The Writing Center serves as a student-centered resource for the UTD community. We offer one-on-one consultations at no charge, providing help at any stage of the writing process and with any kind of writing assignment or personal essay. Our tutors are graduate students, representing various disciplines, including Humanities, Technical Writing, and ESL instruction.

Who can use the Writing Center?

You must be a currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate student of UTD.

How can the Writing Center help me?

In the spirit of collaboration, we give advice and make suggestions in order to help you develop as a writer. Typically, the concerns that students bring to the Center include but are not limited to:

At the Writing Center, we will help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your paper and discuss strategies for improvement with you. We will also address any questions you have about the rules and conventions related to your writing assignment. Because the help we provide is intended to foster independence, we do not proofread or edit papers. However, we will help you improve your proofreading and editing skills.

How do I make an appointment?

Drop by CN 1.126, call (972) 883-6707

It is always best to arrange for a session in advance because students who have scheduled consultations have priority over those who drop in for an appointment.

How much time should I allot for a consultation?

Consultations typically last 45 minutes and are limited to one per week per student.

Can we make appointments for group projects and papers?

The Writing Center welcomes students working together on a group project; however, because the nature of such work is collaborative, we ask that all members of the group attend the session. Alternatively, a student who wishes to work on his or her individual assignment for a group project can arrange for a one-to-one consultation.

What if I need to cancel my appointment or arrive late?

Students will be considered "no-shows" if they fail to notify the Writing Center at least an hour before their scheduled consultation. No-shows may not make another appointment during the same week in which they failed to show up. Students who do not show up within fifteen minutes of their scheduled appointment time forfeit their appointment to a walk-in or wait-listed student.

How can I make certain that my consultation is as productive as possible?

Make your appointment well ahead of time and post it to your personal calendar. It is important to allow yourself enough time to work on developing the ideas or making the revisions that you and the consultant discuss. In addition, if you visit the Writing Center well before your paper is due, you will have the time to return for additional consultation.

The more informed we are about your concerns, the more we can help you. Before arriving for your appointment, determine your objectives. What do you hope to gain from the session? For example, do you want to develop your topic, organize your argument, or refine the focus of your paper?

What should I bring to a consultation? 

Bring your professor’s instructions for the assignment and a printed copy of your paper, which should be typed and double spaced. Also bring any other relevant materials, such as the professor’s comments on an earlier draft and class notes. If you are working on an application essay or internship report, bring a copy of the writing topic.

If you’re still in the process of generating and organizing ideas and haven’t yet written a draft, bring your questions to the consultation.

Can you let my instructor know that I am visiting the Writing Center?

Yes, we encourage students to let us communicate with their instructors about Writing Center consultations and the progress students are making. Many instructors are pleased to learn that their students have sought help on their own. At a student's request, we will contact an instructor about work completed at the Writing Center. Otherwise, your visits are monitored only with the Office of Student Success and Assessment.