The Writing Center is staffed by trained student writing consultants who complete the newly-redesigned ENG 217: Writing Center Colloquium course. Once trained, they conduct both group and individual conferences with writers, also leading writing workshops and class visits. Every tutor is here to chat with you about whatever you're writing (whether it be for school or for fun) and give advice at any stage of the writing process (drafting, revising, editing, polishing it up and so forth).
Mission Statement
Kenyon’s Writing Center community has continually evolved to help with writing on a campus where it is as much a daily activity as eating, sleeping, and socializing. Here, we all recognize not only the importance of writing itself, but also the struggles that the process sometimes causes us to face. Our peer tutors are trained to act as empathetic listeners, collaborative role models, and co-investigators to respond to any piece of writing you're working on, academic or personal. Our tutors are not professionals or authority figures, but rather peers who have experienced many of the same challenges and achievements as you and discovered strategies for success. They will encourage you, help you find resources, and guide you as you embark on a variety of writing processes throughout your time at Kenyon. You don't have to be struggling to come to the writing center. We are happy to look over something even if you just want another perspective on your writing. We believe everyone can benefit from a visit to the Chalmers Library Writing Center!
Statement on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Kenyon’s Writing Center community is both staffed and used by a diverse group of student, staff, and faculty members. We as a writing center are aware of the ways in which standardized academic language often perpetuates and legitimizes systems of oppression. As such, we respect and honor a myriad of lived experiences, offering support through outreach like our Conversation Partners program, ongoing research into equity in tutoring, and programming like Douglass Day. We aspire to be a brave space in which we will, at times, engage in discussion about writing that addresses controversial ideas and ideologies. This fact does not mean we support or advocate for them. If we find you are in violation of any campus policies, your writing center privileges will be revoked.
Questions about the writing center? Please email Writing Center Director Anna Scanlon (she/her) at scanlon1@kenyon.edu.
Writing Consultants and Liaisons
The Writing Center is staffed by student consultants, who provide support for writers in any discipline. There are also writing liaisons who support students in specific courses and departments. Meet the current consultants or learn more about becoming one.
Additional Resources
The Writing Center's resources (generally listed in alphabetical order by topic) include advice on writing from current consultants, grammar support suggestions and a checklist for writing scientific papers. These sources are not comprehensive, but are good starting points for facilitating discussions between you and a tutor or you and your professor.
We regularly add new ones so keep checking back! If you can think of a source we should include but don't, or if you need a source made more accessible, please email Director Anna Scanlon at scanlon1@kenyon.edu.
Resource Links
- Making a Writing Tutor Appointment (with WCOnline)
- Adjectives and Adverbs
- Annotated Bibliographies
- Anxiety about Writing
- Argumentative and Analytical Outlines
- Be Verbs and Passive Voice
- Brainstorming Ideas
- Citing with Chicago Style
- Citing with MLA and APA
- Claims-Making them Logical
- Commas, Colons, and Semicolons
- Concise Writing
- Conclusions
- Coordination and Subordination
- Definite and Indefinite Articles
- Demonstrative Pronouns
- Email Etiquette
- Getting Started-Organizing Ideas
- Inclusive Language (Basics)
- Introductions
- Inventing, Drafting, and Revising
- Literary Analysis
- Paragraphs (Organization Using the MEAL plan)
- Personal Statements (General Ideas for Drafting)
- Personal Statements (Outlining Ideas)
- Personal Statements for Health Care Professions
- Preparing a Presentation
- Reverse Outlining
- Science Writing Tips
- Sentence Structure (Run-ons and Fragments)
- Sentence Variety
- Subject-Verb Agreement
- Summarizing, Paraphrasing and Quoting Sources
- Thesis Statements
- Transition Words and Phrases
- Which VS That
- Word Choice
- Writer's Block
Kenyon College
Gambier, OH 43022