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How to UsePeer Consultation

Center for Transformative Learning, 3rd Floor Stephenson Building, Room 314, Ext. 3404

Hours: Monday-Thursday 9:00am - 12:00pm and 1:00-8:00pm (closed 3:00- 4:00 Tuesday & 4:00-6:00 Thursday)

Friday 9:00am-12:00pm and 1:00-5:00pm

Who We Are

Peer Consultationis a part of the Center for Transformative Learning. Our mission is to enhance student learning through services to students, faculty, and staff.

What We Do

Consultants at Peer Consultation review papers, presentations, research assignments, and creative writing, in order to help their fellow students improve their skills in writing, presenting, and researching. In other words, we assist in the revision of drafts, but we are mainly concerned with enhancing a student’s writing, presenting and researching process.

Our approach to learning is centered onpeer reviewing, not peer editing. Because every student has an individual writing and presenting process, we can’t tell you what to write in your paper or say during your presentation. However, we can point out errors you may be repeating again and again, and help you build on your strengths.

For creative writers, we can help you bridge the gap between your own writing projects and your academic writing. If you are considering submission to a literary journal or magazine, our consultants will be happy to review your pieces and offer constructive criticism. Many of our consultants are creative writers themselves and know how important it is to respect a writer’s personal voice and style.

For upperclassmen, the Learning Center tapes mock interviews, developsrésumés, and reviews cover letters and applications for jobs and graduate schools. We have GRE practice testing materials, as well as useful study guides.

What We Don’t Do

  1. Edit drafts FOR students. (We CAN, however, show you how to edit your own work.)
  2. “Fix” a student’s writing. (We CAN, however, help you assess your own strengths and weaknesses. We CAN ALSO recommend ways to avoid repeating the same mistakes.)
  3. “Give” students ideas. (We CAN, however, brainstorm with you, and assist in preparing an outline or other organizational chart.)
  4. Do research FOR students. (We CAN, however, show you methods that will make your research a lot easier.)
  5. Predict grades. While we promise to work with you as hard as possible to make your project worthy of an A, only you know your professor’s expectations. (We CAN, however, give you some tipsheets or lend out books from our library to help clarify an assignment.)

What to Expect During a Consultation

Consultations last one hour and can be scheduled weeks ahead of time. The Consultant will usually ask you to read your work aloud once so that you can catch minor mistakes and get a feel for your style. She/he will concentrate on some issues more closely than others. The best way to edit a paper is to focus on the big issues first, and end by fine-tuning the surface features. During your one-hour session, your consultant will review, in order, the following components:

Idea Development/Invention/Thesis

Organization/Outline

Clarity/Word Choice

Citation/Documentation of Sources

Spelling/Grammar

What to Bring to a Consultation

  1. A current draft of your project (either on paper or on your laptop);
  2. A copy of the assignment from your professor;
  3. Your laptop;
  4. Any sources you are unsure how to cite properly.

Before Scheduling a Consultation

You may also want to bring a list of concerns, so that your consultant can address them specifically. If you don’t write down a list, at least have in mind some idea of the kind of help you need, so that we can make better use of your time and effort. Try to visit the center at least two days before the assignment is due, so that you have time to revise and, if necessary, schedule a follow-upconsultation. Appointments can be scheduled at the front desk of Peer Consultation, at extension 3404, or by email to . Walk-ins are welcome but a limited amount of consultants are available each hour.

Center for Transformative Learning

Peer Consultation

Stephenson Hall CPO 2136 x3404