We want your visits to the Writing Center to be productive and pleasant, and thus the following policies are observed:
The Writing Center is not an editing service. We do not edit, proofread or write papers.
Sessions begin and end on the hour, unless you choose to end early. Please do not ask your consultant to stay beyond the hour; consultants have other responsibilities, and we need to table space for the next session.
If you are not able to make it to your appointment for any reason, please cancel in advance through the mywconline scheduling page or by notifying writingcenter@sandiego.edu. If you are more than 15 minutes late, your appointment will be canceled and marked as a no-show. Missing three appointments in one semester without canceling beforehand will result in your account being deactivated for the remainder of the semester.
A consultant will meet with more than one student at a time only if all parties, including the consultant, agree in advance.
Back-to-back sessions are not permitted. They are tiring, and you may end up feeling confused rather than enlightened. After your appointment, read and think about your work before returning to the Center.
You may schedule up to three appointments in one week.
Consultants do not give advice or opinions regarding the grade a paper will receive.
Consultants may not work with take-home exams unless they are accompanied by specific permission for consultant assistance, in writing, from the professor.
Requests for specific consultants are honored, if possible, but not guaranteed.
Consultants will not sign and release session forms ("white sheets") unless they determine substantive work has been completed during the session.
Consultants have the right to politely refuse service to rude, disruptive or aggressive persons.
Consultants have the responsibility to alert students to writing that appears to be plagiarized. Discussion of appropriate citation methods, paraphrasing and use of internet sources may ensue. Consultants have the right to refuse to work with papers that appear to be deliberately plagiarized. For more information regarding the University of San Diego's policy on plagiarism, please see the Academic Integrity Policy and Honor Code.