About the Writing Center
The Penn State Berks Writing Center is dedicated to promoting excellence in writing. We offer a collaborative and interactive peer tutoring experience where students learn effective composing strategies and explore diverse rhetorical choices. Recognizing that writing serves as both a mode of learning and a communication tool, we believe writers benefit from sharing their works-in-progress with trained, knowledgeable, and engaged readers. Additionally, the Writing Center serves as a hub of intellectual engagement, fostering a vibrant writing culture on campus through sponsored writing-related activities that involve students, faculty, staff, and the community.
Dedicated to the University's pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, and service, the Writing Center has the following goals:
- Support student writers across the curriculum
- Increase professional development opportunities for student tutors
- Support Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) initiatives
- Encourage a culture of writing on campus
- Create a Writing Center that serves as a hub of intellectual engagement
The Writing Center offers free one-on-one and group tutoring to members of the Penn State Berks community. Writers sign up to meet with our trained, undergraduate peer tutors to discuss any writing at any stage of the composing process.
Writers need readers
We believe every writer can benefit from feedback by a trained, engaged peer tutor. Our commitment is to offer intellectually stimulating, collaborative sessions that inspire writers to improve. Our tutors are equipped to share strategies that will aid in current and future writing tasks.
All writing is welcome
Sometimes people think the Writing Center only helps with English papers, but that's not true! We can help with papers for any course and give feedback on professional and creative writing.
Many students think the Writing Center only assists with English papers, but that isn’t true! We offer support for writing in any course, including professional and creative writing. We welcome:
- Research papers assigned in any class, including "W" and “non-W" courses
- Personal, response essays assigned for class
- Resumes and cover letters
- PowerPoint and Prezi presentations
- Communication speech outlines
- Lab reports
- Personal essays for internship applications
- Creative writing (poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction) whether assigned for class or not
- And much more!
Comprehensive writing support from brainstorm to final draft
The Writing Center supports students at every writing process stage, from prewriting to final draft polishing. You’re welcome to visit even if you don’t have a paper due—just bring your assignment sheet. Our tutors are ready to assist with brainstorming, thesis development, paragraphing, organization, clarity, conciseness, and more.
Enhancing your writing with tutor support
Our tutors collaborate with writers rather than doing the work for them. Writers are encouraged to actively participate throughout the session, instead of simply following the tutor’s suggestions. When you visit the Writing Center, be ready to engage in every step of the process. Our goal is to help develop stronger writers at Penn State, and this goal is best achieved when writers actively contribute to the intellectual work of each session.