About us
A page within Tutoring & Learning Center
The Writing Center will open on Sept. 9
The Writing Center offers in-person and synchronous virtual appointments to offer help and feedback on any and all writing tasks. We also accept online submissions through the MLC Canvas course.
BOOK AN APPOINTMENT (please use your first and last name)
Just have a quick question about citation? Check out our "Resources for Writers" tab!
Where? In the Murphy Learning Center, on the 2nd floor of the Murphy Library. For virtual appointments, go to the Writing Center Tutoring Zoom meeting in the MLC Canvas course at your appointment time. Click here to enroll in that course.
How? Use our online booking system; simply click the link above to go through the steps.
Why? To get feedback on any writing assignment, at any stage.
Who? Peer consultants will help any UWL student.
Need to cancel your appointment? Go back to the confirmation e-mail you got for directions.
More questions? Email us at writingcenter@uwlax.edu.
More resources for Student Support? Student Success
The Writing Center offers feedback on papers submitted online through the Tutoring, MLC Canvas course. You must enroll in that Canvas course in order to submit papers to the Writing Center. We'll read your drafts and give you suggestions for revision.
A few tips:
- We aim to provide feedback with 48 hours of submission. (see Note above)
- Expect a tutor to make suggestions to improve your writing rather than actual changes.
- Expect the tutor to focus on one or two major areas of weakness.
- For more comprehensive tutoring make a synchronous appointment.
Writing Center Director
English
Professor
431B Wimberly Hall
vcrank@uwlax.edu
608.785.6933
Arianna Wuetrich
![Arianna Wuetrich](/globalassets/offices-services/murphy-learning-center/writing-center-tutors/ariana-wuetrich.jpeg/small)
Arianna Wuetrich
Major: Psychology
Minor: Non-Specific
PGPs: she/her/hers
Arianna Wuetrich, who preferably goes by Ari, is a junior here at UWL. This is her second year as a tutor in the writing center. As a former biology major, she has taken courses such as BIO 105, BIO 203, and BIO 306. Her hobbies include astrology, true crime, and re-watching Netflix movies. You can mainly find her hanging out with all of her roommates as she has a lot (11 to be precise). She has experience with writing and reading research papers and psychological analyses. She also has a sufficient background in history, as she can be kind of a history nerd. She is very excited to be a tutor at the writing center to help with all subjects. Her goal is to instill confidence in her peers and get them talking!
Avery Ladd-Winders
![Avery Ladd-Winders](/globalassets/offices-services/murphy-learning-center/writing-center-tutors/avery-ladd-winders.png/small)
Avery Ladd-Winders
Major: Computer Science
Minor: Leadership Development & Business Administration
PGPs: he/him
Avery is a sophomore here at UWL and is currently studying Computer Science in hopes of becoming a Full Stack Developer. Outside of classes, Avery enjoys hiking, running, hanging out with friends, listening to all types of music, spending time with family and discovering new spots in La Crosse. Avery is really looking forward to his first year in the Writing Center and is excited to provide feedback and assistance on all types of papers!
Brett Stelplugh
![Brett Stelplugh](/globalassets/offices-services/murphy-learning-center/writing-center-tutors/brett-stelplugh.png/small)
Brett Stelplugh
Major: History (regional emphasis on the U.S.)
Minor: Military Science
PGPs: he/him
Bret is a freshman transfer student here at UWL and is currently studying history in hopes to work at the Smithsonian Aerospace Museum. He has taken a variety of history and political science classes, so he feels comfortable analyzing primary source documents, with the majority of his interest being in U.S. history. Beyond the academic world, Bret enjoys listening to music, reading, and playing card games. Bret is very excited to help people improve their writing and critical thinking skills!
Devany Bauer
![Devany Bauer](/globalassets/offices-services/murphy-learning-center/writing-center-tutors/devaney-bauer.jpg/small)
Devany Bauer
Majors: Communication Studies (interpersonal emphasis) and English (writing and rhetoric emphasis)
PGPs: she/her/hers
Devany (Dev) is a senior at UWL who loves reading, thrifting, golfing, hanging with friends and being a plant mom. She’s also a coffee fanatic and an avid essential oil user. After graduation Dev hopes to travel as much as she can to learn more about herself, her passions, and about the people around her. This is Devany’s second year working in the Writing Center and she’s excited to explore different types of writing. She has sufficient background knowledge in women’s gender studies and English and more subtle background knowledge in sciences such chemistry and biology but is willing to assist with any paper that comes her way.
Kelsi Bellisle
![Kelsi Bellisle](/globalassets/offices-services/murphy-learning-center/writing-center-tutors/kelsi-bellisle.jpg/small)
Kelsi Bellisle
Major: Biochemistry
Minor: Biology, English, and Psychology
PGPs: She/her/hers
Kelsi is a junior studying Biochemistry with Biology, Psychology, and English minors while also on the Pre-Medicine track. She plans to become a physician in the future, and although the exact specialty tends to change every other month, currently being a neurologist has caught her eye. She has extensive experience with science papers (BIO 105, BIO 203, and BIO 306), although she loves working on papers across all subjects. In La Crosse, she enjoys hiking in the bluffs or going on walks downtown. In general, her ideal day is spent hiking/climbing mountains (The Rockies preferably). She also loves her work at the hospital and interacting with a multitude of audiences. This is her first year as a tutor in the Writing Center and she is excited to help students develop their writing skills!
Rachel Kohlmeyer
![Rachel Kohlmeyer](/globalassets/offices-services/murphy-learning-center/writing-center-tutors/rachel-kohlmeyer.jpg/small)
Rachel Kohlmeyer
Major: Exercise and Sports Science
Minor: Interpersonal Communication
PGPs: She/her/hers
Rachel is a Sophomore here at UWL and is currently studying Exercise and Sports Science on the pre-PT track with the goal of becoming a physical therapist one day. When not in classes Rachel enjoys watching and rewatching anything Marvel, hanging out with friends, reading and traveling. This is Rachel’s first year as a tutor in the Writing Center and she is excited to help with all kinds of writing and papers!
The Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab) is an excellent resource for almost any writing question.
New updates to the MLA Style Guide (April 2021)
MLA Style Center -- great place to ask obscure questions!
Overview of the Chicago Style Author-Note system of citation (17th ed)
Willamette University's overview of the ASA (American Sociological Association) citation style is thorough and helpful.
Interactive APA Reference Citation Guide
UW-Madison Writing Center guide to APA (2021)
Stay tuned for more!
UWL FYWP and WC Joint Position Statement on GenAI and Writing
We understand that for many faculty we’re at a terrifying crossroads—do we contend with Generative AI (GenAI) in our classrooms even though it seems to shift by the minute and we’re all already so overwhelmed by the task of simply teaching writing? Or do we decide, not in my backyard—not in my classroom—and draw a firm line in the sand? In many ways, the decision has already been made for us and some aspects of GenAI are already certain.
With each innovation, we’ve had to decide whether our stance toward our students will be disciplinarian or collaborative – will we police their writing processes or guide them? Will we spend our time ferreting out errors and missteps or offering feedback and instruction? The futility of “catching” students aside, this decision will determine our perspectives on our jobs, our roles as educators, and our abilities to do our work with heart and with balance. GenAI has revealed longstanding weak points in our educational systems—from the highest levels to the classroom and we are at an inflection point where we can (re)examine both our writing pedagogy and our overall philosophies for higher education.
Given the above we must acknowledge that
- GenAI is not a fad, and our students are already using it.
- GenAI is a tool, but how we use it is still under discussion.
- Understanding how to responsibly and ethically use GenAI will be expected in future workplaces.
- Writing instructors should expect that students and colleagues will come to us with questions about GenAI and we should be prepared to share resources and perspectives on GenAI use and writing.
- Because we are the recognized disciplinary and pedagogical experts on writing it is the responsibility of writing instructors to teach students how to use GenAI ethically, responsibly, and transparently.
So, where does that leave us? As two sites of writing instruction at UWL, the FYWP and the WC feel compelled to respond to this moment with some expectations and guidance for GenAI use. Following the recommendations from the “MLA-CCCC Joint Task Force on Writing and AI Working Paper: Overview of the Issues, Statement of Principles, and Recommendations” and their “call for faculty involvement in the formation and evaluation of policies about AI rather than a top-down approach (11),” we’re making the first of what is likely to be many attempts to articulate our expectations for the ethical, responsible, and transparent use of GenAI in FYW classes and in the WC.
Ethics
- We are ethically obligated to discuss GenAI in some form in our writing classes and in the WC.
- We are ethically obligated to make sure that all our students have an adequate education on how to use writing tools—including GenAI.
- Taking a punitive stance on GenAI places us at odds with our students and affects our relationships. Ethical teaching requires that instructors resist approaching students from a “deficit” perspective – a belief that our job is to find where the student is weak, unreliable, dishonest, or deceptive.
- Uploading student work to plagiarism detectors is unethical because students have not given consent for their work to be shared with the AI machine.
- GenAI should not be an opportunity for student surveillance and surveilling students may reinforce existing biases faced by many of our students, especially BIPOC students.
Responsibility
- Faculty are responsible for providing students with guidance on how GenAI is used in their classes. (More about this under “Transparency.”)
- Students are responsible for communicating with faculty when they have questions and/or are uncertain about if their use of GenAI meets course expectations.
- Faculty are responsible for helping writing students to develop critical literacy skills, including how to use GenAI as a tool for intellectual and ethical exploration of ideas at any stage of the writing process.
- The Writing Center’s stated mission is to support students from all disciplines in becoming more effective and confident writers; this mission includes meeting students where they are and not judging how they approach writing tasks, which may mean helping them see how and when to ethically and effectively use supports like GenAI or other technologies.
- The Writing Center works with students from many disciplines and must help students understand and abide by their professors’ guidelines and policies regarding GenAI.
Transparency
- Faculty are responsible for creating accessible policies in their syllabi and course assignments for the appropriate or expected use of GenAI, including how students should cite their use of the tool. Failure to acknowledge or discuss GenAI with our students may lead to misuse of this tool.
- Faculty should also be clear about their own gaps in knowledge and understanding of new technologies and, therefore, open and responsive to learning from students about them and negotiating with students about how these new tools can and should be used in their classroom.
- If faculty choose to limit or restrict use of GenAI, they should be clear about why and identify what skills and concepts they value that would be undercut by using the tools.
- The Writing Center should regularly ask clients to talk about how they have used GenAI and what their assignment guidelines say about it to promote productive and ethical use of the tools.
- Writing Center tutors should describe how the tutor used GenAI writing assistance during a tutoring session if a client is required to verify their use of the Writing Center (via reporting slip or email to professor).
Approved by the Composition Committee spring 2024.
WRITING CENTER GENERAL INFORMATION
Write here. Write now.
Writing Center Mission
As a unit within the Murphy Learning Center, the UWL Writing Center supports students from all disciplines in becoming more effective and confident writers in both academic and professional situations. We provide space for students to generate ideas, collaborate, draft, write, revise, and edit in a supported environment. Trained undergraduate peer consultants work one-on-one to engage students in dialogues that meet their immediate needs in relation to specific writing projects and also support their development as writers. We believe that writing is a powerful tool not only for communicating existing ideas but for discovering new ones; that learning to write is a life-long process; and that all writers benefit from sharing work in progress with knowledgeable, attentive readers.
We offer feedback and support for writers who are
- learning new genres and styles for academic disciplines.
- developing, revising, or polishing reports and essays.
- gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing research materials.
- seeking to elevate their writing styles.
- developing application materials for scholarships, graduate programs, and jobs.
Writing Center consultants are here to assist you with all of your writing needs. Use our computers, our reference books, our couch, our staplers, our tables--but most of all use our friendly and knowledgeable staff.
What should I bring?
To get the most from your session, please bring a copy of the assignment as well as any notes or drafts. Feel free to bring in electronic versions of your work as well. Although consultants can help at the last minute, the sooner you can come in the better. Peer consultants encourage writers to be as independent as possible. We ask questions and build scenarios designed to help writers find and analyze their own problems.
Who will I be working with?
The Writing Center consultants are UWL undergraduates from many different majors, such as Psychology, Chemistry, Biology, English, Accounting, History, ESS.
Who visits the center and why?
On any given day, you are as likely to see a biology major as an English major, a freshman as a senior--or even a graduate student--using the Writing Center. Some people are working on their resumes, others are brushing up on APA documentation, and still others are discussing paper topics or overcoming writer's block. The people who visit the Writing Center are a diverse group, but they all share a commitment to improve their writing.
Want to become a Writing Center Tutor?
We are no longer accepting applications for tutoring positions for the 24-25 school year. Please consider applying again next year! We will welcome applications from students in any major. To apply, fill out an application.
Contact
Virginia Crank, Writing Center Director