Mission

The purpose of the Seton Hall University Writing Center is to provide support for all students, staff, and faculty who require assistance with writing. Though the Writing Center commits a great deal of its resources to the First-Year Writing Program, it is a service that is open to anyone who is affiliated with the University – alumni, current students, faculty, administrators, and staff. The goal of the Writing Center is to make writers more independent and confident with the writing they produce. The Writing Center is not discipline-specific; we welcome writers from any field, major, or department. Since the goal of the Writing Center is to provide writing assistance and support for all students at all levels across the University, its mission is consistent with Seton Hall's philosophy of a student-oriented Catholic university. The community-centered approach of the University is reflected by the Writing Center's willingness to assist and provide resources to achieve a higher level of student education. The desire to make writing an integral part of the undergraduate curriculum means that all students, regardless of their major or professional goals, can use the Writing Center to improve their writing and communication skills.

 

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Services

Staffed with faculty, graduate students, upperclass students, and professional tutors, the Writing Center is an important resource for all writers on campus.   This free service is available to ALL undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff in all academic disciplines in the following areas:

 

*prewriting                                               *articles

*drafting/writing                                     *conference papers

*revision/rewriting                                 *theses

*essays                                                     *resumes

*research papers                                    *proposals

*cover letters                                          *reports

*dissertations

 

 

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Location and Hours

The Writing Center is physically located in Arts and Sciences Hall, Room 206, 973-761-9000, ext. 7501.  Appointments may be made by stopping by or calling the Writing Center during its normal hours of operation.  Walk-in appointments are also accepted; we recommend arriving at the Writing Center by about 10 minutes before the top of the hour in which you want to be seen.  The Writing Center typically opens at the beginning of the second full week of classes of each semester.  The hours during the Fall and Spring Semesters are usually from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday; and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday.  Sunday evening hours are offered on an as-needed basis.  The Writing Center is open on a more limited basis, usually 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., during finals week and during May Intersession and either or both Summer Sessions.  The Writing Center is not usually open during breaks or on individual days when classes are not in session.  However the On-line Writing Lab (OWL) (http://academic.shu.edu/owl/) is usually available for assistance during these sessions.  Please e-mail the OWL at owl@shu.edu if you have any questions about OWL usage. 

 

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First-Year Writing Program (<---this is a link)

 All Seton Hall first-year students who take introductory English courses are required to visit the Writing Center as a graded part of their classwork.  Students taking College English I (English 1201) and II (English 1202) are typically required to attend two (2) sessions during the semester.  There may be students who have a slightly increased requirement.  Students taking basic skills or linked 1201 classes are typically required to attend six (6) sessions at the Writing Center during the semester.  Basic Skills classes are typically assigned one or two tutors to work with that particular section.  In addition, tutors visit linked 1201 classes once per week and work with the students and the faculty member during class time.  Students are expected to attend their individual appointments weekly until the session requirement is met; however, they are encouraged to continue attending after they have met their requirement.  Writing Center tutors will complete conference summary sheets after each session and e-mail or send them to the student’s English faculty, who should respond to the tutor in writing.

 

At the Writing Center, freshmen are typically assisted by peer tutors; upperclass and graduate students as well as faculty and staff are usually assisted by senior, graduate, or faculty tutors.  The reception desk is staffed a desk attendant or by one of the available tutors on duty during that hour.  Clients and tutors unable to be at the Writing Center at their scheduled times are asked to notify on-duty staff by phoning ext. 7501 or ext. 2183 as well as e-mailing and/or calling their tutoring partners as soon as the conflict arises. 

 

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