Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I contact the Writing Center?

  • You can reach us via email at writingcenter@sjsu.edu. You can also call us at 408-924-2308; however, please be aware that we have a limited number of staff working on-site at any given time. If we are unable to answer your call, please leave a voice message with your call back number. In your email or voice message, include full details about your query, and we will respond as soon as possible within standard weekday business hours. (We do not have professional staff working nights or weekends.)

• Can I contact or email tutors directly?

  • No, please do not contact our tutors directly. They are students with busy schedules, and they are not always working—clients must respect their time and privacy. If you need assistance, please send an email to our general address at writingcenter@sjsu.edu.

• How can I keep up-to-date with what’s happening at the Writing Center? Is there a dedicated mailing list for students? Will you be posting social media updates?

  • Yes, we have a student mailing list, and all SJSU students are encouraged to sign up. If you use the following link, we will add you to the group within a few working days. Once you are a member of the group, you will receive regular updates on our hours of operation, changes to service, announcements, etc. Click here to sign up now: http://bit.ly/writingcenterlistserv.
    
    We are also active with both announcements and writing tips via social media. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

• If I am a graduate or AEC student, can I get additional tutoring time?

  • Yes! For scheduled tutoring appointments (online or in person), all sessions are the same length: 45 minutes. Within our online scheduling system, students can set up two 45-minute sessions per week. If you are a graduate student working on a large project or are an AEC student who needs the accommodation of extra tutoring time, please complete this AEC/Graduate Request for Additional Tutoring Time form by following the instructions carefully.
    
    We can schedule one additional (third) tutoring session for you each week. However, this is dependent on our availability in WCOnline; we are unable to schedule an additional session if there is no availability showing in that week.

• I sent a request for an additional tutoring session, but I haven’t heard anything. What’s happening?

  • This depends on when the request was submitted. We do our best to action every request as quickly as possible; however, there is no guarantee it can be scheduled when a request is received outside of normal operational hours (e.g., on the weekend or late at night).

• Are both Writing Center physical locations closed (in Clark Hall and the MLK Library) due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

  • We have now re-opened both of our locations. We have professional staff members and front-desk student assistants working in Clark Hall on weekdays, but we are not currently holding tutoring sessions or workshops at that location. From March 7, 2022, we once again started offering scheduled, in-person tutoring appointments in our location on the second floor of the MLK Library. 

• When will you return to offering in-person drop-ins, in-person appointments, in-person workshops, special events, etc.?

  • We have returned to in-person tutoring appointments! We started a phased return to in-person services during the spring 2022 semester. We will continue to offer in-person tutoring appointments in the library as we move forward, and we will expand in-person tutoring at the start of the fall 2022 semester. Drop-ins will continue to be available only online (via our live chat service), and workshops will be facilitated via Zoom. 

• Will there be any drop-ins offered?

  • Yes, we have partnered with the MLK Library to offer our “Ask a Tutor” live chat service. Using SSO, students can log in and ask our tutors live chat questions at scheduled times when we have tutors available—no appointment necessary. Our website provides more information, and the direct link to our chat system is https://library.sjsu.edu/writingcenter-chat. Note that this service can only be used for brief questions—generally concerns that tutors can address within 5-15 minutes. If you need more intensive help, please schedule a full-length tutoring appointment. Live chat is available during the fall and spring semesters only. 

• What is online tutoring, and how can I find out more about it before I register with the Writing Center?

  • We are available to assist you virtually through online tutoring sessions, conducted through the Zoom web conferencing platform. Our online tutoring page provides all the details about online sessions; it also includes an informational video about online tutoring.

• How do I schedule an appointment for an online tutoring session?

  • The first thing you will need to do is create an account in WCOnline. View our video walk-through about how to register in our system and schedule an appointment. 

    Once you are registered and logged into the system, the next steps would be to

    - select the "Online Tutoring" schedule from the drop-down options at the top of the page;
    - scroll/go to the next date that has white slots that are available. (If you do not see any white slots available, this is because all appointments are currently full.);
    - click on the white slot you would like to book;
    - complete the form and create your appointment.

• What happens after I’ve scheduled my appointment?

  • To join your online tutoring session, take the following steps.

    1. Login to your WCOnline account before the start of your session, and click on your yellow appointment box.
    2. Click the yellow highlighted Zoom meeting link in the tutor bio section of your scheduled appointment.
    3. You will be in the waiting room for your session. Your tutor will admit you at the scheduled start time.
       
       

    Having trouble joining your session? Check out our appointment help page..

• If I have tech problems, will my online appointment be marked as a “no show”?

  • If you virtually arrive at your session on time but then experience some tech issues (e.g., inability to share your document), then the tutor will give you some time to remedy the problem. If you cannot fix the issue, then the appointment will end; however, it will not be marked as a “no show” since you did show up for the appointment. However, if you simply do not come to your appointment, it will be marked as a “no show.” If you are experiencing problems that aren’t allowing you to begin the Zoom session, please cancel the session through our online appointment reservation system or send us an email at writingcenter@sjsu.edu.

• I joined the online tutoring session, but I’ve received an email saying that I missed the session.

  • The WCOnline system automatically generates an email notification when a student joins the session more than five minutes after the start time. The session is also marked as missed/no-show. In the future, if you are experiencing problems that aren’t allowing you to begin the Zoom session, please cancel the session through your WCOnline account or send us an email at writingcenter@sjsu.edu. If you miss two appointments without cancelling in advance, you will be blocked from the online scheduling system, so please remember to cancel in advance if you are unable to join on time. We want to help ensure that this doesn't happen! 

• There are no white slots available. Can you book an appointment for me?

  • During peak periods each semester, there is high demand for writing support, which is why you may see limited or no (white) available slots in the schedule. We are unable to book appointments on behalf of students.

    However, we do recommend students to check the WCOnline system every evening at 9:00 PM (standard time, from November to March) or 10:00 PM (daylight savings time, from March to November), or early morning if possible. Our schedule is released a day at a time, up to five working days ahead. For example, on Thursday at 9:00 PM or 10:00 PM (depending on standard or daylight savings time), you will be able to see next Thursday's schedule and availability.

• Do you offer any other online resources for writing support?
  • We have plenty of online resources that you can use on your own for self-study. We have 100+ Homegrown Handouts posted on our website, and we also offer instructional video tutorials about different aspects of the writing process. Our blog is updated frequently, and its articles present plenty of tips and advice about writing. Our Grad Writer Toolbox presents curated resources about writing specifically intended for graduate students. We create these resources for students, so please use them in addition to online tutoring!

• Does the Writing Center offer any online workshops?
  • Yes. Visit our Workshops page to view the current schedule of workshops. The full list of workshop topics is available at the link, as well as how to register (through WCOnline) and our workshop policies. Our workshops are conducted through Zoom, and the necessary link is posted in the WCOnline. Please note that regularly scheduled workshops are offered only during the fall and spring semesters.
    
    Workshop spaces are limited; therefore, please only sign up if you are confident you will be able to attend.
• Can I get proof of my attendance at a workshop?
  • Yes. Provided you attended the full duration of the workshop (and did not leave early), any attendee who requires proof of attendance should complete the form link here http://bit.ly/wcworkshopconfirm. The request will be actioned within 1-3 working days.

• What safety measures has the Writing Center put in place in terms of COVID-19?
  • Since March 2020, the Writing Center has carefully adhered to the institutional (SJSU), county (Santa Clara), and state guidelines for making sure we keep our students and team as safe as possible. These measures have included a significant move to offering more remote writing support, which we have achieved through online tutoring (via Zoom) and live chat services. In March 2020, we withdrew all campus-based, in-person operations until further notice, including our workshops which are now offered synchronously through Zoom. Our online resources are continuously being developed to provide writing video tutorials, downloadable guides, and much more.
     
    We started a phased return to in-person services during the spring 2022 semester; at this time, we began offering in-person tutoring appointments in our library location. To ensure the safety and comfort of all students and staff, we have installed plexiglass at the front desk. We will continue to require everyone in our space to wear masks, and we will have hand sanitizer available on every table. We will also have a 15-minute time buffer between each tutoring session, during which time we will disinfect all our tables.