Writing Center
Writing Services are now available for Online Program Graduate Students
Professional writing assistance is available to you through the Online Writing Center sponsored by the Graduate School. Katie Stahlnecker has been a Writing Center Consultant since 1992 and this will be her eighth year of providing online writing consultations through Creighton University.
Message from Dr. Stahlnecker: "Over the years, I have worked extensively with many graduate students, and I am excited about this opportunity to continue accommodating you and your busy schedules in this virtual setting. Please feel free to contact me at any stage of the writing process with questions regarding this service or with drafts of your writing for my review. I will reserve five hours a week to assist you with your writing projects on a first-come, first-served basis. The procedure for securing an appointment with me is as follows:"
Step One:
When you would like to set up an online consultation, first email me at katies@creighton.edu to inquire about the status of available hours for that week, in essence to set up an appointment. In order to help me assess the time needed to work with you, please include: 1) a brief explanation of the assignment or task at hand; 2) a brief explanation of what you would like for me to focus on when reading your writing and a list of any specific questions you have; 3) an estimation of the number of double-spaced pages of the document.
Step Two:
I will respond to your message that day when possible to let you know if I have open time slots for that week. If so, I will invite you to send the document to me either as a Word attachment or as part of your email message (which you can do by cutting and pasting your piece of writing into the message). I will also encourage you, if possible, to send the professor’s written instructions for the assignment.
Step Three:
Once I receive your document, I will respond by letting you know how much time I can allot for it and when I will return it with my comments. For instance, if I receive your twenty-page document by noon on October 22nd, I might respond by saying that I will spend forty-five minutes reviewing it and that you should expect my comments by noon on October 23rd.
During that timeframe, I would encourage you to check your email often so that we may converse as needed about the assignment, your writing, etc. I am committed to helping you as much as possible with your writing, but to ensure the effectiveness and success of this virtual consultation space, this, necessarily, must be a collaborative, dialogic process. In other words, please do not mistake this online resource for a proofreading service, for which you submit a paper and I send it back “fixed.” I will offer comments and suggestions regarding all aspects of your writing, including grammar, and it will be your task then to incorporate them into your written work as you see fit.
I look forward to working with you.
Sincerely,
Katie Stahlnecker, Ph. D.
Online Writing Center Consultant