Writing Center Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I make a Writing Center tutoring appointment?
Log in to ASC Online Tutoring at asc.fullcoll.edu. After logging in using your MyGateway credentials, you will be asked to fill out registration information the first time you enter. After registering, you will be taken to the tutoring schedules. Choose Writing Center from the drop down menu and select a week for your appointment. Find an empty appointment (white box) and click on it to reserve it. Fill out the information to reserve your appointment. When it’s time for your appointment, log in to ASC Online Tutoring again, open your appointment, and click on the Zoom link to join the tutoring session. If you are having problems, contact the Writing Center staff at writingcenter@fullcoll.edu or ask a question on our live chat at asc.fullcoll.edu.

What do I do when it’s time for my tutoring session?
Ten minutes before your tutoring session, log back in to ASC Online Tutoring from asc.fullcoll.edu. Click on the Writing Center schedule from the drop-down menu and find your appointment block. Click on your appointment to open it, and click on the Zoom link to enter the tutoring session.

Can I submit a paper to the Writing Center and get feedback on it?
Yes! You can now submit an essay and receive feedback within 24 hours from a tutor. You will submit your essay and your assignment prompt on the ASC Online Tutoring platform when you log in at asc.fullcoll.edu. Just click on an open appointment to reserve a time for a tutor to read your essay and provide feedback. When you reserve this time, there will be a place for you to upload/submit your essay draft and the assignment prompt. You do not need to meet with a live tutor for this service. You will receive an email notification when your feedback is ready and then you can go back and open the same appointment to view your feedback as an attachment. Please keep in mind that the tutor will NOT proofread, edit or correct your paper for you. You will receive helpful comments on specific areas of your essay and guided questions to help you as you revise your essay.

What if I can’t keep, or I forget, my appointment?
If you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment, you should log in to the ASC Online Tutoring system to cancel your appointment. This will allow the Writing Center staff to clear the appointment time for another student. If you forget your appointment and do not notify the Writing Center, you will be marked as a “no show.”

How do I continue with Above-and-Beyond Tutoring?
The ASC continues to provide Above and Beyond Tutoring for EOPS and DSS students in an online format. Students who have been given authorization from EOPS or DSS may book 60-minute appointments. Students may directly request more hours of one-on-one online tutoring with the Writing Center and Tutoring Center by emailing us at academicsupport@fullcoll.edu. Students may also arrange more time with their Hornets Tutor, if they have an embedded tutor in their class.

Will my instructor be notified of my Writing Center visit?
The Writing Center notifies faculty when their students have completed a tutoring session. Students will need to provide the instructor’s email address in their tutoring appointment if they would like us to verify attendance.

What happens during a Writing Center appointment?
Typically during a tutoring session, the tutor will want to know what you are working on, what step you are at in the writing process, and the specific issues you would like to address. The tutor will usually ask you to read your paper out loud while he/she listens and reads silently along with you. After you finish reading your paper, the tutor will discuss it with you and help you address some of your concerns and any issues the tutor may notice. Issues may include development, organization, analysis, and patterns of errors.

Why don’t Writing Center tutors correct and edit my work for me?
The Writing Center is not an editing or proofreading service. The main role of the tutor is to help the student become a better writer through a dialogue of the ideas in the student’s paper and through assisting in development, organization, and analysis of the essay. Even though tutors will not correct or edit a paper for you, they can help you develop the skills and strategies to locate and fix your own errors if you would like. Although the focus of a session is usually on a student’s paper, the end goal is to improve the writer and not the paper.

Is the Writing Center also offering online workshops?
Yes. The Writing Center is offering workshops covering a wide range of writing topics throughout the semester. The current semester’s live workshop schedule is available on the Workshops section of our web page. We also offer video workshops which can be found on the Academic Support Center Canvas page.