Writing In Progress Program

WIPP: Policies and procedures

The Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling Department offers the Writing in Progress Program, a limited writing tutorial service within the department. The primary purpose of this service is to raise student writing skills to a graduate or professional level as early in their program as possible. Tutorial services are designed to teach students to write independently at improved levels before beginning their theses.  (Note: This is not an editing service.) The service is provided free of charge to students who have been identified and referred by a faculty member as needing assistance in writing, in areas such as: APA style, grammar, sentence structure, word choice, and expression/organization of ideas.

In order to address the intended purpose of this service, priority is given to students when they are first identified by an instructor or advisor. With every semester that the student does not seek tutorial help, their priority decreases.

Order of priority:

1. Students who are newly identified by more than one faculty member and whose writing difficulties place them at risk of receiving less than a C in a course.
   
2. Students who are newly identified by faculty as needing assistance.
   
3. Students who were identified in previous years but did not seek assistance.
   
4. Students who have not been identified by a faculty member but recognize their own need for assistance.

Referral process: When an instructor identifies a student as needing assistance, they will give the student names to the departmental tutor, who will keep a master list of students in need, with the date that they were identified.

Where and when: Tutoring hours fluctuate and take place in the DMTC department offices. Appointments may be made with the tutor in person, on the phone or via email. Walk-ins are discouraged.

Tutorial guidelines: Students should give the tutor a copy of papers to be worked on one week before their meeting time in order to maximize 1:1 discussion time. Students are encouraged to seek tutorial help as early as possible, to ensure sufficient time to develop that paper. Most sessions will be between 30 – 60 minutes in length. The departmental tutor will take no additional remuneration for this work with students.

Departmental writing tutor: Bethany Brownholtz earned a BA in English and Art from West Chester University of Pennsylvania’s Honors College. She graduated summa cum laude and received the Walker Hamilton Award, given to the student with the highest GPA of all graduating English majors. She has worked in college and high school writing centers, has written and edited publications and grant proposals, and has tutored English, reading, writing, ACT prep, and SAT prep.

You may contact her at 312-369-7697 during office hours: M-Th 8:30-4:30.

WIPP Referral and Feedback Form