Writing Lab Policies
1a Consultants will help you with organization, thesis statements, critical thinking, cohesion and other “big picture” aspects of the writing process; they will not proofread or correct every single grammatical or citation mistake.
1b In addition, consultants will give revision advice that students can then apply on their own time after the session; if students return with the same assignment for a subsequent session, there should be significant revisions made beforehand (even if not all revisions exactly match the consultant’s advice–the final decision always lies with the student!). Consultants reserve the right to recommend a session be cancelled until you have had a chance to revise.
2 Emailing your paper to your consultant ahead of time does not mean they will read your paper before the session; always come prepared with a specific idea (or questions) of what you would like help with.
3a If you are more than 10 minutes late, you may forfeit your appointment.
3b If you miss three appointments without cancelling (or are more than 10 minutes late three times), you may forfeit your ability to make any Writing Lab appointments for the rest of the semester.
4 Students may book up to 60 minutes (2 slots) per week. These may be consecutive (simply book back-to-back slots on the same day). We reserve the right to cancel any slots beyond this daily and weekly limit and can do so without prior notification to the student.
5a Appointments that are made less than 8 hours before the start time are not guaranteed–please reserve your appointments ahead of time to allow tutors to plan ahead.
5b Emergencies and unplanned events do happen, but please cancel appointments well ahead of time whenever possible (ideally 24 hours before the appointment). This allows other students to fill a cancelled slot. Serial last-minute cancellations may result in restricted access to the Lab.
6a We are happy to help you with essays and other aspects of research, but we cannot help with daily homework assignments, midterms, or take-home exams without express permission from your professor. Consultants reserve the right to ask you or your professor about the particular permissions of any assignment.
6b While students are allowed to bring other pieces of writing outside of their classes to the Lab (such as conference proposals), assigned work for current classes is prioritized. Professional work for one’s job cannot be brought to the Lab. Consultants reserve the right to ask about the purpose of any document being brought to the Lab and to refuse to provide feedback in select cases if it does not fit within the scope of Lab services.
The Writing Lab is a free resource for students at Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies. Because this is a free resource servicing all students at SCS, failure to adhere to the policies above may result in reduced access to the Lab, to ensure that everyone has access to our services.
For any questions, please email scswritinglab@georgetown.edu
