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Writing Center Frequently Asked Questions
Audience
 Who
can use the LBJ graduate writing center?
Is the writing center for students who have writing problems?
Scheduling & Expectations
How
do I schedule a consultation, and where is the writing
center located?
What can I expect from a typical consultation, and how do I prepare?
May
I send the center my paper before my scheduled consultation?
Will
the center review my PR, PRP, policy brief, or dissertation
during a drop-in visit?
Will
the center proofread and edit my paper?
Will
the center help me contest a grade or evaluate my professor’s comments
on my text?
Will
my consultation remain confidential?
Seminars
Does
the center offer a series of writing seminars?
Does
the center offer a speaker series?
Miscellaneous
Who
is the writing center’s writing advisor?
Is the LBJ Writing Center the first specialized graduate writing center?
Audience
Who may use the LBJ graduate writing center?
Consultations, writing seminars, and materials are limited to currently enrolled LBJ graduate students because LBJ students pay an additional writing center fee—no exceptions. Whether
you are new to writing memoranda, or have professional writing experience, LBJ students are always welcome.
For university-wide graduate students seeking writing assistance, the University of Texas at Austin provides numerous resources and workshops. Take advantage of these excellent resources!
Is the
writing center for students
who have
writing
problems?
Some of the best
writers visit the center—they know that assistance is a
professional
opportunity
and
personal investment.
Most of the writers who seek assistance are second-year students who have professional writing experience. Moreover, many students visit the center to learn about new genres of academic and professional writing.
Scheduling and Expectations
How do I schedule a consultation, and
where is the writing center located?
You may either stop by Sid Richardson Hall 3.255 during office
hours, or schedule an appointment by emailing the
What can I expect from a typical meeting, and how do I
prepare?
Every writing consultation is different; however, most
appointments last half an hour and are student-centered. For the first meeting, the writing
advisor will want to know about your rhetorical context including
who your audience is, what your purpose is, how you want to present your
writing, and other details, so be prepared and bring your assignment
sheet or writing prompt. The advisor will then ask you to explain what
you
may want to work on or discuss your concerns and some of your writing
strengths. You are also welcome to email the writing instructor your text(s) and describe your writing context(s).
Based on the conversation or email, the instructor will critically
read your text after the meeting. Typically for the second meeting, the writing advisor will initially discuss global issues to ensure you are addressing the purpose of your assignment
and that you are writing a focused, organized, coherent, and well developed
text prior to addressing stylistic, grammar, and punctuation
concerns. The center will focus on helping you set
priorities on your immediate needs rather than address every writing
issue in a
text.
You may prepare for the consultation by bringing your assignment
sheet and working outline. If you do not have a working outline and
do not know how to get started, then the writing advisor can assist you
with getting
started on your writing task and how to organize your notes and thoughts.
We can begin working on any stage of the writing process. Be sure to plan ahead; the writing advisor will not provide textual comments the same day in which a text is due—doing so promotes poor time management skills and interferes with scheduled consultations.
May I send the writing center
my paper before my consultation?
You may email the writing center your
text as a Word (.doc) attachment
before
your first in-person appointment. In
your email, you are required to include either your writing
prompt, or assignment sheet. Moreover, be sure to briefly discuss what
the purpose of your text is, who the
audience is, the mode and medium of delivery, concerns you may have about
your text, and other constraints. Please refer to the consultation request form for details.
If applying
to law school, a Ph.D. program, or for an internship, fellowship, or scholarship, please send your writing prompt,
the application, a URL of the agency/organization, and your résumé.
Will the
writing center review my PR, PRP or dissertation related texts
during a drop-in visit?
Please schedule an initial
meeting with the writing advisor to discuss your writing context,
your concerns, and subsequent meetings/correspondence. Before working online, your first visit must be in person.
Will the writing center
proofread and edit my paper? What if I'm writing a paper with a professor, will you proofread it?
The writing center neither proofreads nor edits
any paper/project for any student because this practice violates university policy on
scholastic honesty. You are responsible
for the texts you produce. The writing advisor can instead help you learn
how to identify and correct mechanical errors in
your own work. Learning how to undo writing habits takes time; as such,
be prepared to invest time in learning—not engage in quick, superficial fixes.
Will the writing center either help me contest
a grade on a paper or evaluate my professor’s comments regarding my text?
Under
no circumstances will the writing center contest grades or question your
professor’s evaluations. The center also does not speculate about a grade
your text may receive. Please contact the graduate
advisor regarding grievances.
Will my consultation remain confidential?
Only at your request will the writing advisor discuss your work and
the nature of your visit with your professor. You may request that the
writing center send a brief non-evaluative memo to your instructor describing
what we discussed; professors are glad to know about your visit and initiative. If, however, a professor advises you to rewrite a text after a receiving failing grade, the writing advisor will brief the professor about the consultation.
Seminars
Does the writing center offer
a series of writing seminars?
The writing center provides a series
of writing
workshops: Communicating Policy (CP), and Professional
Report Design (PR Design). CP is offered
in the fall semester; however, the advisor may repeat a few sessions in the spring semester. PR Design is offered in the fall and spring semester. If
you miss a class, you may visit the writing center and request printed materials;
the
writing
advisor will not make special deliveries or send notes over email.
Does the writing center offer
a speaker series called Practitioner Perspectives?
The writing center hosts “Practitioner Perspectives” featuring experienced practioners in the public affairs field who share a commitment to writing and learning. These lectures provide first hand experience and invaluable advice for students. Among some of our special guest speakers have been:
- Arnold Garcia, Opinion Editor of the Austin American Statesman
“The Three Rs of Op-Eds”
- Denise Francis, Office of the Governor; Division of Budget, Planning and Policy (LBJ alumna)
“Finding the Funds and Writing to Win!”
- Dr. Brian Leiter, John P. Wilson of Law and Director, Center for Law, Philosophy, and Human Values; University of Chicago, School of Law
“What Can Blogs Contribute to Political Discourse?”
- Evan Smith, former editor of Texas Monthly
“Op-Eds, Persuasion and Public Policy”
- Paul Burka, Senior Executive Editor of Texas Monthly
“Politics and Persuasion: The Op-Ed”
- Doris Sanchez, Press Secretary for Senator Eddie Lucio (LBJ alumna)
“Writing Effective Press Releases”
- Dr. Clay Spinuzzi, Director of the University of Texas Computer and Writing Lab
“PRP Team Writing Strategies and Software Tools”
- Dr. Peg Syverson, Associate Professor of the Division of Rhetoric and Writing
“Collaborative Writing Strategies”
- Dr. Betty Sue Flowers, former director of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum
“Madman, Architect, Carpenter, Judge: Roles and the Writing Process”
Miscellaneous
Who is the writing center’s writing
advisor?
Talitha May directs the one-person LBJ School
of Public Affairs Writing Center.
Is the LBJ graduate writing center the first discipline-specific, specialized graduate writing center in the US?
The LBJ graduate writing center is the first specialized graduate writing center in the US. Please notify if otherwise! Since 1993, the LBJ School of Public Affairs has been committed to improving the written communication skills of LBJ and dual-degree Master’s and Ph.D. graduate students by offering in-house writing assistance to address faculty and student needs. Beginning as an LBJ School Ph.D. student teaching assistantship, the writing advisor position evolved into a permanent staff position in 2001.
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