Where is the School of Social Work Writing Center?

The Writing Center is located in Room 25 on the ground floor, next door to the Student Services office. We use this space for in-person sessions, team meetings, and community gatherings. Most of our work is remote, however, so the best way to reach us is via email at sswwrite@uw.edu.

Who is my writing tutor?

Learn more about the philosophy and approach of each writing tutor here (page currently unavailable - please email sswwrite@uw.edu if you need support). Our photos and bios can't quite capture the dynamic and complex human beings that we are, but we hope they offer enough to get you started. Then, we look forward to connecting in real-time to learn more about YOU.

How do I schedule a session with a writing tutor?

That's easy - visit our shared booking page here. You can also visit the booking page of an individual writing tutor (we provide links to individual booking pages at the end of our writing team emails).

Are writing sessions in person or remote?

Both! At the moment, we default to remote sessions, But if you want to meet in-person, please let us know. We want to connect with you, in whatever way is best for you.

Do you have drop-in appointments?

Yes. Whether in-person or online, we try to offer some drop-in times every quarter. Stayed tuned for announcements!

Do I need to email my paper to the tutor before our session?

It certainly helps but it's not required. We have 50-minutes together, and if you've emailed your paper ahead of time, then we can begin our session right away. If you haven't, we can take the time during the session to have you send a copy over or we can just use screen share.

Do I need to provide a copy of my writing prompt to the tutor?

Yes, please. It's helpful to have your assignment available, so we can make sure we understand the purpose of the writing.

How long is a writing session?

We allot 50 minutes for individual writing sessions. We can cover as many writing assignments as you would like during this time frame. If you would like a shorter appointment, no problem! If you need a longer appointment, please e-mail your tutor to discuss further.

What is a typical appointment like?

We are flexible and want to support students in whatever would be most useful for them during the 50 minutes. During the appointment, we will ask what your goals are for the paper. We may start by reviewing the writing assignment/prompt. Often, students read their papers aloud, and we stop along the way to discuss certain parts. Sometimes the consultant reads the paper aloud or to themself and then discusses with the student. Other times, we don’t look at the paper at all and just talk about what the student is writing. In short, there is no typical appointment.

Is there a limit to the number of appointments I can have?

Typically, we limit scheduled appointments to one per week in order to allow other students the opportunity to schedule appointments. If our schedules permit, then we can make exceptions to this on a case-by-case basis. The appointment limit is most applicable during the fall quarter, when there is a higher demand for appointments. In terms of making multiple bookings with the same tutor, you must meet with a tutor at least once before scheduling recurring sessions with that tutor to collaborate on an individualized plan to meet your needs. We do not have a policy about limits to drop-in appointments.

What is your cancellation policy?

We ask that students give us a 24 hour notice if they need to cancel/reschedule an appointment. However, we understand that things happen last minute, so sometimes this time frame is not possible. Please just let us know as soon as possible if you cannot keep your appointment time so that we can plan accordingly. If you are running late, then please send us an e-mail to let us know your ETA.

If you do not cancel an appointment and do not communicate with the SSW Writing Center, your appointment will be labeled "no-show". If you no-show (no cancellation or communication) for three sessions in one quarter, you will not be able to make any more appointments for that quarter. This is to ensure accessibility for all of the students needing services, and to accurately reflect our availability for appointments. Exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis.

Do the writing tutors edit papers?

As writing consultants and allies working from a social justice perspective, we aim to work collaboratively with students to meet their specified goals. We do not “edit” papers, but rather we offer resources and support so that students have agency in their own learning.

If you don't edit, then what do you do?

While we don’t “edit” papers, we do offer a variety of other writing supports, including: brainstorming, dissecting the prompt, reviewing for flow and concision, practicing paraphrasing, structuring a paper, organizing thoughts, learning to use online resources, looking up APA format for references and in-text citations, navigating the UW library website, reviewing verb tense, looking for active v. passive voice, etc.

Explore more pages about the social work writing center:

Questions? Please email sswwrite@uw.edu.