Our full-time professional instructors work with Grinnell students to help them develop into confident and effective writers, readers, and speakers. We meet with students engaged in any writing, reading, or speaking project, for any class, in any discipline, at any point in their process. Whether they’re writing short essays or seminar papers, reading academic articles for the first time or organizing reading notes for a Mentored Academic Project, preparing research posters and presentations, or planning applications for graduate study, we can provide encouragement and constructive feedback.
Most of our work with students is in individual sessions: 40-minute one-on-one meetings in which we focus intensively on a single project and, in doing so, help students develop skills and strategies that they can apply to other projects and adapt to other contexts. For students who want ongoing, structured support, the Writing Center also offers courses in basic academic writing, advanced principles of writing, and oral communication.
Writing Center instructors also collaborate with Grinnell faculty, helping them plan and sequence reading, writing, and speaking assignments to foster student learning and engagement. Upon request, we visit classes to co-teach writing-related lessons and facilitate discussions about writing and the writing process. Most summers, we offer workshops for faculty; past topics include designing writing and research assignments, responding to student writing, and teaching critical reading across the curriculum.
More information about resources for current students and faculty is available on our GrinnellShare site (secure login required).
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Appointments
Looking for a time when you can visit? Use our online appointment system.
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The Grinnell College Guide to Writing, Research, and Speaking
"... students will develop more completely as writers and, in turn, produce better writing if they think about academic writing as a process for acquiring, demonstrating, and producing knowledge."
Composed by and for students, The Grinnell College Guide to Writing, Research, and Speaking offers a Grinnell perspective on these vital skills.