MSU Writing Center News

MSU Writing Center supports students across campus

Every writer at Montana State University – from freshmen to Ph.D. candidates, artists to engineers – are encouraged to consult the MSU Writing Center for free help at any stage of a writing project.

“The worst thing for me is if a senior comes in and says, ‘I had no idea you guys were here,’” said Jess Carroll, interim director of the Writing Center, who believes any Bobcat can benefit from the numerous resources the center offers.

For more than 40 years, the MSU Writing Center has offered non-evaluative, student-centered writing assistance on campus.

“You can come in with a prompt, and we’ll help you make sense of it and come up with a plan. We’ll brainstorm. We can also offer another set of eyes to proofread an hour before an assignment is due and everything in between,” said Carroll. “We still think human readers are extremely valuable, and we’ll invest in your work.”

Support is available not only with MSU assignments but also with non-course materials, including job applications, cover letters, creative writing projects or any other type of writing. Students are also invited to come to the Writing Center simply to write, even if they don’t wish to meet with a tutor. Check the website for hours and locations.

Carroll also urges students to check out the online resources available on the Writing Center’s website.

Our staff

It isn’t only English majors who make up the Writing Center’s staff of trained peer tutors – in fact, tutors come from every college on campus. Carroll said the strong disciplinary diversity has created a huge benefit for students who use the Writing Center.

“We consider ourselves a generalist center, which means that all the tutors are prepared to work with any kind of writer, but the tutors also have their bios on the website, including their major, some of their strengths, and things they feel particularly well suited or well prepared to work with,” she said.

Students can look at the bios and book with a specific tutor and to try working with more than one person until they find the best fit.

Join our team

The Writing Center is currently accepting applications for new tutors for spring semester. Both undergraduate and graduate students from all programs and majors are encouraged to apply. Those selected will receive rigorous, on-the-job tutor education training throughout their tenure.

“Our tutors are smart, curious, and invested in their community, and they gain a rich understanding of writing through their work with peers,” Carroll said.

For more information, visit the Writing Center in person at Wilson 1-114 or Romney 207, or online at www.montana.edu/writingcenter/.

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