Writing Center
Welcome to the Writing Center for Penn State Great Valley.
Mission
The Writing Center exists to help students develop their written communication skills and to support faculty in their efforts to improve student writing.
What We Offer
- Individual tutoring. The Writing Center offers free one-to-one writing consultations to all students currently enrolled in a graduate degree program. Consultations with the writing coach are available in three formats:
- In-office. The writing coach is on campus Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 4:00 until 8:00 p.m. To make an appointment for an in-office consultation, write to Erica Vinskie at GVWritingCenter@psu.edu.
- Online. The writing coach is available outside of office hours for online consultations. Student and coach will meet in real time using an online conference room with screen sharing capability. To make an appointment for an online consultation, write to Erica Vinskie at GVWritingCenter@psu.edu.
- Email. The writing coach can also offer feedback on your writing via email. For an e-review, send your paper as an MS Word document to Erica Vinskie at GVWritingCenter@psu.edu. Allow at least 48-hours turnaround time for papers up to 8-pages in length. For papers longer than 8-pages, contact the writing coach in advance.
- Periodic workshops. The Writing Center offers free hour-long workshops on topics and trends in academic and business writing. View and register for current workshops.
- Online resources. Many common writing questions can be answered by consulting our online resources.
What to Expect
During a consultation, the writing coach will offer drafting, revising, and editing strategies aimed at helping you become a competent and independent graduate-level writer. As a way of modelling these strategies, she may edit some of your writing. Please know, however, that the writing coach will not proofread your work, and a consultation with her does not guarantee an ‘A’ paper (or any particular grade). Students are responsible for their own work.
Students are entitled to one Writing Center consultation per week. Please bring to the session a draft of your paper, the assignment prompt, and any relevant texts.
Contact Information
Erica Vinskie, M.A., Writing Specialist
GVWritingCenter@psu.edu or (610) 648-3272
Outside of office hours, please use email to get in touch.
Hours and Location
In-office tutoring is available Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. (Available earlier by appointment.) Online and email tutoring is available at other times Monday through Friday.
The Writing Center is located on the ground floor of the Main Building in the Knowledge Commons, behind the Circulation Desk.