Welcome to the Writing Center!
The Writing Center is dedicated to supporting students in all their writing endeavors. We aim to provide a space that is welcoming and inclusive where writers are empowered to make thoughtful choices in their compositions and develop their writing style and voice. Tutors encourage and support students as they develop their skills in writing, revision, and research. We welcome writers of all skill levels to work on compositions from any discipline at any stage of the writing process.
We offer a friendly, welcoming tutor who will be open-minded and nonjudgmental towards your ideas, your writing, and your prior writing experiences, an inclusive staff who will do their best to accommodate your learning needs, and a space where everyone is continually striving to grow, learn, and improve themselves as writers, thinkers, and individuals.
There are many ways you can utilize the Writing Center services. Tutors are available Face-To-Face, Video Chat, online Submissions, or academic coaching. To begin making an appointment, please make an account with the Writing Center.
If you have an account and are ready to make an appointment, please visit the calendar.
For assistance making an account or appointment, please call (828) 398-7218 or email writingcenter@abtech.edu.
- Go to A-B Tech Wconline.
- Click on the “Register for an account” link on the left side of the page.
- Clicking that link will open up a registration form. Fill out the required fields, which are designated with a red asterisk, and any optional information that you would like to provide, such as personal pronouns, preferred name, etc. Please note that your email address must be your A-B Tech student email.
- At the bottom of the registration form, you will be prompted to enter your communication preferences. Students may receive notifications and reminders via email and/or text. Please enter your preferences based on what will be most useful for you.
- When you are finished, click “Create Account.” You will then be prompted to sign in to the Writing Center calendar, where you can begin scheduling appointments.
If you need assistance, please call the Writing Center at (828) 398-7218 or email writingcenter@abtech.edu.
On Campus Tutoring
Students may schedule 50-minute appointments up to twice a week, during which time they can work with a tutor to discuss their writing concerns and questions. Tutors will provide feedback and offer strategies for addressing students’ writing objectives. Drop-ins are welcome, though they cannot always be accommodated.
To make an appointment, visit our calendar at A-B Tech Writing Center, call us at (828) 398-7218, or drop by LOC-125 on the lower floor of the Don C. Locke Library. On the electronic calendar, select an open appointment, which is in white, and fill out the form that opens. Select "Create Appointment" at the bottom of the form to confirm your selection. If you would like a weekly standing appointment for the entire semester, please call or visit the Writing Center so an administrator can assist you with scheduling.
Video Chat Tutoring
Synchronous tutoring may also be conducted via video chat. Video chat tutoring is accessible from the Writing Center's calendar, using a device with an internet connection (e.g. a laptop, tablet, smartphone, etc.) To make arrangements for a session via video chat, view the Writing Center's calendar and book an appointment with a tutor who has video chat availability, which will be labeled beneath tutors' names in the left-hand column.
On the day of your appointment, log in to the Writing Center's calendar, navigate to your appointment (which will be highlighted in yellow), and select "Start or join video chat session" about five minutes before the start of your appointment. Your tutor will join you shortly.
Online Submissions
Online submissions are available throughout the academic year. Through online submissions, students receive written feedback from a tutor within 24-48 hours of their listed appointment time. To place an online submission, log in to the Writing Center's calendar, and select the "Online Submissions" schedule. Select an open appointment (i.e. one of the white boxes) and then fill out the required information.
Please be sure to attach both your assignment prompt and your current draft as a Word document so your tutor can provide feedback. You will receive a notification via email when your tutor has finished providing you with feedback.
Please note that tutors cannot edit or proofread your papers; rather, they can offer their feedback from a reader’s perspective to inform your revisions and note patterns of errors in your writing. They may suggest revisions so that you can develop confidence in your own editing and proofreading skills over time.
Turnaround Times
Effective revision takes time – time to reflect on your work, plan your next draft, and integrate the changes you want to make. For tutor feedback to be as helpful as possible, you need to plan your submissions so that you have enough time to receive feedback from a tutor, consider their suggestions, and make the adjustments you deem necessary. We recommend that you submit your draft for online tutoring at least 72 hours before your deadline. This will provide sufficient time for your tutor to draft feedback and for you to make thoughtful choices in revising your work.
Tutors are asked to limit online sessions to 50 minutes so they can serve as many students as possible. Identifying your main concerns or questions about your draft helps tutors provide focused feedback within that window of time.
Drafts submitted to the Writing Center within 48 hours of an assignment's deadline Are Not guaranteed to receive feedback prior to the due date. During busy periods, such as midterms and final exams, turnaround times may be extended, depending on demand. If this is the case, a banner will appear at the top of the Writing Center's website and online calendar so that students can plan their submissions accordingly.
Academic Coaching is available to support students in becoming stronger learners. Students may wish to schedule an academic coaching session to discuss the following topics:
- their preferred learning styles and modalities
- effective study habits
- critical reading strategies
- organizational skills and time management
At the Writing Center, we view tutoring sessions as equitable interactions between students and tutors, during which students can feel free to ask questions, discuss their ideas, and take ownership of their writing. Tutoring sessions often take the form of an extended conversation, following a loose sequence:
- Discuss student’s assignments, concerns, and writing process.
- Read through the draft or go over materials such as assignment prompts, outlines, etc.
- Respond to materials; this may take the form of verbal feedback from a tutor, a series of questions, or a strategy for students to try.
- Develop a revision plan.
- Composition of tracking form, a non-evaluative summary of the session that tutors draft for the Writing Center’s records, which professors utilize to better support their students’ needs. Note: Tracking forms Do Not evaluate the assignment, the writing, or the student.
Tutors Are Not permitted to edit or proofread for students. We want students to feel confident in their writing choices. Therefore, we seek to create an equitable power dynamic in which students have ultimate control and authority over their writing.
What you can expect from us:
- A friendly, welcoming tutor who will be open-minded and nonjudgmental towards your ideas, your writing, and your prior writing experiences.
- An inclusive staff who will do their best to accommodate your learning needs.
- A space where everyone is continually striving to grow, learn, and improve themselves as writers, thinkers, and individuals.