The UAS Juneau Writing Center

The Writing Center will operate remotely on Wednesday, Nov. 27 and will close for fall break from Nov. 28-Dec. 1

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We are open six days a week this fall! Please note: our regular hours are subject to change. Any changes will be noted above, so please remember to check this space before coming in!

Monday          11:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday          10:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday    11:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday        10:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday              11:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Saturday          Closed
Sunday            2:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Please email us for an appointment atuas.writingcenter@alaska.edu or click the blue "schedule an appointment" button on this page. The WC is open every day except Saturday. Our services are available to UAS students across all three UAS campuses and can be delivered remotely via Zoom, email, or phone, as well as in person.  Be sure to indicate which type of appointment delivery you would like to schedule.

If you are an instructor and would like to arrange for your class to visit the WC (or for one of us to visit your class!) for an overview of our tutoring services, please reach out to Writing Specialist Jessy Goodman at jrgoodman2@alaska.edu.

Seeing a writing tutor is easy!

Instructions for making an appointment and attending your tutoring session when the WC opens in August:

You can make a 30-minute appointment by clicking on our "Appointment Calendar" tab at the top of this page. This button will be activated on the first day of insruction. We offer in-person appointments as well as remote options. If you email us, please indicate what type of appointment you would like. If you make your appointment through our calendar, please indicate whether you prefer an in-person, Zoom, phone, or email tutoring session. If you have any trouble with the appointment calendar, please call or email us. Walk-ins will be accepted if we have an available tutor, or we will help you as soon as one becomes available!

If you are simply looking for a comfortable place to work, the WC has space and a number of available computers for non-tutoring students as well!

How to prepare for tutoring sessions

• If you would like us to review a draft before we meet with you: at least 1 hour before your appointment, email us at uas.writingcenter@alaska.edu with your latest draft and your writing assignment/prompt to help us better understand the project's requirements. If you do not have a draft yet and need help getting started, that's also fine!
• Please be aware that, depending upon the length of your paper, we may not be able cover the entire draft during your half-hour appointment. You are, however, welcome to make as many appointments as you need to finish working on a draft!
• If you do not email us your draft before the appointment, we can still help you work on it during your visit to the WC, getting as far as possible within the 30-minute timeframe.
• Develop questions you have for us, or be ready to let us know what kind of feedback you are hoping to receive.
• Provide earlier drafts if you'd like us to look at the changes you've made or your instructor’s suggestions.
• Expect suggestions and comments from your tutor on how to edit and revise your paper. (We are not an editing service, but we will work closely with you to help you make and understand your own edits and revisions.)
• And most of all, remember: to get the most out of your session, come in well ahead of your deadline. There isn't a lot we can do if your essay is due in an hour!

Who we are

The Writing Center, located downstairs in the Egan Library, Room 105, advises students from all disciplines on writing projects. We are a team of strong writers who believe writing is a crucial form of communication for any class and any profession. We aim to help you master your own writing skills through attentive, supportive assistance and a genuine interest in what you have to say.

What we do

We discuss your writing with you. After all, we think that's what writers need most—readers who are interested in their writing and who want to respond to it. We hope you will visit us often, with anything from your biology paper to the poem you wrote last night. You are also welcome to come see us if you’re working on a scholarship application letter, a short story on your own, or even a thought-provoking post on social media.

We can help at every stage of the writing process, from understanding a prompt (no draft required!) to helping you with a final polish of your assignment.

We also provide a variety of study guides to help you organize your essay, create a thesis statement, write your first analysis, master citation styles like MLA or APA, and more.

The Writing Center is a judgment-free zone. We want to help you regardless of your skill level or experience! We will assist you in editing your own papers and help you develop your own editing skills by locating grammar errors and teaching you how to self-correct your sentences. We work hard to explain grammatical concepts in plain words that you can understand. We don't tell you what to think or write but instead help you determine how best to respond to your writing assignments. We also provide feedback on content and organization. This attention to detail means we may only cover a short portion of your paper during your appointment, but you will leave with tools to apply to the rest of your revision. We also welcome you to make multiple appointments to work on any assignment.

For additional assistance outside of the WC, we recommend Read&Write software, which has an editing feature along with many tools to help you in your writing journey.