Writing Center

Rachel Liberatore, Director of the Writing CenterRachel Liberatore directs the Writing Center and teaches English composition and First Year Seminar at the college. She has a background in teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) and enjoys poetry, cultural and gender studies, and science. Some of her areas of writing expertise include MLA and APA style, using research sources appropriately and effectively, and techniques for making substantive revisions to papers. She says, “Please stop by my office if you would like to discuss how the Albright Writing Center can help you achieve your writing goals.”

Ryan Brett is an environmental science major who, in his spare time, enjoys writing poetry and short stories within the realms of fiction and fantasy. As a hobby, he plays Dungeons & Dragons with his friends and spends most of his free time writing a science fiction plot for the players in his game. Ryan’s strengths are organizing thesis statements and outlines for scientific research papers as well as argumentative pieces.

Tonia (Toni) Deacon-Bradnock is an English and secondary education major. She enjoys reading and writing analytic and historic papers. Whenever she has spare time—imagine that—she enjoys dancing, singing, and reading. Her areas of expertise include organization and creating thesis statements.

Hannah Cohen is a co-major in philosophy and business with a marketing track. She also has experience tutoring in Spanish and writing fashion papers. She loves helping writers so that they can effectively express their thoughts on the issue at hand. She is best at brainstorming, organizing a paper, and helping writers create a strong introduction and clear thesis.

Emily Durell is majoring in communications (PR/advertising) and history. She comes from a family of educators and loves giving students the tools they need to succeed on their own. She enjoys the initial planning stages of writing and working on papers that analyze and synthesize primary sources.

Ginger Hill is majoring in biology/biotechnology. She also enjoys creative writing, social sciences, and religious studies.

Ashley Hillegass is a fashion design major. Her writing interests include political science, fashion design, history, and art. She is also an e-board member of Alpha Phi Omega and Club Vogue.

Misha Holt is an early childhood education and English major. She enjoys creative writing, science (particularly astronomy), and music. She looks forward to helping you develop and strengthen your ideas.

Jenifer Lopez is a biology major. She plays rugby. She enjoys creative writing, outlining, and writing poetry. She has taken biology courses that have assigned lab reports.

Kaela O’Neill is a game design major minoring in English. She loves video games and all animals, especially horses. Her favorite topics include creative writing, literary analysis, and organizational skills. She also enjoys helping students to shape and perfect their unique writing styles.

Jillian Quale is a games and simulations development major. Although she’s heavily involved with game-related clubs on campus, she has a background in tutoring writing for both high school and college students. She specializes in creating strong thesis statements, strengthening any form of creative writing, and brainstorming ideas through freewriting and outlining. Hint: She also LOVES poetry.

Bex Sammartino is a music business and marketing co-major. Through her work at the writing center, she hopes to pass on some of what she’s learned and perhaps learn a thing or two herself along the way. Her areas of expertise are in brainstorming, grammar, essay structure, and individual writing style.

Summer Slusser is an English and secondary education major. She plays soccer for the college. Her favorite part of her major is writing, and she specializes in writing thesis statements and concluding paragraphs. She is excited to use her job at the writing center as an early teaching experience.

Sarah Tossman is an English and theater major. In addition to tutoring, she is a Domino player and the secretary for AGON. She enjoys outlining, organization, grammar and creative writing.

Jake Walsh studies political science and pre-law. He enjoys creative writing and reading, especially fantasy/adventure based literature. His areas of specialty include open discussion and brainstorming ideas.

The Albright Writing Center is now offering peer tutoring in reading skills. In a session with a peer reading tutor, you can discuss and practice these skills:

• Managing the college reading workload
• Previewing and annotating/marking up a challenging text
• Identifying and understanding thesis and main evidence (including note-taking strategies)
• Brainstorming ideas about what was read (tutor will ask open-ended questions to solicit your own ideas)

What happens at a reading tutoring session?

You and the tutor will sit down one-on-one and discuss your situation. The tutor will then give you advice on one or more of the above skills, and you can practice them together using your coursework readings. A tutor may also help you identify other resources such as handouts and web pages that would be useful based on your particular needs.

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What does NOT happen at a reading tutoring session?

A tutor will not read the documents for/to you as a replacement for your reading it yourself. A tutor will not tell you what to write about what you read.

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How should I prepare for a reading session?

Do your homework/reading ahead of the session, but be ready to talk to the tutor about what you found challenging. Please bring any related course handouts, notes, or other materials.

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How should I select a tutor for reading help and make an appointment? Where are you located?

Our website for making Writing Center appointments can be found at http://alb.mywconline.com

When you log into the Writing Center appointment system, by each tutor’s name is a notation regarding whether they assist with reading, writing or both. Select an appropriate tutor. If you need help logging into the appointment system, please see the main Writing Center webpage for instructions or visit us in person for assistance. We are located on the first (ground) floor of the Administration building.

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What should I do if I am having difficulties that I don’t think can be addressed by meeting with a peer tutor?

Please visit your professor’s office hours, the director of the Writing Center, or staff at the Academic Learning Center to discuss your situation.

What is the Writing Center?

The Albright Writing Center is a free peer tutoring service to assist you in writing for all of your Albright courses. We can assist with any aspect of writing for any course. In a one-on-one session, online chat session, or through e-mailed feedback, we will guide you in strategies for writing and revising. Our philosophy is to provide you with ideas and resources as we guide you in making your own changes. The center is located on the main Reading campus on the first floor of the Administration Building. You can view our current hours of operation or make an appointment through our online records and appointment system. For more information on our services, follow this link for our flyer on “Writing Center Services for SPS and Online Students.”

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Can you help me with research skills?

We can assist you with research skills, but for library-based research we also encourage you to contact the college’s reference librarians at Gingrich Library: 610-921-7211.

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I have additional questions. How can I contact you?

If you have questions, please contact the Writing Center at writingcenter@albright.edu or (610) 921-7540. The director, Rachel Liberatore, can be reached at rliberatore@albright.edu, in her office in the Writing Center on the first floor of the Library/Administration Building, or at (610) 921-7854.  

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What if I can’t visit in person?

SPS or online students are strongly encouraged to visit the Writing Center in person. However, SPS or online students have additional options due to the nature of the program and can also have a telephone session, online chat session or e-mailed margin comments. For more information, follow this link for our flyer on “Writing Center Services for SPS and Online Students.”

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Online Chat Tutoring

Online chat tutoring appointments allow you to have an interactive discussion about writing even if you are unable to visit in person. During online chat, a whiteboard is available on which you and the tutor can brainstorm or copy and revise an essay. Audio/video can be enabled if the writer and tutor both have a camera and microphone on their computer. Online chat appointments can be made for 30 or 60 minutes, just like an in-person appointment. A 60-minute appointment is recommended for discussing a full essay. Please click here for our flyer on how to sign up for an online chat appointment.

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Essay Feedback Submission Form for E-mailed Feedback

For summer, any Albright student may use this form. During the fall and spring semesters, this form should only be used by Albright students in an SPS program or taking an online course at Albright and unable to visit the center in person.

We will assign your paper to the next available tutor after we receive it, but it may take two or more workdays to provide feedback during busy parts of the year.  We are unable to provide feedback on some holidays, Saturdays, the last two weeks of December, and other dates of closure.

If you have trouble using this form, please email your essay to writingcenter@albright.edu as a Word attachment and include your name, the professor’s name, the department/course name, questions you have about your writing, the date/time by which you need feedback, and information about the assignment guidelines. The form takes a minute to load.

Complete Form Here

• What is the Writing Center?
• What is the Writing Center’s philosophy? How does it work?
• Who works at the Writing Center?
• Where can I get flyers for my students?
• Can the Writing Center visit my class?
• Can I require my whole class to work with the Writing Center?
• Special assignments: My students are working on a group project. Can the whole group come in for an appointment? Does the Writing Center help students with take-home essay exams?
• My students could really use help with proofreading/editing. Will you proofread papers before they turn their work in to me?
• I teach in an SPS program or in an online course. How can the center help my students?
• How can I help the Writing Center work with my students?
• How do I contact the Writing Center for more information?

What is the Writing Center?

Albright students can visit the college’s writing center to receive free assistance with reading skills, composition and revising/editing skills. Peer tutors conference with student writers on all aspects of the writing process. The director is also available for consultation.  The center is located on the first floor of the Administration Building and has drop-in hours and appointments.

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What is the Writing Center’s philosophy? How does it work?

Writing tutors act as consultants, giving feedback and guidance on major areas of effective reading and writing (idea development, organization, use of research, etc.) Writing tutors actively engage students in meaningful conversations about their writing and help writers learn new strategies.

The center’s goal is not to have students leave with “perfect papers,” but rather to have students leave with more effective composing/revising/editing strategies.

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Who works at the Writing Center?

The Writing Center’s peer tutors are Albright students who have a history of success in writing intensive courses. The director (a composition instructor) is also available to work with students.

Writing Center tutors have a wide range of majors but have all received a high grade in the ENG 101/102 course sequence and an advanced writing-intensive course. All tutors must receive a positive faculty recommendation before being hired.

Tutors receive ongoing training in composition and tutoring methodology and are required to work towards their College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) tutoring certification.

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Where can I get flyers for my students?

Please contact the center director (Rachel Liberatore) and request flyers for your courses. Indicate the number of students and whether it is a regular day course or an SPS or online course. We can also visit your class at request (see next section).

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Can the Writing Center visit my class?

At request, the Writing Center tutors or director can visit most classes to promote the center and explain our approach towards working with students. These presentations last about 15 minutes. The center can also provide you with informative flyers to give students.

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Can I require my whole class to work with the Writing Center?

We request that student sessions be optional since voluntary sessions are often more productive than required sessions. However, if you ask an entire class to have sessions with the center, it is recommended that you allow visits throughout the semester to ensure open time slots are available.

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Special assignments: My students are working on a group project. Can the whole group come in for an appointment? Does the Writing Center help students with take-home essay exams?

Students working together on a project may work with a tutor as a group.

The Writing Center relies on students to give reliable information about whether they can bring take-home exams to the center. If you do not want your students to bring a particular assignment to the center, please include a statement on the assignment indicating your request.

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My students could really use help with proofreading/editing. Will you proofread papers before they turn their work in to me?

Rather than proofread or edit for the student, writing tutors will help students gain proofreading strategies. This may mean that not all students will leave the center with a grammatically perfect paper, but they should leave with stronger independent writing and revising/editing skills.

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I teach in an SPS Program or online. How can the center help my students?

SPS and online students are also encouraged to meet with the center’s peer tutors or director for in-person sessions. However, they may also request an online-chat session, a telephone conference or e-mailed feedback. They may refer to the information on the Writing Center page for SPS and online students (see the menu at the top left) for additional details and for a link to our flyer on our services for students in these programs.

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How can I help the Writing Center work with my students?

• Encourage all students to visit the center. Even students doing well could benefit from additional feedback.
• Share stories of your own experiences collaborating with others to develop your writing to help students understand the benefits of collaboration and feedback.
• Ask your students to bring their assignment sheets, grading guidelines, etc. to their appointment.
• Visit the center’s website as it continues to evolve, and let the center know what faculty resources would benefit you.
• Include an encouraging statement about the center on your course syllabi. A sample statement can be found below.
• Note that voluntary visits tend to be more productive than required visits.

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How do I contact the Writing Center for more information?

Location: The Writing Center is located on the first floor of the Library/Administration Building

Email: writingcenter@albright.edu

Director: Rachel Liberatore, RLiberatore@albright.edu, 610-921-7854

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Faculty Resources

• “Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA Statement on Best Practices” provides suggestions on ways that faculty and administration can assist students with learning to use sources more responsibly and effectively.
• Here is a handout of tips and resources for faculty on teaching writing across the disciplines: “Thoughtful Approaches to Writing: A Bibliography of Web Sources For Faculty”

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Writing Center Syllabus Statement for Regular Courses:

NOTE: For SUMMER or INTERIM classes, faculty may want to also indicate that our hours are abbreviated and should be verified through our online appointment system.

We encourage you to visit the Writing Center early and often throughout the semester to help build a strong foundation for writing in this course and in all of your courses. The center’s peer tutors and coordinator will work with you at any stage of the writing process, from developing and organizing ideas to revising and editing drafts. Rather than editing your work for you, writing tutors will actively engage you in meaningful conversations about your writing and help you learn new strategies. Tutors are also available to discuss and practice approaches to managing the college reading workload and reading more effectively. The center is located on the first floor of the Administration Building and can be reached at writingcenter@albright.edu or (610) 921-7540. Appointments are strongly recommended to ensure availability. You can view the current schedule and make an appointment through our online appointment system at http://alb.mywconline.com or visit our center in person for assistance.

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Writing Center Syllabus Statement for SPS or Online Courses

 NOTE: For SUMMER or INTERIM classes, faculty may want to also indicate that our hours are abbreviated and should be verified through our online appointment system.

We encourage you to visit the Writing Center early and often to help build a strong foundation for writing in this course and in all of your courses. The center’s peer tutors and director will work with you at any stage of the writing process, from developing and organizing ideas to revising and editing drafts. Rather than editing your work for you, writing tutors will actively engage you in meaningful conversations about your writing and help you learn new strategies. Tutors are also available to discuss and practice approaches to managing the college reading workload and reading more effectively. The center is located on the main Reading, PA campus on the first floor of the Administration Building and can be reached at writingcenter@albright.edu or (610) 921-7540. For SPS or online students unable to visit our center in person, online or telephone options are available.  Writing Center services, including online services, may not be available during some holidays or when day classes are not in session.. For more information on making an appointment or on our services for distance learning students including online services, please visit this website:  https://archive.albright.edu/academics/wc-adp-info.html.

The Albright Writing Center uses a peer tutoring model and so hires current students. Before they begin tutoring, students need to have completed their ENG 101/102 composition sequence (or transfer course equivalent), and so most tutors are not hired until the end of their first year or later.  Students of any area of concentration/major are encouraged to apply.

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Hiring Dates

We recommend you submit your application before April 15 since most hiring occurs in May (before summer break) with a job start date of the upcoming fall semester. This allows tutors to begin their tutor training at the very beginning of the fall semester. The director will hire tutors as needed from applications on file, so you are encouraged to submit an application even if the center is not currently hiring. In the past few years, three to six new tutors have been hired each year.

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Applying to Be a Tutor

An application, including instructions on submitting your application, can be found here. The application requests the submission of an application form, writing samples and a faculty recommendation.

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Requirements for Applicants

Peer tutors are selected on the basis of academic skill, leadership, character, and the ability to communicate well with others. To submit an application for peer tutoring at the Writing Center, you will need to have the following minimum qualifications:

• Completed ENG 102 or higher level English course (or transfer credit equivalents)
• High grade in ENG 101/102  and an upper level writing intensive course
• Overall GPA of 3.00 or higher
• Good standing with the college (not on probation)
• Available to work 4 or more hours per week on a set schedule

Tutors who are selected to work at the center often have higher qualifications than those mentioned above.

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Tutor Training

All peer tutors must participate in paid training and staff meetings. The training includes 10-15 hours to be achieved within two semesters. Training is offered each semester and includes large and small group meetings and mentoring by experienced tutors. Training leads to international certification by the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA).

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Questions?

If you have any questions while you are working on your application, please contact Rachel Liberatore at RLiberatore@albright.edu or 610-921-7854, or visit the her office in the Writing Center on the first floor of the Library/Administration Building.

The Writing Center can assist with your writing-related work for all courses.  If you need a tutor for other subject areas or want to meet with a staff member to discuss college success and study skills, please contact the college’s other academic support center: the Academic Learning Center can be reached at 610-921-7662, academiclearningcenter@albright.edu, or B-07 (Lower Level) Administration Building. The Academic Learning Center website can be found here.