Referring Students for Writing Help
For information about Writing Center resources for students, see the Getting Started page on the Writing Center website. The page also houses brief videos that introduce students (and faculty) to the resources best suited to students at different degree levels. For help referring students to relevant Writing Center assistance, see the links below:
- Classroom Announcements
- Student-facing language about Writing Center resources that can be copy/pasted into feedback or announcements.
- Faculty Referral Form
- If a student in your course needs writing support, you can request outreach to the student from a Writing Center staff member. Note: If you would like to request a chapter edit for a doctoral capstone student, see the chapter edit information and request form.
- Chapter Edits
- Faculty members can request an edit of dissertation/doctoral capstone chapters or sections for students whose writing is impeding their progress. More details and a request form are available on the Chapter Edits page.
Following Up on Referrals
Many faculty note that they refer students to the Writing Center, but they don't know whether the student has followed through. Knowing what resources a student is pursuing can help faculty as they develop teaching approaches and feedback for that student. Ultimately, students are not required to notify their faculty of their work with the Writing Center, as the nature of this work is voluntary and private. If your student would like to share or verify that he or she has pursued Writing Center help, however, there are several ways to do so.
Paper Reviews
Students download their reviews, which are in Word format, from myPASS, and this document could be sent by students to their faculty member. Students also receive an e-mail when their review is ready to download; they can share that email with the faculty, if they are uncomfortable showing the marked-up document.
The Writing Center can also verify if a student has had an appointment, although we cannot provide details about the appointment. To request this information, contact Amber Cook.
Webinar Attendance
Students can provide verification of their live webinar attendance by sending faculty the “thank you” e-mail they receive after the webinar, or providing the webinar certificate of attendance from the webinar’s Files pod.
Students can provide verification that they watched an archived webinar by sending faculty the webinar’s certificate of attendance, which can be downloaded from the webinar’s Files pod.
Modules
Students can provide verification of their module usage by sending faculty the certificate of completion they can download after they pass the postmodule quiz.
Crash Course in Referring Students to the Writing Center
Links mentioned in Crash Course in Referring Students to the Writing Center
Paper Review FAQ
What is a paper review and how can it help my students?
The Walden Writing Center provides all writing tutoring asynchronously, through paper reviews. Students submit their documents through a reservation system called MyPASS, and their Writing Center instructor will review and then embed feedback and resource recommendations based on what they see in the student's paper, returning it via the same system. These reviews help students improve their scholarly writing skills through 1:1 help from our professional staff. Our website has a paper review overview with more information.
Who is eligible for a paper review?
Walden students can make up to three paper review appointments per week, submitting any of the assignments listed on our appointment policies page. These include essentially any coursework, although we do not review dissertations/doctoral studies.
What is the turnaround time for a paper review?
Even though the reviews are asynchronous, students must make an appointment to ensure our staff has time set aside to review their work. During busy times, these appointments can fill up quickly, so planning ahead is a good idea. (Note: Students do not have to upload their paper while they make their appointment; it's possible to reserve a spot ahead of time and then upload the paper closer to the date of the appointment. See our suggested appointment planning schedule.) Writing instructors will return the paper with feedback the day of or the day after the appointment.
How do I refer students for a paper review?
Students do not need a faculty referral to make a paper review appointment; they can make their own appointments using the process described on our website. For students who may need some additional encouragement or assistance, you can complete a faculty referral form and request that one of our writing instructors reach out directly to the student.
Who can help if a student is having trouble making an appointment?
The links included above should help and are available on the student-facing Writing Center website and in Quick Answers. Students can also reach out to our staff at writingsupport@waldenu.edu with any questions.
How will I know if my student has gotten a paper review?
To protect student privacy, we only send feedback to the student, not to their instructor. The student will download their feedback and can send it to their instructor upon request if they choose. You can also reach out to the Writing Center's Associate Director of Faculty Outreach and Support to find out if the student has or had a paper review appointment for verification purposes.
