| Writing Center: | 14 Deike Building, University Park, PA | |
| Spring 2004 Writing Center Hours: |
Monday-Thursday 9:30-12; 1-5 Friday 9:30-12, 1-3. |
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| Writing Center Phone: | (814) 863-6077 | |
This home page highlights Writing Center services for undergraduates in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences at Penn State. Recognizing the need for effective writing in the sciences and engineering, the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences employs two writing tutors exclusively for its students. The EMS Writing Center is staffed by Joe Schall, Giles Writer-in-Residence, and Andy Alexander, PhD candidate in Rhetoric and Composition.
You are encouraged to visit the Writing Center for help with anything from your paper assignments to your resume. You may visit the Writing Center at any stage of the writing process, whether planning a paper, revising a draft, or polishing a final product. Each year, hundreds of students from dozens of classes make use of Writing Center services, with some students visiting just a few times, and others coming in almost every week.
The Earth and Mineral Sciences Writing Center is open only to Earth and Mineral Sciences majors. Students in other majors are referred to the Center for Excellence in Writing, 219 Boucke Building.
When visiting the Writing Center, please understand the tutor's role and recognize your own responsibilities as a writer. A tutor's task is not to edit or rewrite your papers for you, but to help you understand and employ effective writing habits, identify your particular writing needs, and assist you in honing your own skills. Your responsibility in a tutorial session is to prompt the tutor by articulating your key questions and writing challenges, participate in a specific discussion about how to improve the product you're working on, and exit the session better equipped to put more work into your writing. The concern is with process as much as product--tutor and student together seek improvement through shared effort.
Most students visit the Writing Center by appointment, because simply dropping in during Writing Center hours could involve a long wait. To secure an appointment, simply call or visit the Writing Center during the hours noted at the top of this page. Making appointments by e-mail is typically inefficient and difficult, so please avoid doing so; reserve e-mail for quick correspondence such as cancellations, confirmations, or specific questions about writing that I could answer for you.
As you may be aware, I've written a writing manual specifically designed for students in the sciences and engineering. This manual includes advice on everything from grammar to presenting tables and figures to writing your resume. It's called Style for Students. Undergraduates in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences can receive a free copy of the manual by dropping by the Writing Center. To download a sample chapter about using sources from Style for Students, click here. An abbreviated version of the manual, also called Style for Students, is available on-line. Another style guide commonly cited by professors of all ages is The Elements of Style.
In addition to being the Giles Writer-in-Residence, I've published a score of short stories and an equal number of freelance articles. I also enjoy biking, jogging, cross-country skiing, and--most importantly--hold the high scores on many local pinball machines.