Policies and Procedures

i. Since the Writing Center is a service provided by Oklahoma City Community College, all college policies apply to the learning lab.

ii. The Writing Center invites current OCCC staff members, students, or former students to visit. Others, including quiet children, may enter the Writing Center when accompanied by one of the persons mentioned above.

iii. Tutoring assistance is available for current OCCC students although alumni may receive tutoring when the lab is not too busy.

iv. Tutoring objectives include asking and answering questions, guiding students through the writing process, and providing suggestions for revision. Therefore, student learners are responsible for doing their work. Most importantly, tutors do not write, proofread, or fix papers. Typing for a student is a service that is not available.

v. Study groups are welcome unless the volume of conversation becomes disturbing to others. Then, the group will be asked to relocate to one of the study areas adjacent to the lab.

vi. Visitors sign in at the front desk with the following options: college ID card, mobile app, student number, or first and last name.

vii. Food and beverages are permitted under the condition that messy foods are not eaten at the computer as well as consumers are responsible for all cleaning.

viii. Visitors should take cellphone conversations outside of the lab and select soundless cellphone notifications.

ix. Computer usage is available for most activities unless the content violates college policy. Tutors can help students with basic computer tasks. However, troubleshooting computer issues is not a part of the tutoring process.

x. Students may bring laptops into the lab and use devices for tutoring assistance, studying independently, and charging purposes. When listening to videos, users should select closed captions or use headphones/earbuds.

xi. Printing is available. Users may print single or double-sided. Printing is limited to 15 pages per visit unless approved by the Writing Center staff. PowerPoint slides should have at least 3 slides per page, black and white, and double-sided. Currently, color or Wi-Fi printing is not available.

xii. The Writing Center assumes all written assignments are original work. Tutors do not judge student writing as plagiarized or AI-generated.

xiii. Grievances about the Writing Center or its service should be directed toward the Writing Center Supervisor, not the receptionist or tutors. For complaints, visitors should request to speak with the supervisor or ask for the supervisor’s business card for contact information. If the complaint is about the supervisor, report the grievance to the Writing Program Chair or the Arts, English, and Humanities office.

Students visit the Writing Center for in-person tutoring help.

• No appointments are needed; walk-ins are welcome.
• Tutoring help is encouraged during the sign-in process.
• Students may request assistance immediately or at a later time. The expectation for later times is that students remain working in the lab until they are ready for tutoring assistance.
• When students state they are ready for tutoring, their names will be placed on the list until a tutor is available.
• While waiting for tutors, students will be asked to enter information into tutoring forms. Tutors use this information along with details from sessions to create reports that are submitted to professors.
• Tutors can read essays or course material from laptops or printed documents not from mobile cellphones.

Online tutoring assistance is managed through ECHO, our online tutoring service.

• Online tutoring help is conducted via email.
• To receive online tutoring support, students will complete the online submission form.
• Provide your OCCC email address in the form and check the entered information for accuracy.
• Tutors reply to these forms during regular business hours based on the oldest submission in the ECHO inbox to the most recent one.
• Tutors provide comments within the email and/or in students’ essays that are attached to the email replies.
• To view comments in the essays, select the Review tab and press “Show Comments.”

The length of time a person waits to receive help differs.

• Wait times for in-person tutoring sessions are estimated to be 0-30 minutes.
• For online tutoring, students could receive a reply within a few hours. Others could see a response time of 24 hours or more, depending on when the email was originally sent. A student typically will not wait more than 48 hours to receive feedback from a tutor.
• Students can check on their online submissions during regular hours by emailing the Writing Center at echo@occc.edu or calling 405-682-1611 x 7379.

Tutoring sessions are a collaboration between the student and the tutor.

• Communication about writing issues is based on a tutor’s assessment of the specific writing situation and/or through requests made by the student.
• Feedback encompasses the entire writing process: understanding assignment guidelines, finding sources, brainstorming ideas, outlining points, drafting content, revising essay material, editing typos and grammar, formatting and citing sources, and documentation styles, for example, MLA and APA format.
• To not overwhelm students, tutors generally address three to four writing concerns.
• To request follow-ups to an original session, students can raise their hands, notify the receptionist, or reply to a tutor’s email.
• Discussions may also include casual conversation, academic advice, and study tips. Tutors offer support services as needed.

The length of the session varies depending on each student’s experience.

• Tutors are available for quick questions that may take 5-10 minutes; short sessions range from 10-15 minutes; longer sessions usually last between 25-45 minutes.
• For writing situations that involve multiple concerns, students are set to task as a part of a longer revision plan. Students are informed that additional tutoring sessions are needed either on the same day or at a later time.
• Sessions should end after 1 hour.

Computer assistance is encouraged in the Writing Center.

• Tutors help students with basic computer questions such as how to print, save documents, use Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, find sources, and access student email or Moodle.
• Moodle assistance also includes helping students understand how to use the system, find tasks, submit assignments, and use Turnitin.
• Tutors can help with how to use AI programs such as ChatGPT and Claude.

For help with troubleshooting computer errors, visit the Center for Learning or Teaching or call the ITS Helpdesk at 405-682-7777.

Recommend students work in the lab: Students who work on their essays in the Writing Center experience high productivity due to the academic climate, reduced distractions, and access to tutors. Students have noted less writer’s block as a result.

Take notes of tutor feedback: During in-person sessions, students are encouraged to take notes, so they can create a revision plan. Depending on memory recall is not as effective as having written notes.

Tutoring plan: To avoid time constraints, plan ahead before deciding to get tutoring assistance. Bring assignment guidelines and a set of questions to ask the tutor. Printing the essay allows the tutor to make notes on the essay itself.

Submit online tutoring requests early: Submit a request for online tutoring at the earliest opportunity. The sooner the better—to allow for enough time to converse with the tutor through email, submit an online form even if the essay is not complete.

Get help with the entire writing process: Spend time with a tutor during the pre-writing process. Let us help you with understanding the assignment guidelines, selecting a topic, producing ideas, and outlining the essay. Students who do this report feeling confident about their writing and procrastinating less.

Give yourself as much time as possible for revisions: About 50 percent of your writing should involve the revision and editing process. That is because there are many layers to revision, and if you give yourself more time to make changes, the quality of the paper increases.

Read the course material before tutoring assistance: The more informed the student is, the more effective the tutoring session. Students who communicate Moodle information, professor comments from emails, and classroom discussions with the tutor are better prepared for feedback.

Ask short questions: An effective way to utilize tutoring assistance is by asking specific questions: “What do you think about my thesis?” “Does this body paragraph have good structure, and does it support my main idea?” “Is my introduction engaging and providing enough background information?” “How can I insert my source information smoothly?” “How do you cite this source in the text and on a Works Cited page?” “What suggestions about my conclusion do you have?” “Is this the correct word to use for this sentence?” “Does a comma go here?”