Hi, GWC students,
The Graduate Writing Center closed at the end of SUMMER, 2022.
New resources include the
Center for Academic Excellence–academic workshops, academic coaching, and more, including sessions on time-management and success. Visits to classes or/and graduate programs are available. https://www.umb.edu/academics/vpass/academic_support Please contact pratna.kem@umb.edu and/or michael.leblanc@umb.edu to learn more.
Writing Center–“We’re the university-wide Writing Center. We provide free services for undergraduate and graduate students to support their academic and professional writing at any stage of the writing process.” https://www.umb.edu/writingcenter Please contact writingcenter@umb.edu to learn more.
If you have questions about how to access these new resources, please email meesh.mccarthy@umb.edu or gwc@umb.edu.
Thank you for working with us during the past two decades. :)
Question: May I still use the handouts, lists, and resources on this weblog? Answer: Yes! Click the “Resources & Handouts” tab and/or the Tutor-Curated Resources tab!
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Archive begins below . . . .
The GWC is open for Spring 2022! Additional GWC information will be available during the early part of the Spring 2022 semester.
YES, we are open for tutoring!! All GWC tutorials for In-Person Courses take place at the GWC, Campus Center, First Floor, 1300. Please check in at reception when you arrive. Tutorials are available various hours from early morning through evening.
Scroll down for our FAQ and details!!
The GWC provides individual tutorials to students who want to make a commitment to work on their writing on an ongoing basis. Students who are in the process of completing graduate coursework at UMass Boston, and who wish to develop their paper-writing process, graduate-level research skills, and/or understanding of the general expectations associated with graduate study, should consider applying for GWC tutoring. Weekly one-to-one tutorials—the most popular format—allow the GWC to assign you a specific tutor for the semester. This opportunity allows you to work with your tutor over time to support you and to improve your whole writing process (from breaking down assignments/instructions into manageable parts, to drafting and reorganizing papers, to reworking papers for clarity). You may also schedule a single tutorial session with a GWC tutor (in this case, note that the GWC cannot guarantee that the same tutor or time will be available for a subsequent session).
GWC Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
Q. How do I apply for Graduate Writing Tutoring?
A. Apply by creating a GWC WC-Online account at https://umbgwc.mywconline.com/index.php (this usually takes no more than a few minutes.) Note that applying early in the semester increases your chance of securing a weekly appointment and a tutorial time that is convenient for you. Then, use your new account to log in and select an initial tutorial time.
Q. Who is eligible for one-to-one tutorials at the GWC?
A. Students who are completing reading and writing assignments for graduate coursework at UMass Boston. During individual one-to-one tutorials, the GWC can help students with work for any UMass Boston in-person, blended, or online graduate class(es) that the students are enrolled in and that require paper writing (with the exception of department-required final project writing, such as thesis, final synthesis, or dissertation writing).
Q. Where do the tutorials take place? Where should I go?
A. The meetings take place in person at the Graduate Writing Center (GWC), which is located in Academic Support Programs (Campus Center-1st floor-1300s–just upstairs or up 1 elevator floor from the shuttle bus bay). Tutorials are available from early morning through evening hours. When you arrive, please let the reception staff know that you are a graduate student who has an appointment to meet with a GWC tutor.
Q: What should I consider bringing to my tutorials?
A: Any assignments/instructions and drafts, or other documents that you want to discuss. And, you may also bring syllabi, research plans and datebooks for discussions about time-management and the graduate writing process.
Q. I worked with a tutor each week last semester, I want to continue working with the same tutor this semester. What should I do?
A. If you and your previous tutor have not already made an arrangement for this semester, be sure to tell your tutor that you want a weekly tutorial at your first meeting.
Q. I want a weekly tutorial, but what happens if I don’t have a draft to submit each week?
A. There is always :) something to work on – such as, planning for upcoming assignments, breaking down paper instructions, scheduling research, reviewing paper comments from your professor, and revising previous writing, or even simply looking over the syllabus from each of your courses to think about how the paper writing will build up over the semester. It is okay and, actually, preferable if you use a couple of your tutorials to work on these aspects of your writing process.
Q. Can I cancel?
A. Yes. Students are allowed two cancellations per semester. The cancellation must be made by logging in to your GWC WC-Online account and completing the cancellation. You must cancel at least 2 hours before your tutorial time.
Q. What happens if I skip a session without cancelling, or if I cancel late, or if I cancel more than twice?
A. WC-Online will deactivate your account access if you cancel without adequate notice, do not cancel and then do not attend, or if you cancel more than two scheduled sessions.
Q. My WC-Online account has been deactivated. What should I do?
A. Depending on your situation, you may need to wait until the following semester to be reinstated. Contact the GWC to review the possibility of reinstating your WC Online account: gwc@umb.edu.
Q. Can I get my papers edited at the GWC?
A. No. The GWC is not a proofreading or editing service; however, your GWC tutor can teach you how to proofread while being sure that you retain ownership of your writing. Over the course of several meetings, working with a GWC tutor can help you to learn to rethink, reorganize, and/or revise your papers in significant ways.
Q. How much do does this service cost?
A. This is a free service for actively enrolled UMass Boston graduate students.
Q. I am interested in a time that is not listed as available on WC-Online. Is there a waitlist?
A. Yes. After double-checking to be sure that there are no open tutorials that match your availability, you may choose to put yourself on the waitlist. If you do so, be sure to set up your WC-Online account to alert you if a tutorial becomes available. We recommend the waitlist as a back-up option, only.