Services & Schedule

Benefit from one-on-one, drop-in support from CapU English instructors, in-person. As instructors who teach courses (including writing-focused ones) and grade assignments at CapU, they are well positioned to help you understand assignment expectations and see significant improvements in your writing. Learn more about how we can help on the main Writing Centre page. 

The Writing Centre Peer Tutors are CapU students with strong writing and communication skills who are closely mentored by our English instructors in order to help CapU students with some aspects of the writing process. They are available on Zoom.

Each term, we offer occasional workshops – free for all CapU students – that cover key writing skills such as developing thesis statements, outlining, integrating quotes, learning citation styles, and understanding academic integrity. Visit our Writing Workshops page for more information. 

The CapU Writing Centre has developed an array of handouts related to the writing process, which cover topics from essay and academic assignment genres, to research and documentation, to writing mechanics. Our English instructors can recommend these handouts in person in the Learning Commons section of the library, and some of them are also available at Writing Resources.

All sessions are first come, first served. No appointment necessary.

When you arrive, please sign in and mark the "Purpose of Visit" column on our sign-in sheet. The English instructor will call your name off the sign-in sheet when they are ready for you.

You may discuss work that's at any stage with an English instructor, from interpreting the assignment instructions and brainstorming initial ideas to getting feedback on the final draft.

It's best to have specific questions in mind upon arrival. For example, you could ask if your opening paragraph works as an introduction to the essay, or if your thesis statement is focused and direct, or if particular sentences make their points clearly.

Students who come prepared with questions or who underline, highlight or star problematic passages, words, or punctuation marks in their writing assignments tend to make most effective use of their consultation time.

We do not proofread your writing, but we will point out sample errors and teach you how to avoid those errors so that you can become a strong editor of your own work.

During busy periods of the academic year, instructors spend approximately 15 minutes with each student. However, during less busy times, significantly more time can be dedicated to each student.

Instructors will often recommend handouts and exercises that might benefit your writing. You are welcome to look through our extensive collection of handouts to select those that look helpful.

All sessions are first come, first served. No appointment necessary. Students must have a CapU email and student ID.

When other students are waiting, meetings will not exceed 20 minutes. Please be prepared to stay in the waiting room until it is your turn and the instructor lets you in.

So that all CapU students can take advantage of this support, please don't expect to have more than two Zoom consultations per week.