Instructor Center

We encourage you to include this information about the KU Writing Center in your course syllabi: 

The KU Writing Center is a free service for KU undergraduate and graduate students, where trained peer consultants work with writers of all levels and abilities. You can work one-on-one with a writing consultant on any course assignment or writing project—essays, research papers, presentations, application essays, and more—at any point of completeness or incompleteness. To learn more, visit the website of KU Writing Center, and see our appointment hours and locations here. 

Our professional staff members are happy to assist faculty and instructors with designing assignments that incorporate writing into their courses. In addition to delivering in-class workshops or facilitating peer review sessions for your class (see the section on In-Class Workshops below), we can consult with instructors on assignment development and responding to student writing. Learn more and book a consultation on our Faculty Consultations page.

We offer 30 - 45 minute in-depth, hands-on workshops on specific topics, from thesis development to citation style, for both graduate and undergraduate courses. Please check each workshop description for details. We can also attend your class and give a 10-minute presentation that introduces your students to the KU Writing Center, our website, and our services. Instructors of record must be present during the workshop as their input is essential. 

Learn more and request a workshop on our Workshops page. If you have any questions about workshops, email us here. 

While we love when you encourage students to use the Writing Center, please do not require an entire class to make appointments at the Writing Center. We do not have the staff or space to guarantee each student an appointment before the deadline. If you would like to discuss alternative ways to support a full class, email us here. 

You can incentivize attending the Writing Center, such as through extra credit, if you’d like. However, inform your students that they should sign up for appointments well in advance of the deadline. The schedule can become fully booked, so we cannot guarantee any student an appointment. Also, encourage students to come in with specific questions about their writing. When students visit just to get extra credit points, it can lead to unproductive sessions. Attaching a short assignment to the visit, such as having students write a reflection on what they gained from their writing consultation, can make it more impactful as well. 

If you assign take-home essay exams, make it clear to your students whether they are allowed to use the Writing Center, preferably in writing within the exam instructions. Due to the number of courses at KU and the timing of appointments, we cannot check in with each instructor on their preferences. We are also not always aware whether a piece of writing is a regular assignment or an exam. It is the student’s responsibility to understand the class policies and only request assistance when allowed.