Writing
Assistance for Graduate Students
1) The Graduate Student Writing Center.
For several years, Penn State has offered graduate students free writing
tutoring in Kern Building. Students can make a one-hour appointment to work
with another graduate student from the English Department, and they can
return for multiple visits. Details about the Graduate Student Writing Center
are at http://www.psu.edu/dept/cew/grad/gwc.htm.
2) Penn State Career Services.
For those graduate students seeking a free review of a resume or CV, Penn
State Career Services holds drop-in hours with career counselors from 8:30
to 5:00 on weekdays, as well as Wednesday evening workshops. These counselors
will review resumes and CVs one-on-one for both undergrads and grad students.
The website is at http://www.sa.psu.edu/career/.
3) Graduate Writing Workshops
and Classes. The English Department offers both short writing workshops
and 400-level credited courses on writing, both designed for or available
to graduate students. Examples of short writing workshops offered to graduate
students during the fall 2005 semester are at http://www.psu.edu/dept/cew/grad/workshopscontentframe.htm.
4) Private Tutoring
or Editing. Assuming the student is willing to pay for local tutoring
or editing, there are three locations at the University where lists of tutors
and editors are available: · The Graduate Student Association office (111
Kern Building) · The Thesis and Dissertation office (114 Kern Building)
· The English Department Composition Program office (136 Burrowes Building)
The hourly rates and credentials of these editors vary, of course, and the
lists are not updated very often. However, I’m happy to give specific recommendations
for tutors or editors to graduate students or faculty if they describe the
circumstances.
5) Self-Study.
I’m often asked to recommend books related to writing, especially for ESL
graduate students, and the best texts I’ve come across are Style: Ten Lessons
in Clarity and Grace, by Joseph Williams, and Technical Writing and Professional
Communication for Nonnative Speakers of English, by Huckin and Olsen. I
like these books in particular because they use examples from the sciences
and because they are exercise-oriented. I’m also asked if I can give free
copies of my book Style for Students to graduate students and the answer
is no--my limited budget just can't support the expense--but I am happy
to e-mail pdfs of relevant excerpts from the book and it is also available
for purchase in the bookstore. As an on-line "writing lab" designed for
self-study, Purdue University has perhaps the best website around at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/oldindex.html.
The list above was compiled by EMS undergraduate writing
tutor, Joe Schall.
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