University Writing and Rhetoric Center
Location: Erhart Agriculture Building (10), Room 138
Hours: Monday - Thursday, 9a.m. to 4 p.m, and Friday: 9 a.m. to 12p.m.
Phone: (805) 756-6032
***New Additional Location - Robert E. Kennedy Library, room 202B
Hours -Sunday - Wednesday - 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
The Writing Center will open at both locations on Monday, January 9th.
The University Writing and Rhetoric Center offers free consultations on any writing project for any discipline. All writers are welcome!
Schedule a FREE consultation on your writing project by appointment two days in advance. Go to www.calpoly.mywconline.com to register and make an appointment online. Drop-in visits are available on a first come, first serve basis. *Note: due to the high volume of writers who seek our services, we recommend scheduling an appointment ahead of time.
Call (805) 756-6032 for more information.
Note: The University Writing and Rhetoric Center is closed during the first week of the fall, winter and spring quarters, finals week, and during the summer quarter.
Instruction Offered
- Generating and organizing your ideas
- Focusing your thoughts
- Identifying your thesis
- Developing your topics
- Writing Lab Reports and Research Papers
- Writing about literature
- Fulfilling the Writing Proficiency Exam (WPE)
- Reviewing grammar and punctuation
Please note: We are not a proofreading or editing service!
How to Get the Most from a Writing Lab Visit
- If possible, bring in your paper typed and double spaced.
- Ahead of time, identify two problem areas.
- Underline the point you are trying to prove (thesis).
- Underline your topic sentences (the point of each body paragraph).
- Plan to spend 10-15 minutes per tutoring session.
- The Lab Staff will not line edit (proofread). If you have problems with punctuation or grammar, we'll help you learn the rules. If you need help with sentences, we'll help you learn to rewrite.
Online Writing Resources
Purdue On-Line Writing Lab: an expansive website with detailed information on punctuation, sentence structure, tips for multi-lingual writers, business writing, online tutorials, just to name a few. Includes online APA and MLA style guides.
Guide to Grammar and Writing: Interactive quizzes, linked information, PowerPoint presentations.
Online Technical Writing—Power Revision Techniques: More about style than grammar. Stays at sentence level for clarity.
Paradigm Online Writing Assistant: Help with organizing, editing, thesis/support essays, argumentative essays, and documenting sources.
Washington State University's Online Writing Lab: Tutors will try to respond to your posted writing sample within 48 hours, but their students take priority.
The Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison: Offers an online writer's handbook with grammar and style handouts.
Anthony Halderman's Cuesta College Page: Offers exercises for multi-lingual students, research links, composition and technical writing resources.