The Writing Center’s Mission Statement
The Writing Center serves as a place where students can work to become better writers, as well as to improve specific pieces of written work. We work with students of all levels of preparation and confidence who may be working at any stage of the writing process, from prewriting to revision.
The Writing Center’s Location and Schedule
The Writing Center is located in L-012.
The Writing Center will be open from Monday, Jan. 31 until Tuesday, May 17, for in-person, video-chat, and e-mail-based sessions. You can find out more about our schedule here (link). You can find out more about our video-chat and e-mail-based sessions here (link). In keeping with updated guidelines (link), fully vaccinated students are no longer required to wear masks during in-person sessions; partially or unvaccinated students are still expected to wear masks during in-person sessions until further notice.
Additional Options
SUNY Broome students can access free chat-based writing support (in English) through the STAR-NY tutoring consortium. Their support is available Sunday through Thursday evenings from 7:00 pm to 11:59 pm.
Find more information about STAR-NY (Online Tutoring). You can sign up for STAR-NY here (link, click on the “Request a Tutor” button to the lower right of the page).
Another tool to get answers to course questions
CircleIn is a free section-specific studying app where students can study remotely, collaborate with peers in order to communicate and exchange ideas, access Supplemental Instruction Leaders, and stay productive. If you have simple questions about your course content, or want to run ideas by someone in an informal way, you may have luck using the app to get input from your classmates.
Student Study App – Circle-In -> Link to download the app
How We Work
The Writing Center’s professional tutors are eager to help students in any course, regardless of their level of experience, expertise or confidence as writers.
Writing Center tutors work by appointment with students individually or in small groups (tutors facilitate these group sessions of 2-3 students). To schedule appointments, students can come to L-012 or call (+1 (607) 778-5632).
Because we write to communicate, every writer needs a reader!
At the most basic level we write to express our ideas, to share them with others. As Nigel Hamilton so aptly noted, “If the reader doesn’t understand what you’re saying, you’re talking to yourself.”
Writers publish to communicate. So the writer’s biggest fear is being unclear.
This is where the Writing Center comes in. A writing tutor is a live audience member, one who gives instant feedback on the clarity and presentation and development of ideas.
Tutors ask questions. They play Devil’s Advocate. Their comments model the questions students should ask of their own writing in the future. Together they develop strategies writers might use to address those questions.
Professional writers seek feedback and revise. Student writers should do the same.
All writers learn as they write: they learn about their topic, they learn about themselves, and they learn about their relationship with their audience. Writing tutors illuminate these processes and help writers bring their words more fully to life. From beginning students struggling to express themselves to advanced writers seeking confirmation of the power of their words, all will find that the Writing Center tutors provide a supportive audience in helping them achieve their goals.
In tutorial sessions, tutors talk with students about their writing; we ask questions that help writers see their texts through the audience’s eyes and encourage them to explore options for drafting and revising their texts. Students often seek help with thesis statements, organization, development, citation of sources, development of proofreading strategies, and other concerns.
Questions?
During the Fall or Spring Semesters, if you have any questions, contact:
Michael Grubb
grubbmr@sunybroome.edu
+1 (607) 778-5363 (or Broome extension 5363)
MLA
Some helpful MLA resources:
- SUNY Broome Library’s MLA Guide
- The MLA Style Center’s Works Cited Quick Guide
- The MLA’s Works Cited entry practice template (pdf)
- The Purdue University’s OWL MLA Formatting Section
A copy of the MLA Handbook’s 8th Edition can be found in the Writing Center, as well as updated handouts.
APA
Using APA? Confused? Some of the best resources for APA:
- APA Style Blog
- APA Style Basics (Academic Writer Tutorial)
- Purdue’s OWL
- Purdue Owl’s APA Workshop
- SUNY Broome’s APA handout (pdf)
A copy of the APA 7th Edition can be found in the Writing Center, as well as updated handouts.
