The Writing Center offers online and in-person tutoring and workshops for Menlo students. Tutors can help you with any writing task at any stage in the process—from brainstorming, thesis development, and outlining, to revision and documentation. Students can sign up for a thirty-minute or sixty-minute session with an English instructor or an experienced, trained peer tutor. Each session is tailored to the student’s concerns and may focus on thesis development, organization, style, structure, and/or presentation.
Appointments are available 7 days a week, with daytime and evening options. Both in-person and online appointments (via Zoom) are available.
The Writing Center is located in Bowman Library.
Trouble accessing the appointment system? The appointment system is part of your Menlo account, so if you’re logged into a different Google/Gmail account, you will need to log out of that account, so you can sign into your Menlo account. Then sign in with your Menlo email/password.
Need a tutor with expertise in the material for a particular course? Check out our offerings for Course Tutoring @ Bowman Library.
Our approach to writing help in the WC aims to build skills that students can draw on for future writing situations. Students can receive guidance in multiple areas of the writing process: how to approach difficult reading, including how to read and analyze scholarship in their field; how to approach the research process, defining a research question and developing a research strategy; conceptualizing, planning, drafting and revising written work in a variety of genres.
Through a dialogue about a student’s writing process and product, we provide guidance to help students assess their own writing and make informed choices about their use of rhetorical strategies. Our feedback foregrounds the student’s communicative goals; we emphasize the effective development of ideas and arguments in student writing. Our feedback intends to empower them to consider nuances of voice, style, diction, and how these impact their writing. We can also help students to write fluently within the idiom of a particular genre or discipline, promoting mastery of conventions of grammar, style, and formatting, appropriate to the writer’s target audience.
Come to the WC for help with your ePortfolio. We can work with you to make decisions on curating a sample of your work that will showcase your skills and learning; we can also offer feedback on the design and organization of your portfolio.
For more information about ePortfolios, guides and video tutorials, and sample portfolios you can view, check out the Menlo College Guide to ePortfolios.
Are you an English language learner? We have resources for you! At the Writing Center, we have tutors with extensive experience working with non-native English speakers to develop your speaking and writing skills. When you book an appointment, look for tutors with the notation “ESL Specialist” next to their name. And keep an eye out for announcements of events and workshops specially designed for ELL students.
Making an appointment ensures that there is a tutor available to work with you. Hours are Monday-Thursday 9:30am-5:30pm (except Study Slam Days which are 12pm-8pm).
You’re welcome to drop by to ask questions and get help with assignments, or just come hang out to study or do homework.
Drop-ins will be accepted whenever tutor availability permits, but to be guaranteed a spot, and to access more available times, please make an appointment.
Are you energetic, friendly, and knowledgeable, with a passion for mentoring and supporting your peers?
Current Menlo students are eligible to apply to be peer tutors; peer tutors with strong skills in writing and/or oral communication are in demand.
The position will provide an excellent opportunity to enhance critical thinking and problem solving abilities as tutors guide students in the process of analyzing and interpreting assignments, and the experience of explaining how and why to revise aspects of student writing/presentation will give tutors the opportunity to become excellent communicators. Through coaching, motivating, and developing the skills of fellow students, tutors will strengthen their interpersonal skills while gaining leadership experience. The responsibility of this position will allow the selected candidates to demonstrate their professionalism and work ethic.
Apply to become a peer tutor in the WC here.
The Writing Center, through one-on-one tutoring and group instruction, helps all students develop the critical thinking, information literacy, and written communication skills needed for academic and professional success. The WC also helps students evaluate and navigate the ever-changing multimedia environments of the 21st century. In dialogue with students, we provide guidance to help them assess their own communication and make informed choices about their use of rhetorical strategies; our feedback foregrounds the student’s communicative goals and emphasizes the effective development of ideas and arguments.
The mission of student Academic Support services is to provide academic support through tutoring, promote individual academic development and exploration, and create and promote an inclusive community of learning among the diverse population of Menlo students, enriching the academic experience and promoting student success. Programming is administered through the Course Tutoring Program and the Writing Center. Academic Support forms part of Menlo College’s Strategic Plan to improve retention and graduation rates. The program also provides the opportunity for Menlo students to serve as peer tutors, developing professional competencies and building leadership skills as they teach and mentor peers.
