For Graduate Students
The University Writing Center is available to all graduate students at the University of Denver. We work with certificate students who are just starting their coursework, masters students who are preparing to start internships, doctoral students writing their dissertations, and everyone in between. We also work with faculty and staff.
Writing in graduate school often means learning new genres, adapting to increasingly complex audience expectations, and considering how writing assignments apply to professional contexts. This is perhaps why about half of our consultations each year are with graduate students.
We encourage graduate students to make writing consultations part of their regular writing habits. Having a conversation with a writing consultant can be an invaluable part of the process: a consultant can ask you questions, introduce you to new strategies or practices, be a sounding board for your ideas, and help you develop new perspectives on your work.
We also encourage grad students to inform themselves of the full range of support available for writing on campus and to let us know how we can help you with your work. You're welcome to write to Director Dr. Juli Parrish and Assistant Director Dr. Olivia Tracy at wrc@du.edu anytime.
Writing Resources for Graduate Students
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In-Person Writing Consultations
As a DU graduate student, you can schedule up to 3 appointments per week to work with a peer consultant (graduate and advanced undergraduate consultants from a wide range of majors). Appointments are 45 minutes and take place in Anderson Academic Commons 280.
You can bring in any kind of writing: academic, civic, creative, personal, professional public. And you can come in at any stage of your process -- from the moment it's assigned to the moment you turn it in.
What to Expect in an In-Person Consultation
When you come in for an appointment, the person at the front desk will greet you and may ask if you have a printed copy of your paper; if you do not, they will offer to print it for you. They will ask you to have a seat at the front of the room, and when the hour begins, your consultant will come meet you and take you to a table.
Your consultant is likely to begin by asking some questions about your writing goals, your writing history, and your writing process. They will probably ask about the assignment or project you're working on, and they will ask you to help set an agenda for the session. You'll have about 45 minutes to work together.
In general, you and your consultant may read sections of your paper together out loud or silently. You may also try out new strategies, develop an outline or generate ideas, consult resources, and so on.
After your consultation is over, your consultant will ask you to offer us some feedback in a quick exit questionnaire. The results of this questionnaire help us to revise and refine our practices.
We hope that you'll leave with new approaches to writing and new perspectives on your work.
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Zoom Writing Consultations
As a DU graduate student, you can schedule up to 3 appointments per week to work with a peer consultant (graduate and advanced undergraduate consultants from a wide range of majors). Appointments are 45 minutes and take place in Anderson Academic Commons 280.
You can bring in any kind of writing: academic, civic, creative, personal, professional, and public. And you can come in at any stage of your process -- from the moment it's assigned to the moment you turn it in.
What to Expect in a Zoom Consultation
Writers and consultants must refrain from smoking, vaping, drinking alcohol, driving, or operating motor vehicles during consultations. If a writer is a passenger in a moving vehicle, we may suggest rescheduling the appointment.
When you are ready for your scheduled Zoom appointment, join the Zoom room linked in your appointment form. You'll probably stay in the waiting room for a few minutes.
The Zoom host will send a message confirming that they know you've arrived and whether there's a wait, then admit you at about :00. When the host admits you to the main Zoom room, they will tell you the name of your consultant and send you to a breakout room, where your consultant will join you no later than :05.
Your consultant is likely to begin by asking some questions about your writing goals, writing history, and writing process. They will probably ask about the assignment or project you're working on, and they will ask you to help set an agenda for the session.
You'll likely be asked to share your document either via screen share or via Google doc. If you share a Google doc, please be sure you have a shareable link; do this by clicking on "Share" in the upper right corner of your Google doc; under "General access," click "anyone with the link." Copy the link and be ready to paste it into the Zoom chat so your consultant can access it.
You and your consultant will have about 45 minutes to work together. In general, you may read sections of your paper together out loud or silently. You may also try out new strategies, develop an outline or generate ideas, consult resources, and so on.
After your consultation is over, your consultant will ask you to offer us some feedback in a quick exit questionnaire. The results of this questionnaire help us to revise and refine our practices.
We hope that you'll leave with new approaches to writing and new perspectives on your work.
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On Hiatus and Coming Back in Winter 2024: Written (Asynchronous) Peer Response Pilot
We are currently pausing our written peer response pilot and will resume accepting requests in Winter 2024. We are still in the pilot phase and are still operating on a small scale. Please let us know if you'd like to request a response!
Peer response is available for a paper or section of paper no longer than 5 pages. Choose to request a written or recorded response to your writing project if any of the following conditions apply:
- you have a working draft and are ready to share it with a peer reader; or
- you have specific questions or priorities that can help your reader to focus; or
- you benefit from written feedback that you can review and process on your own; or
- your internet is unreliable, or your schedule makes it difficult for you to attend live consultations; or
- you'd like to try our written peer response offering; or
- you do not require grammatical or mechanical suggestions; and
- you do not require immediate review of your draft (you'll receive your work back within 3 business days).
You'll fill out and submit a request form, then receive an email letting you know if we are able to accept your request for a response. It's possible, if we have a large queue of requests, that we will recommend an in-person consultation.
A consultant will respond in writing to your project. Your consultant will insert comments into your document making observations, identifying areas for revision or development, asking questions, and suggesting strategies for revision.
If you are interested in requesting a written peer response for up to 5 pages of text, please write to us at wrc@du.edu. We are in the pilot phase of this offering and still operating on a small scale.
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Writing and Citation Resources
Our Writing Resources site has handouts, videos, samples, and links for a wide range of writing and citation situations, including but not limited to:
- citation styles (e.g., APA, Chicago, IEEE, MLA, Turabian);
- genres (e.g., literature reviews, policy briefs, reflections, posters);
- practices (e.g., reverse outlines, editing);
- and much more.
If you can't find the resource you need, let us know. We update our resources regularly and are happy to find or develop what you need.
Or, if you have a great resource that could benefit others, let us know, and we'll add it to our site.
Write to us at wrc@du.edu either way!
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Small Group Workshops
Whatever your education level or subject matter, we will work with you to plan a workshop for your group of 4+ students:
- Are you creating and presenting a research poster?
- Do you want to learn how to synthesize texts in a literature review chapter?
- Do you want to learn some effective habits for being consistent and accurate in your use of Turabian or APA?
Write to wrc@du.edu request a small group workshop on any writing issue, situation, assignment, or genre. Please give us at least two weeks notice!
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Dissertation & Thesis Support
The Writing Center can support your work on your thesis or dissertation in several ways:
Join our Thesis & Dissertation Group
Joining this group gives you access to several thesis and dissertation-specific offerings and can give you a line to add to your CV or resume. There are no fees associated with the group, but membership ensures that you will have priority in scheduling and support:
- Extended-length consultations: Thesis and dissertation writers may be eligible for a series of extended-length consultations with an advanced graduate consultant. In these sessions, your consultant is able to pre-read sections of your work to make your conversations more productive.
- Writing accountability groups: Facilitated by an advanced peer consultant, these groups involve goal-setting, writing sprints, conversations with peers, and check-ins.
- Formatting support: When you submit your thesis or dissertation to the Office of Graduate Education, you'll need to follow the precise formatting requirements. We can help with this process: Go to du.mywconline.com, choose the "Schedule an Appointment" option, and then look for the "Show me only appointments related to" right above the schedule. Choose "Thesis & Dissertation Formatting" to be shown the availability of the consultants who can work with you on formatting.
To join, write to wrc@du.edu.
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Resources for Graduate Teaching Assistants
In addition to helping with your writing, we can help you teach your own students. We offer a range of offerings to graduate teaching assistants and faculty whose classes include writing of any kind, from in-class writing-to-learn activities to formal papers. Our offerings include:
- Class visits introducing the Writing Center and/or introducing effective and sustainable writing practices: Class visits of 15-20 minutes, in which current consultants introduce your students to the services and programs we offer, with a focus on prompting students to ask questions and articulate their expectations for writing.
- Our support when you require or incentivize all the students in your class to make Writing Center appointments. We can arrange for a group of our consultants to review the assignment ahead of time, gather relevant resources, and be more prepared to work with your students. This process ensures that your students will get more out of their visits.
- Resources for a specific writing assignment, project, concept, or strategy. We can curate or even develop resources to support you and your students.
- Consultations with faculty and graduate teaching assistants on planning, revising, and scaffolding writing assignments; integrating writing-to-learn activities into courses; responding to student writing effectively; and more. The Writing Program also offers resources for all those teaching writing across the curriculum.
For more information about these offerings, and to find statements about the Writing Center you can include in your syllabi, please read the full descriptions on our For Faculty & Staff page.
You can also submit a Support Request Form for a class visit, resources, or a consultation about integrating writing assignments and activities into your courses.
Campus Resources
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University Libraries & Research Center
The University Libraries Research Center is one of a number of offices and programs on campus that can help students with the academic, intellectual, cultural, creative, and professional work of writing. Consider seeking help from these offices.
The Research Center offers expert guidance through the research process:
- From refining a topic → to finding and evaluating relevant sources → to creating a bibliography.
- A consultation session can ease anxiety about a project or paper and teach research and evaluation skills for life-long learning.
- One-on-one research consultations are available to current DU students, faculty, and staff at any stage of the research process.
- Consultations are held at the Research Center in the Anderson Academic Commons (Main Level, room 240).
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Career Services
Career@DU is a collection of career offices across campus designed to meet the needs of every student. Whether you are a traditional undergraduate, a graduate student in a professional program or a student with unique needs, we have career advisors, and programs dedicated to supporting your career and professional development. Read below for a description of each unit and to determine which is best suited to meet your needs.
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Language Tutoring Center
The Center for World Languages and Cultures offers peer tutoring for DU students seeking extra help with language courses, conversation practice in a foreign language, or language proficiency exam preparation. Tutoring is held at the Language Center in the Academic Commons.
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Disability Services Program
DSP is dedicated to giving students with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in the University's programs, courses, and activities. DSP provides accommodations at no cost to any student who has a documented disability as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Accommodations afford students equal opportunity to participate in the University's programs, courses, and activities.
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Office of Graduate Education
The Office of Graduate Education upport the success of all graduate students and faculty through a commitment to the advancement of graduate education. If you have questions about navigating the DU graduate experience, OGE offers transparent information to help you achieve your goals.
