UMUC

Effective Writing Center (EWC)

Frequently Asked Questions About the EWC - Student Resources

  1. What is the Effective Writing Center (EWC)?
  2. How do I contact the EWC?
  3. Who are the writing advisors?
  4. How can the EWC help me?
  5. Can I send my entire class to the EWC?
  6. What does EWC advice look like?
  7. When should I submit my writing assignment to the EWC?
  8. What will the EWC NOT do?

1. What is the EWC?

  • The EWC offers a variety of online writing services and resources to all UMUC students and faculty, including those in all three divisions of Europe, Asia, and the United States, in both the School of Undergraduate Studies and the Graduate School of Management and Technology.

  • The EWC provides 24/7 one-to-one online writing advice by experienced, trained advisors to all UMUC students. 

  • The EWC’s mission is to help UMUC students improve their writing by addressing a variety of writing issues, modeling excellent writing, and furnishing rationales for all comments on papers and through our various resources and services.

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2. How do I contact the Effective Writing Center (EWC)?

There are several ways to contact the Effective Writing Center (EWC). Please refer to the "Contact the EWC" page for staff, location, and contact information.

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3. Who are the writing advisors?

  • All EWC advisors are advanced undergraduates, graduate students, professionals, and UMUC faculty.

  • We provide an intensive training program for our writing advisors, including mock student writing requests and supervised live requests.

  • If you are interested in becoming a EWC faculty advisor, please e-mail Lisa Zimmerelli, director.

4. How can the EWC help me?

  • You can submit any writing assignment from any course to the EWC for feedback by clicking on the "Submit Your Paper" button on our homepage.

  • You can also email writing-related questions to writingcenter@umuc.edu.

  • You can participate in self-study activities, in which you will learn about aspects of research and writing, and can practice what you learn.

  • You can participate in the EWC plagiarism tutorial module.

  • The EWC's Online Guide to Writing and Research offers you a wealth of information on topics such as the writing and research processes; academic integrity, documentation, and using library resources; writing assessment and self-assessment; and collaborative writing and peer review.

  • The EWC provides resources and links to information on various writing topics, including prewriting, writing, and revising; grammar, punctuation, and mechanics; research planning and implementation; academic integrity and documentation; English as a Second Language; and writing in the disciplines.

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5. When should I submit my writing assignment to the EWC?

  • Please refer to the EWC Suggested Timeline, to assure that you have adequate time for receiving feedback and making any revisions.

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What does EWC advice look like?

The EWC advises in four areas: assignment, organization, development and research, grammar and mechanics. Please take a look at our bank of sample advice:

 

 

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What will the EWC NOT do?

  • We are not an editing service, and will not "fix" the grammar/spelling/punctuation in your paper.
  • We will not comment upon your instructor’s grade, nor suggest a grade for your paper.
  • The EWC will not compose any part of the paper for you.

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