Imagine having the opportunity to prepare for a critical presentation with a peer tutor who understands the nuances of body language and the importance of maintaining eye contact with your audience. What if you have great ideas for a paper, but you’re unfamiliar with the format the instructor has assigned? How about knowing there’s a writing tutor in your classroom, learning alongside you and familiar with the course content, who can help you achieve your writing goals for that course? Let’s say you need quick tips fast—such as the “dos” and “don’ts” of writing a research paper, a résumé, an outline for an informative speech or tips for mastering an employment interview?
Agnes Scott is one of only a handful of colleges and universities in the nation with a center fully devoted to improving and enhancing students’ writing and speaking skills. Staffed by trained peer tutors, the Center for Writing and Speaking provides students of all ability levels with individual assistance in writing papers and in preparing speeches and presentations.
The Center—with its high-tech computers, printers, scanners, software and audio and video playback equipment—is open 24 hours a day as a student work space, and tutoring is offered six days a week until 10 p.m. Approximately 1,500 visits are made to the Center per year.
The Center offers other student highlights, including:
- Course Tutors Program
By request of a faculty member, any course at Agnes Scott can be attended by a Writing Center peer tutor. That tutor is then available to students for course-specific help throughout the semester.
- Partners Program
International students may work with the same tutor every week on a variety of writing, research or language skills. This program is open to any student who wants regular help.
- Caught on Tape
Students can learn to speak in front of an audience by using the Speaking Center’s audiovisual equipment to videotape their performance, then have it critiqued by a peer tutor.
- Speech Contests
The Speaking Center sponsors annual persuasive and informative speech contests judged by a panel of faculty and staff. There are prizes for the best speeches and certificates for all participants.
- Hone and Perfect Skills
There’s room for improvement for even the best writers and speakers. The Center for Writing and Speaking gives students the opportunity to improve their skills in an atmosphere of encouragement and intellectual challenge.
- Be a Writing or Speaking Tutor
Do you see yourself as a writing or speaking tutor? Hiring for these highly competitive, paid tutor positions takes place each spring semester for jobs that begin the next academic year.
Learn more
Visit the Writing Center Web site
Visit the Speaking Center Web site
Director
Christine S. Cozzens
Associate Professor of English
B.A., Stanford University
M.A., Stanford University
Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley