Writing Consultations

Appointment Eligibility

You must be a graduate of a UMB program or an enrolled UMB student to make consultation appointments with the Writing Center. Writing Center Fellows are able to meet with you at any stage of the writing process; however, it is best to schedule an appointment early so that you have plenty of time to revise. Appointments can be made several weeks in advance but cannot be made the day the paper is due.

Educational Approach

Our writing consultants do not edit or proofread. The philosophy of the Writing Center emphasizes learning and so collaborates with writers to improve their critical thinking, revision, and editing skills. Fellows focus on writing strategy rather than just proofreading papers for grammar or spelling errors.

Scope of Consultation

Fellows and you likely will not get through an entire paper in 45 minutes. Within this timeframe, Fellows will provide you with resources and strategies for making informed writing choices and to comment on patterns in your writing. Remember, our mission is to help you become a self-sufficient writer, not to edit or proofread your paper. 

Group Papers

If you are working on a group paper, please contact the Writing Center directly before booking an appointment at writingcenter@umaryland.edu. 

Working with All Student Writers

Fellows are trained to assist writers of all language backgrounds in navigating the complexities of academic genres, expectations, and practices. 

Learning Differences

The Writing Center works with all writers of all abilities. Our client registration form and appointment form feature spaces for clients to confidentially disclose any information they would like our staff to know.

Large Language Models (LLMs) and Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)

Our educational approach acknowledges that graduate writers work in a complex and expanding world of digital and technological change. The use and nature of these technologies raise critical questions about how we create, organize, and express academic and professional knowledge in the 21st Century. Fellows welcome conversations around strategies for engaging with these tools as writers and thinkers, especially the far-ranging ethical implications of adopting GenAI into processes of writing to learn. 

Cost of Consultation

The Writing Center is provided at no additional cost to UMB students.

Appointment Formats 

• • • Online: You virtually meet with a Fellow using video/audio and discuss your paper together. You must be present for a conversation.
    • eTutoring: You submit your paper before the appointment, and will not talk with the Fellow in real time. You receive comments from the Fellow by the end of the appointment block.
    • In-person: You meet with a Fellow for a conversation in the physical Writing Center space, located in the SMC Campus Center, Rm 307, 621 W Lombard Street Baltimore, MD 21201.

Beginning an Appointment 

• • • Online: Log into WCOnline a few minutes before your appointment starts. Open your scheduled appointment and click "START OR JOIN ONLINE CONSULTATION."
    • eTutoring: Upload your Word document and assignment description at the time the appointment is scheduled, at the latest. Feel free to attach your draft earlier.
    • In-person: Walk into the Center a few minutes before your scheduled appointment and check in.

Appointment Length & Frequency 

• • • Consultations will not last longer than 45 minutes. Please note that while the WC Online scheduler lists hour-long appointments, Fellows will end the appointment after 45 minutes. Fellows use the rest of the time to fill out client report forms, prepare for their next appointment, and take a required short break. 
    • Clients may sign up for one appointment per day, two appointments per week. To request an exception to this policy on a case-by-case basis, please email us.

Consultation Details

• • • A synchronous writing consultation is a 45-minute appointment in which you meet with a Writing Center Fellow to go over written work or assignments. The Fellow will begin by asking you questions about your writing goals and concerns, and then both of you will craft an agenda for the session. Be ready to be an active participant in the session; Fellow will not complete your work or offer ideas regarding writing content. 
    • In an asynchronous writing consultation (eTutoring), the Fellow will independently make in-text comments and provide summary feedback. Please be advised that Fellows will not change any of your paper. Rather, they will respond as readers, asking questions to prompt further reflection and revision. See our mission statement for more information.

Privacy Policy

No information about client use of the Writing Center will be shared unless required by law. All writing consultations are confidential.

Group Paper Policy

Please contact the Writing Center directly at writingcenter@umaryland.edu if you are working on a group paper. eTutoring appointments are not available for group papers. 

Grading Policy

Writing Center Fellows will not predict a client's grade.

Integrity Policy

The following types of writing are excluded from assistance:

• any writing not entirely organized and composed by the writer whom the writing represents 
• any writing generated by artificial intellegence in violation of official UMB Artificial Intelligence Guidelines (Note: Fellows do work with writers to understand and critically consider when and how to engage in AI-assisted writing in accordance with UMB guidelines)
• any writing that is part of a take-home examination, including comprehensive exams for doctoral programs.

Appointment Cancellation, Late, and No-Show Policy

Clients have until 24 hours before their appointment to cancel their scheduled consultation. After this point, cancellations will be counted as no-shows.  

Arriving more than 20 minutes late without providing notice results in a no-show. The amount of time late counts against the total length of the consultation. 

If a client does not show up for an appointment, they will get an email that the appointment was marked as a no-show. After two no-shows, clients will not be able to make appointments for the rest of the semester.

Inclement Weather Policy

If UMB closes before the Writing Center opens, the Writing Center will be closed. If UMB closes after the Writing Center opens, staff will finish conducting their current appointment and then close the Writing Center immediately. If UMB announces an advanced closure (e.g., a closure for the following day), the Writing Center will be closed. Finally, if UMB delays opening before the Writing Center opens, the Writing Center will open when the University does. Affected clients will be contacted by the staff, and an attempt to reschedule will be made.

Online Appointment Safety Policy

Clients may not drive during online appointments. If a Fellow becomes aware that a client is driving, they will end the appointment and contact the client about rescheduling. Please plan to be in a comfortable place with minimal distractions during online appointments.

Off-Schedule Appointments

Fellows will not meet with clients outside of their scheduled work hours, in person or online.