The Communication Writing Center (CWC) is a departmental resource for undergraduates that was started a number of years ago by graduate student initiative to assist undergraduates in writing and research. The CWC offers one-on-one consulting, writing guides, and other resources.
Our staff of graduate student volunteers offer help with writing for the communication discipline, as well as with preparing personal statements for graduate school and internship applications. Students can drop in during the CWC’s open hours with graduate student volunteers. The CWC is located in 222 Communications Building.
The best use of the CWC is to get help with conceptualizing, researching for, and organizing your assignment — not just checking grammar and spelling errors. For specific help on writing, check out some of the University of Washington Writing Centers.
Drop-in help
The CWC serves students on a drop-in basis. Simply drop by during the days/times listed above and a mentor will be able to help you. We usually have more than one mentor on staff. Please note that there may be times when the mentors will be busy assisting other students. If you arrive and all of the mentors are working with other students please wait patiently until the next available person can assist you. You should consider coming to the CWC as often as you would like — it can be helpful to come at different stages on a project or assignment.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Communication Writing Center is a volunteer-based center staffed by Communication graduate students, teaching assistants, and research assistants. We welcome drop-in sessions during the hours posted.
Where is the Writing Center?
CMU 222
We share this space with the Speaking Center and various other activities. This quarter, we are offering a few sessions in the Advising office as well (CMU 118). See the schedule for specific times.
Who can use center?
The center is designed to help students taking communication courses and/or prospective and current communication majors.
What kinds of projects can the tutors help with?
We can read drafts of essays and papers for class, as well as application essays, statements of purpose etc. Think of us not as “writing experts” but rather as interested and informed readers. We’ll provide another pair of eyes on your work in a low-pressure environment.
While we’re happy to help you at any stage of the writing process, you will probably get the most out of a session if you bring a draft of what you are working on.
What to expect?
We generally think of sessions to last about 20 minutes. As such, we may not be able to address all of your concerns or the issues in your writing. Instead, we will focus on a few key areas for improvement per session.
Because this is drop-in, we are never entirely sure if there will be a wait or not. The best advice we can offer is come early, come often.
