having trouble figuring out where to begin.

Situation #2: I am writing a paper, but I’m not sure I understand the assignment.

Situation #3: I have written a rough draft, but I haven’t met the length requirement yet.

Situation #4: My instructor wants me to cite using (MLA, APA, AMA), but I don’t know what that means.

Situation #5: I am afraid I’m plagiarizing, but I’m not sure.

Situation #6: I’m writing a research paper and am having difficulty working sources into my paper.

Situation #7: I have a draft finished, but my paper doesn’t seem to “flow.”

Situation #8: My teacher wants “substantial revision,” but I’m not sure what that means.

Situation #9: I can’t find good sources for my research paper.

Situation #10: I am having trouble with grammar and punctuation.

Situation #11: I have a lot that I want to say in this paper, but I’m having difficulty organizing my thoughts.

Situation #12: I have never written a (personal statement, résumé, cover letter, literature review, book review, journal critique) and don’t know where to start.

Situation #13: I am having difficulty getting Word to properly format my document.

Situation #14: I want to improve my writing, but I’m not sure where I need to start.

Situation #15: My teacher wants me to make an “argument,” but I don’t know if I’m doing that in my paper.

Situation #16: I’m wondering what makes college writing different than the writing I’ve done up to this point.

Situation #17: I’ve mostly written papers in my English class and am wondering if writing that I’ll be asked to do in my (non-English) major will be different.

Citation
The following handouts and videos are guides to help identify and understand the components of the citation process. The handouts are provided in pdf format and can be downloaded below.

AMA Guide

APA Guide

A video covering the major components of an APA-style paper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbvlf4oWDW0

A video discussing how to format an APA-style title page: https://youtu.be/67zb940swVU

Avoiding Plagiarism

A video with advice on avoiding accidental plagiarism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcbTz2D3-ZY

Another video with advice on avoiding plagiarism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JwFWbPotBA

Chicago Guide

Citing Sources

A video on why we cite sources in academic writing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96Sq6Ptnq3U

A video on how we cite sources in academic writing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB3eqAJ3keE

MLA Guide

Hanging Indentations