Cal Poly University Writing Lab Directory

The University Writing Lab, located in the Erhart Agriculture Building (10) , Room 138, is a free resource for all students at Cal Poly. Tutors help students become more efficient writers by evaluating strengths and weaknesses of written materials. We offer one-on-one help with the following and more:

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!


Who are the tutors?

The lab is staffed by paid graduate and undergraduate students trained through coursework and tutoring workshops. Many tutors teach composition courses and others have private tutoring businesses, so you can be assured that the help you receive will be invaluable. Click here for a look at some of the smiling faces you might see while visiting the lab.


Writing Lab Hours

Writing Proficiency Exam, information about the test and preparation


Lab Notices for Posting or Distributing



Other WEB resources for help with your writing!

Purdue On-Line Writing Lab, an expansive WEB site with detailed information on punctuation, sentence structure, tips for multi-lingual writers, business writing, on-line tutorials, just to name a few. INCLUDES ONLINE APA AND MLA STYLE GUIDES!

Guide to Grammar and Writing Interactive quizzes, linked information, powerpoint presentations.

Punctuation Made Simple Descriptions with examples.

A fun study site for multi-lingual students. Word games, puzzles, quizzes, slang, proverbs and much more.

On-Line 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.

For more information contact:

Writing Lab @ 756.6032
Writing Skills Office (10-130) @ 756.2067
Mary Kay Harrington, Program Coordinator

last updated: March 2006