Welcome to eWC, the Writing Center’s email consulting service. Please read this page carefully before submitting a request form.
The eWC is ideal for current SU students and faculty/staff who are unable to meet face-to-face with a consultant at our Writing Center (101 HB Crouse Hall). Although the service is very different from in-Center appointments, consultants’ primary mission remains the same: to help writers develop strategies for invention, drafting, organization, and revision. Although consultants may assist with sentence-level concerns, they are not editors; writers should expect to play an active role when they receive a response. Since there are important differences between online and face-to-face communication, writers should not expect the eWC to be as expedited as traditional, face-to-face appointments.
How does eWC work?
- Complete a request form.
- A consultant will respond within 48 hours if the request is received Sunday–Thursday, and within 60 hours for request on Friday or Saturday.
- Read the response a few times. If any comments or suggestions are confusing, or if you have a brief related question, reply to the consultant directly. If you have a separate concern or a new paper, use the form to submit a new request.
How can I make the most of this service?
- Don't wait until the last minute to ask for help; submit a request as soon as you receive an assignment. That way, after the initial reply, there will still be time for additional requests.
- Use the request form to explain your assignment and concerns. The more the consultant knows about what you are working on, the better s/he can help you. Incomplete forms will be disregarded. Taking time to write complete responses here might save you time and confusion later on.
- Too much feedback will leave you overwhelmed. To prevent this, limit your requests to a maximum of 5 pages and/or 1-2 concerns. What is sacrificed in quantity will be more than made up with quality.
- Expect to be an active participant in the process. The consultant will make observations and suggestions, but you retain full ownership and responsibility for your paper.