The James A. Glenn Writing Center provides students with assistance at all stages of the writing process, for, as all writers know, not all writing is accomplished in isolation. Writing sometimes happens best when two writers sit down and put their heads together on a project--one explaining what he/she is attempting to achieve and the other providing feedback and guidance. The tutors in the center are available to discuss understanding an assignment, generating ideas, drafting, organizing, revising, editing, addressing sentence structure, grammar, punctuation concerns, and documenting sources. Writers can also receive assistance in refining cover letters and résumés.

The mission of the Writing Center is to support student writers in their efforts to become better writers rather than to produce perfect papers. The Writing Center thus does not provide proofreading services; tutors will, however, assist writers in learning how to proofread for their particular pattern of errors and to edit their own work. If a teacher believes a student would benefit from independent one-on-one work at the Writing Center, referral forms are available.

Writing Center tutors have taken English 315, Composition Tutoring, in which they have studied composition theory and methods of one-to-one conferencing. Having apprenticed as tutors for an English 101 class, they begin their Writing Center work with a great deal of experience. Only those students who have proven to be excellent tutors are invited to tutor in the Writing Center.

The Writing Center also provides a quiet atmosphere for writing. It is equipped with desktops, and a duplex printer. The Writing Center's library provides resources such as research guides, style manuals and handbooks, and documentation guides.

Writing Center services are free to all members of the Xavier community. We recommend that appointments for tutorial assistance be made in advance, although walk-in appointments are possible if a tutor is available. Computer use does not require an appointment.