What do you mean by “not an editing service”?

The Writing Centre facilitators will not review a student’s assignment and identify errors with a red pen. We will instead ask students to identify specific concepts and/or to ask specific questions that we can address more directly. We may also direct them to Tutor.com for virtual editing/proofreading services through the college’s Tutoring department.

Can you guarantee that a student’s work is acceptable and/or that they will achieve high grades if they visit the Writing Centre?

No. The Writing Centre supports students, but we do not assume any responsibility for what they submit nor how their instructor(s) evaluate it.

Can students make special 1:1 appointments with the Writing Centre?

The Writing Centre does not currently offer 1:1 appointment booking. Students are welcome to come regularly to drop-in hours and/or to engage in multi-message email conversations about different concepts/questions. In special cases, students may be referred to tutoring for more individualized support.

What should students bring with them when they visit the Writing Centre?

Specific concepts and/or questions! Students and/or instructors should identify any areas of concern before approaching the Writing Centre. The Writing Centre facilitators do not have all Confederation College assignments memorized; so, students should also bring any instructions, guidelines, rubrics, etc. that pertain to the assignment that they are requesting support for. Works in progress should also be presented, so that we can better understand where students are at with the assignment.

Can instructors use the Writing Centre?

In some cases, yes, but Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) is more appropriate for instructor support with writing assignments. Instructors can request WAC support by contacting Linda Nicholl (linda.nicholl@confederationcollege.ca).

Writing Centre

Our Goal: To empower students to learn more effectively and efficiently, earn higher grades, become more independent and aware learners, and continue their educational journey here at our college and beyond!
What We Do: The Writing Centre offers students writing support for their assignments. WC facilitators can answer questions about assignment guidelines/expectations, instructor feedback, formatting, etc. as long as the questions pertain to writing.
What We DON’T Do: The Writing Centre is not an editing/proofreading service — we don’t review whole assignments. WC facilitators are also not experts in all subjects; content-related questions should be directed at instructors and/or tutors.
How Do We Do It: The Writing Centre offers drop-in support every weekday – students are welcome to pop by and ask questions during this time. Some support is also available via email – students may email questions to [email protected].

Winter 2025 Drop-in Schedule

The Writing Centre is located in room 146a (inside the first-floor library).

Email Support

The Writing Centre can support students via email.

Students may address their questions to: [email protected]. Please attach any applicable work in progress, assignment guidelines, and/or evaluation criteria. In your email message, please ask specific questions and/or indicate what area you need assistance with (see below for examples).

Email requests will be attended to within 24-48 business hours (Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm). Emails sent after hours or on weekends will be held until the next available business day.

How to Approach the Writing Centre

Students should prepare for a visit to the Writing Centre by identifying what they need help with and formulating specific questions to ask the facilitator(s).

For example:

“How do I format an APA reference entry for this website?”
“My professor has given me some feedback about using comma splices; can you explain what they mean?”
“How do I insert a hanging indent in my paper?”
“I’m not sure if I’ve used the correct structure for my introductory paragraph; can you tell me if this is an effective hook?”
“I don’t understand what this part of the rubric means; can you help me?”

Resources

Confederation College currently uses APA 7 formatting for written assignments. Students, faculty, and staff should refer to this guide for more information about APA 7. This guide was created by Confederation College Communications faculty and is updated regularly.

Frequently Asked Questions

: The Writing Centre facilitators will not review a student’s assignment and identify errors with a red pen. We will instead ask students to identify specific concepts and/or to ask specific questions that we can address more directly. We may also direct them to Tutor.com for virtual editing/proofreading services through the college’s Tutoring department.
: No. The Writing Centre supports students, but we do not assume any responsibility for what they submit nor how their instructor(s) evaluate it.
: The Writing Centre does not currently offer 1:1 appointment booking. Students are welcome to come regularly to drop-in hours and/or to engage in multi-message email conversations about different concepts/questions. In special cases, students may be referred to tutoring for more individualized support.
: Specific concepts and/or questions! Students and/or instructors should identify any areas of concern before approaching the Writing Centre. The Writing Centre facilitators do not have all Confederation College assignments memorized; so, students should also bring any instructions, guidelines, rubrics, etc. that pertain to the assignment that they are requesting support for. Works in progress should also be presented, so that we can better understand where students are at with the assignment.
: In some cases, yes, but Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) is more appropriate for instructor support with writing assignments. Instructors can request WAC support by contacting Linda Nicholl ([email protected]).

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