University Writing Center at Northern Illinois University

815.753-6636 to make an appointment.

<>We will be closed tonight (Feb. 9th) from 5-8:30 due to weather. Stay home and be safe.

The University Writing Center at Stevenson Towers South, Lower Level is a place for all writers at Northern Illinois University, undergraduates, graduates, staff, and even faculty, to talk about their writing with trained consultants, one-on-one. When you work with the consultants, you can....

Discuss topics and ideas
Develop strategies in planning, organizing, and developing drafts
Discover effective uses of sources and correct documentation
Understand your professors' writing assignments more clearly
Identify better ways to use language
Learn appropriate methods of persuading readers
Integrate critical reading and thinking skills in your written work
Become more aware of the different types of writing that various disciplines require
Prepare résumés and applications for internships, scholarships, or jobs

Please bring the following materials:

Your written notes and/or your essay
Two (2) copies of your paper
A copy of the assignment your professor gave you
The sources or textbooks you're using, if appropriate.

*****Attention Group Project Clients *****

When coming to the center with a group project, the entire group must attend to avoid plagiarism issues; otherwise, we can only read and comment on the writing of those present, making the session less productive than it could be.

During the regular semester, we're open Monday - Thursday from 8:00 am until 5 pm at the Stevenson location then we switch over to the Founders Library location on M, T, and Th from 5:30pm -8:30pm.

During final's week, we are open Monday - Wednesday from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm

Now we have two locations that we're super excited about!

We're still located in Stevenson South, Tower B, Lower Level, but we also have a location at the library. The Stevenson location is open M-Th 8am-5pm then we open at the library location 5:30-8:30pm on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

This Satellite Writing Center is located in room 302 of the Founders Memorial Library.

To get to the Stevenson South Writing Center, take the Circle Left or Right bus, which leave the Holmes Student Center every five minutes). Orange and blue parking is available in lots across the street. Yellow, blue, and brown parking is available on Stadium Drive.

We're #10B on this map of campus. Look at the left side of the screen for us.

To make an appointment, call us at 815.753-6636 or stop by the lower level of Stevenson South B for an appointment.

Our Email submissions will re-open after the start of the Spring Semester.

We also offer help (for Northern Illinois students only, please) to writers who are unable to attend a session in person. The advice offered by our online tutors will be significantly more general in nature than what would be discussed in a face-to-face session, and rarely will a consultant address more than 3 pages of text. Writers should also plan for our turn-around time, which is currently 48 business hours. Most writers should try to plan face-to-face sessions with consultants in the Center if possible.

Finally, we are unable to offer English 102, 103, 104, and 105 papers online help due to the process-based nature of those courses.

Myspace and Facebook questions

We have a MySpace Page and a Facebook Group for those quicker questions
that don't require an entire appointment. Someone checks it everyday
and responds to as many questions as can be responded to.

Check them out!

Click here to go to our MySpace

Click here to go to our Facebook

Plagiarism is a serious violation of NIU's academic integrity policy, and the University Writing Center is dedicated to helping writers avoid it. Check back for resources on recognizing and avoiding plagiarism.

As great as our website is, the Internet is filled with other sources of information that writers may find useful. We've compiled some of them here.

We're always looking for good writers and communicators to join our staff. If you're interested, have questions about consulting, or would like to request an application, click here for information.

Homepage

Make an Appointment

Hours, Location, & Contact

Email Sessions

Plagiarism

Handouts for Writers