Frequently Asked Questions

The Writing Center's main location is in Building 4 Room 2501. The Writing Center can be entered on the second floor of Building 4 in the outside walkway.

Our writing consultants are able to meet and discuss a number of writing topics and concerns. You can see a non-exhaustive list here: https://www.unf.edu/coas/english/wc/services.html.

Our writing consultants can help with higher-order issues like argument, organization, and evidence, as well as lower-order issues like documentation style and mechanics. Our staff, however, are neither proofreaders nor editors and will not help revise your writing. Instead, they aim to help you become your own proofreader and editor. In your consultations, they will assist you to practice reading and revision techniques to spot issues in your own writing.

While we don't require appointments, we do recommend them strongly. With an appointment, you can select the day and time in advance as well as the specific kind of course help you might need (e.g., engineering, education, psychology, etc.).

The Writing Center does offer drop-in help on a first-arrived, first-assisted basis. These sessions are limited to 20 minutes or about half a page's worth of writing. These sessions are staffed by writing consultants with an assortment of writing expertise, so you might not be meeting with a consultant familiar with your particular kind of writing. For this reason, we recommend that you schedule a consultation in advance with our consultants who are well versed in your discipline's writing conventions.

As a note: if your course requires you to visit the writing center, we ask that you make an appointment, as these 20-minute sessions are unlikely to offer the kind of in-depth assistance your instructor requires.

For your consultation, we ask that are able to make available:

1. whatever writing you have so far
2. a copy of any assignment directions and rubrics
3. any related texts on which your writing might be based

To get the most out of your virtual appointment, we strongly recommend that you use a computer for your consultation. Microsoft Teams offers a variety of features in its computer-based software that are unavailable in the app. We also recommend using the computer-based Teams to ensure you can use the screen-sharing feature and make out any on-screen discussion your writing consultant might share with you.

As a note:

1. You are able to use the mobile app for Teams, but it is not as feature rich, nor does it allow a smooth experience for screen sharing. Students who use their smart phones generally remark that experience is closer to a phone call and requires them to spend much of their time troubleshooting and explaining what they see.
2. For computer users, you do not need to download Microsoft Teams and can use the browser-based Teams. As above, it is less resource-rich but it will allow you to see your writing consultant's screen and share yours.
3. You are not required to use all the features of the video chat. If you do not want to use your camera or don't have one: that is 100% OK. You get to decide to what degree you engage in your consultation.

Because our staff are not editors or proofreaders, we do not permit students to drop off or email their documents for comments or corrections. Instead, our writing consultants offer learning sessions in which students use their writing to practice improving their writing skills and practices. This kind of work is collaborative and requires both the writer and the writing consultant to work in real time and offers writers the opportunity to ask questions and gain hands-on practice.

Yes, our Writing Center consultants work with all students and are trained to support students across a variety of different learning modalities. If a student requires accommodations for a writing consultation, they can let us know when they schedule their consultation online. This request will be kept confidential.

For Deaf and Hard of Hearing students, please schedule your consultation and then reach out to the UNF Student Accessibility Center to request an interpreter to attend your consultation.

Yes, in a way: In any given semester, if a student schedules and fails to attend THREE (3) consultations without cancelling beforehand, the Writing Center may ask that student to coordinate with their staff directly to schedule subsequent consultations in that semester. This policy is not a punitive policy and instead in place to ensure that other students are able to schedule consultations.