Writing Center
The Writing Center provides one-on-one writing tutoring to students in all disciplines. Our tutors are trained to assess and provide strategies for improving the overall development of the writing.
Welcome to the RRCC Writing Center!
Tutors will help students with any type of writing project:
- Essays
- Research papers
- Response assignments
- Multimedia project/Digital writing
- Works cited/Annotated bibliographies
- Creative writing (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction)
- Reports
- Case studies
- Presentations
- Scholarship essays/Personal statements
- Résumés/Cover letters
Tutors will help students in any of the college departments:
- To understand the assignment
- To brainstorm ideas and form a working thesis statement
- To determine an appropriate structure
- To improve detailing, expansion, and development of the assignment
- To identify patterns of grammar, usage, and punctuation errors
- To identify slang or colloquial language
- To consider stylistic improvements (repetitions/structure/vocabulary)
- To use a consistent and appropriate point of view (person) for the assignment
- To learn methods of documentation, i.e. MLA, APA, Chicago
- To revise by their instructors’ directions
- To write resumes, cover letters, and business communication
- To construct college entrance and scholarship application essays
RRCC students have a choice of three different tutoring options:
- Both Lakewood and Arvada campuses have FACE-TO-FACE tutoring available. When making your appointment, make sure you select your desired campus from the drop-down menu under the "Schedules" tab. Be sure to bring your assignment sheet and any progress you have made on your assignment.
- Lakewood campus also offers ONLINE VIDEO tutoring. To select this option, first choose the "Lakewood F2F + Video Tutoring" option under the "Schedules" tab. Next, complete the information in the "Find an Appointment" box, and leave meeting type as "Any Available." Click the "Reserve" button for the session you desire. In the following pop-up window, select "YES" in the "Meet Online?" section. Log back into the Writing Center schedule 5 minutes before your session is scheduled to begin.
- We also offer ONLINE DROP 'N' GO tutoring, meaning you will not see a tutor at the time of the appointment but instead upload your assignment instructions and paper to the appointment form. You will receive notice in your student email of tutor feedback on your paper within 36 hours. If this is the option you prefer, make sure you select "Online Drop 'n' Go Tutoring" under the "Schedules" tab.
Contact Us
Writing Center Coordinator:
Paul Gallagher
303.914.6123
paul.gallagher@rrcc.edu
Writing Center Phone Number:
303.914.6714
Our services
The Writing Center provides one-on-one writing tutoring to students in all disciplines. Our tutors are trained to assess and provide strategies for improving the overall development of the writing. While grammar is an essential component of effective writing, we do not merely focus on editing or edit students’ writing; instead, we teach students how to revise areas such as content and organization and how to edit their own writing.
Referrals
If you have a student who is struggling with his or her writing, we encourage you to refer the student to the Writing Center with a referral form that identifies the areas of the student’s writing that need improvement. Tutors will work with the student on these specific areas of concern.
Orientations
Writing Center orientations play a large role in whether or not a student will use the Writing Center. We are available to meet with your class - in the Writing Center itself or as a class visit - to explain our services. Please contact Paul Gallagher (paul.gallagher@rrcc.edu) to schedule an orientation.
The first step is to create an account. To create an account:
- Read the directions on How to Make an Appointment
- Schedule an appointment here
- Enter ROCK username and password
- Fill out the registration form
The next step is to make an appointment. To make an appointment:
- Go to https://www.rrcc.edu/writing-center
- Click on “Schedule an Appointment”
- Enter ROCK username and password
- Choose campus at the top of page
- Click on open appointment slot (white boxes)
- Fill out appointment form and hit “Save Appointment”
To schedule an Online Writing Center appointment:
- Once you log in, choose the schedule "Online Writing Center (eTutoring)" from the top of schedule.
- Click on an available appointment time. Available appointments are in white.
- Upload your paper and writing assignment description. We need both files to give you effective feedback. Please note, you must upload files by date/time of appointment.
- You will receive an email within 36 hours of your appointment time indicating that your feedback is complete.
- To access completed feedback, log into WCOnline and select appointment.
Online Writing Center Policies:
- Students are limited to one appointment per day and two appointments per week (limit of three sessions per assignment).
- If you have submitted a paper, you must wait until you receive feedback (up to 36 hours) and make substantial revisions before resubmitting it.
- Papers that are submitted a second time must be revised substantially between the first and second submission.
Red Rocks Community College’s Writing Center is committed to helping students learn to write with more confidence and versatility. Our tutors are available to work with students in any subject area to improve their writing skills, offering them strategies and resources for succeeding in any kind of writing assignment.
Our tutors work one-on-one with students in every stage of the writing process, from planning to drafting, revision, and editing. The aim of the Writing Center is to focus on the process of developing more confident and competent writers, rather than to help perfect the end product of a writing assignment.
The Writing Center is open to RRCC students, faculty, and staff interested in improving their writing.
Policies
- The Writing Center is available to registered RRCC students and RRCC employees.
- Tutoring sessions are limited to 30 minutes.
- We strongly advise students to bring their instructor’s writing assignment with them to the tutoring session, and any writing (drafts, outlines, etc.) they have already done on the assignment.
Who uses the Writing Center?
The Writing Center is open to all RRCC students and employees who are interested in improving their writing, and is used by writers in all disciplines and at all ability levels.
How will the Writing Center help me?
Tutors will help you with any type of writing project, from class assignments to professional writing (cover letter, resume). We can help you when you are just getting started with a project and need to bounce ideas off of someone, or when you have a draft and need help focusing, organizing, and developing your draft. While tutors will not revise or edit your writing for you, they will teach you how to revise and how to find and correct grammatical errors. Our goal is to help you become your own editor.
What happens during a session with a tutor?
During a session, you will work one-on-one with a tutor to plan and/or revise a writing project. At the beginning of the session, you and the tutor will set an agenda for the session by prioritizing one or two areas of concern and for the rest of the session will work to improve those areas. Tutors will listen, ask questions, offer suggestions, and provide explanations and examples to help you make effective choices in your writing.
When should I see a tutor?
You can come for help during any point in the writing process, from when you are just beginning an assignment and need help brainstorming ideas and forming a thesis, to when you have a draft and need help with revision. We suggest you come well before the due date so that you have enough time to revise the areas that you and the tutor discuss.
Feedback Requested
Are you using the Writing Center Resources page? We'd love to know how we are doing!
Please send us your feedback: Resource Page Survey.
Tips & Tricks
The Writing Center provides handouts on a variety of topics that you can download. Hard copies are also available at the Writing Center locations on Lakewood and Arvada campuses.
Writing a Strong Thesis Statement
Writing Effective Body Paragraphs
Quotation Analysis for Source Integration
Citation in Multigenre Research Projects
MLA Sample Paper (from Purdue OWL)
APA Sample Paper (from Purdue OWL)
CMOS (Chicago Manual of Style) Sample Paper (from Purdue OWL)
Newsletters
The Writing Center publishes a monthly newsletter with tips to help you improve your use of time within the writing process, development, citations, and more!
Video Resources
Have you been asked to create an infographic but are unsure how to cite your sources?
Citation Station: Infographics is a quick segment to help you feel more comfortable with citation conventions in this genre.
Revision Lists enable you to set priorities for each revision session. We all have limited time, so it helps to be deliberate about how you are using that time!
Quotation analysis is an essential process for successful and balanced integration of source material. Ultimately, we want our sources to support our own amazing ideas and insights! Please refer to the Quotation Analysis handout for further support.
About WAC at Red Rocks
Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) is a faculty-driven Red Rocks initiative that supports faculty in the teaching of writing across their disciplines and subjects. Writing is a High-Impact Practice with the power to improve critical thinking, learning, and communication skills.
WAC Services
Writing Across the Curriculum offers individual faculty consultations, department presentations, and workshops. We can help develop and give feedback on writing assignments, offer support and resources for the teaching of writing, and address specific teaching goals or concerns. To get in contact with us, email either Kevin Kelley (Kevin.Kelley@rrcc.edu) or Rebecca Smith (Rebecca.Smith@rrcc.edu).
Workshops
Check the Teaching and Learning Center for updates, or email Kevin.Kelley@rrcc.edu or RebeccaSmith@rrcc.edu for more information!
WAC Resources
- 7 Prompts to Engage Any Student
- Designing an Effective Writing Assignment
- Designing an Effective Grading Rubric
- Reading Journal Assignment (Word Template)
- Responding to Student Writing
- Scaffolding Research Writing (PowerPoint)
- Template for Designing an Effective Writing Assignment
- WAC Example Writing Assignment (Hum 210)
- WAC Process Journal Assignment
WAC Goals
- Sustain the writing of students across their academic careers.
- Increase student engagement with learning.
- Increase student writing proficiency.
- Create a campus culture that supports writing.
- Create a community of faculty around teaching and student writing.
Why Teach Writing?
- Writing is a HIP (High Impact Practice).
- Writing skills lead to success in the classroom.
- Writing plays a key role in many disciplines.
- Writing skills are valued and desired by employers.
What Can Faculty Learn from WAC?
- How to teach the genres of writing in their own disciplines and to meet their own goals.
- How to develop effective and inclusive assignment instructions, rubrics, and other curriculum materials.
- How to use and teach the writing process to scaffold the teaching of writing.
- How to efficiently assess and evaluate writing.
Contact
Kevin Kelley (Kevin.Kelley@rrcc.edu)
Rebecca Smith (Rebecca.Smith@rrcc.edu)