Instructors can assign a “Guided Tutorial in Writing” during the semester if your work in one or more course papers reveals weak writing skills. An instructor may refer you to work on a single assignment or for ongoing tutoring.
The Guided Tutorial is similar to a one-time referral but is more structured with regular support. You work one-on-one in the Writing Center with a professional writing tutor to improve your skills in one or more areas of writing. You’ll work on current course assignments, so you should immediately see benefits.
Appointments are typically for one hour and could be weekly or more frequent, depending on your needs and your professor’s instructions. You’ll meet for regular appointments throughout the semester or until the assigned tutor determines the parameters of the Guided Tutorial have been met.
The primary purpose of the Guided Tutorial is to help you improve your writing during the semester so you can succeed in the course.
If you pass the course and your instructor determines you still need support in writing, they may assign a “U” Notation in Writing, which refers you to the Writing Center for ongoing support the following semester.
The program is called a “guided tutorial” because it’s “guided.” Your instructor determines what you need to work on and sends instructions to the Writing Center.
They will also inform you of the Guided Tutorial and what you need to focus on with your Writing Center tutor to succeed in the course. Typically, instructors require two or more visits to the Writing Center and substantial revisions of one or more papers.
However, requirements vary from student to student, depending on the skills you need to work on, the length of the papers you need to revise, and the expectations of the revisions.
You may fill out a “contract” with your instructor, which is a detailed plan for the Guided Tutorial. Writing Center tutors use this to determine when you’ve met the parameters of the Guided Tutorial.
Since you’ll be working on current course assignments, you should see benefits to your grades right away. Although we can’t guarantee you As on your papers, research shows that student grades do improve with regular writing instruction.
Further, one of the primary purposes of a Guided Tutorial is to assist you in improving your writing skills during the semester. Not only will it help you succeed in the course for which you were referred, but it could also help you avoid a “U” Notation in Writing at the end of the semester.
A “U” notation refers you to the Writing Center for additional writing support the following semester. However, that is too late to help you with your writing and grades in your current courses.
Note that even if you complete a Guided Tutorial during the current semester, if a professor feels you will benefit from continued writing support, they may still assign a “U” in writing.
Unlike the “U” in Writing, guided tutorials do not appear in your student record or transcript. However, failure to complete a Guided Tutorial could result in course failure.
Further, you may still receive a “U” in Writing if your professor identifies the need for further support with specific writing skills or if you fail to complete the Guided Tutorial.