Appointments
Schedule notice
All hours and call times on this page are for the fall and spring semesters. Please refer to the Writing Center home page for winter and summer office information.
General Appointment Info
- The Writing Center offers 1:1 consultations during each semester
- Available in-person and online via Zoom
- For more information about Zoom consultations, visit our online consultation page
- VCU students active in Navigate are allowed one (1) appointment per day up to three (3) days a week
- Our call hours for questions or scheduling are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Please use our main phone line, (804) 828-4851, during these hours
- For questions or concerns outside of those hours, please reach out to writingctr1@vcu.edu, but be aware we are unable to schedule appointments through email
- While we schedule appointments in hour long blocks, your actual consultation time will be 45 minutes
- Running a little late? After 20 minutes, your appointment will be marked as a no-show and you will need to reschedule
- Be sure to call the Writing Center front desk at (804) 828-4851 if you need help or to reschedule your appointment
How to schedule your appointment
- To self-schedule an appointment, please visit Navigate, our appointment system
- Be sure to select the accurate service that correlates to your class standing and preferred modality when self-scheduling
- Select in-person for an on campus session in our physical location or online for a virtual session via Zoom
- Select UGrad if you are an undergraduate student or Grad if you are a graduate student
- If you are in the English Language Program, select ELP
- If you are in the VCU Postdoctoral Fellow Program, select Post-doc
- You must include your VCU email address in the Appointment Details in order for your appointment to be scheduled
- Need help scheduling? Call the Writing Center front desk at (804) 828-4851, or stop by our main space, MCALC 4203, to speak to a shift leader who can help you set up an appointment.
Working on a long-term project or need more than one appointment?
- You can schedule one (1) appointment per day
- Sometimes Navigate will allow students to book more than one appointment per day, however, this is a program error, and the later appointment in the day will be automatically canceled
- You can schedule up to three (3) appointments per week
- You can schedule appointments as far in advance as you want, up through the end of the semester
Drop-in appointments
- Need a last minute appointment and nothing is available to schedule? We’ve got you covered!
- We offer drop-in consultations most hours that we are open in person
- Availability is limited, not guaranteed, subject to change, and on a first come, first served basis
- Talk with one of our shift leaders stationed at our front desk for more details or call us at (804) 828-4851
Make the How to prepare & What to expect sections (use new revised text below) part of the accordion list (make them the top two sections in said list):
How to prepare
- Come ready
- Bring any assignment/project guidelines or materials
- Come with any questions and concerns you have
- You don’t have to bring a complete draft--or have any writing done at all
- We encourage you to make an appointment to clarify an assignment or generate ideas
- Be sure to download any documents that you want to share in the meeting beforehand
- Come early
- If you come too close to your assignment’s due date, you might not have time to make all the revisions you’d like
- Plus, this leaves time for you to come back for additional feedback at later stages
- Come ready to talk
- You’ll accomplish the most when the session is a dialogue rather than a lecture
- We won’t just edit your paper for you but we will work out ways to make it awesome together!
What to expect
- Whether you come see us in person or have a Zoom session, you can still expect the same superior VCU Writing Center experience
- Consultations are 1:1 and focused on your specific concerns and goals
- Using all the tools at our disposal, your consultant will collaborate with you to make you a stronger, more confident writer
- During your session, you might to have a prewriting brainstorm session to find a topic driven by your interests and passions
- Or you might create an outline, sorting through your ideas to figure out how they fit together
- Maybe you’ll want to read through your first draft and talk about transitions, organization or tone
- Or you might work together to polish your final draft
- We are happy to schedule appointments for any stage of your writing process
- Your laptop (be sure it is charged!)
- Draft(s) of your work, if applicable (Google Docs preferred. See our Google Docs Tips below for more information). We cannot use paper copies due to safety reasons, so be sure to have an online copy to share with your consultant.
- An open mind for revision
We ask that you do not send any documents ahead of time. Your consultant will not be able to read any drafts of your work prior to the time of your appointment.
Be sure to read your confirmation email carefully before your appointment to avoid any issues or miscommunications
At the time of your appointment, you will now complete self check-in online:
- Log into Navigate.
- In the “Student Home” section, find the “Upcoming Appointments” section on the right side of the screen under the quick links and current visits.
- In the “Upcoming Appointments” section, your appointment details will include the consultation type (online or in-person), the consultant (e.g. J. Doe), and the date & time.
- Directly below all of this information, click the green button labeled, “Check-In Online.”
- Upon clicking this button, a message will appear, saying, “You have checked in to see [Consultant Name] for [Consultation Type]. // Look out for an email, text, or phone call for next steps!”
At the time of your appointment, you will need to notify the Shift Leader that you’ve completed your self check-in.
- After you have checked in, go into the VCU Writing Center to let the Shift Leader know you have arrived and have checked into your appointment. After speaking with them, you will wait patiently in the lobby. This space is designated only for students awaiting their upcoming appointment.
- You must complete self check-in before showing your VCU ID to the Shift Leader. A VCU ID is required for all consultations.
You and your consultant will address your goals for the appointment, and get to work! This will involve you reading any drafts you have prepared out loud. If you are using Google docs, you and your consultant will work in “Suggesting” mode (See Google Docs Tips below).
- Reading aloud is a time tested revision tool - it’s a way to empower your voice and find your own mistakes.
At the end of your appointment, you will now complete self check-out online:
- Log into Navigate.
- In the “Student Home” section, find the “Current Visits” section under the quick links.
- Click the red button labeled “Check Out” under the appointment details.
Please honor the 45 minute consultation end mark. These times are set to allow consultants enough time to prepare for upcoming meetings and to allow you to move smoothly to your next event.
Creating a Google Doc
- Go to drive.google.com.
- Click the “NEW” button, then “Google Docs,” then “Blank Template.”
- Start drafting!
Sharing a Google Doc
- At the top right corner of your document, click the blue “Share” button.
- Enter your consultant’s VCU email address in the “Add people and groups” field and click send.
- You can only do this after your consultant shares their email with you during the consultation.
- You may see a note that asks if you want to share outside of your organization. Click “Share Anyway.”
Using suggesting mode
- Click the “View” button in the menu bar (top of the screen).
- Go to “Mode,” then enable “Suggesting.”
- Any notes you or your consultant make will become suggestions for you to review later. This way, we remain collaborative even when remote.
- Restore original Google Doc settings
- Under the “View” tab, click “Mode” → “Editing.” (Consultants will work with you in “Suggesting” mode during your appointment.)
- At the top right corner of your document, click “Share,” and select your consultant’s name and email address. Click the drop-down menu by their name and select “Remove.”
- If you would like your consultant to email your professor or advisor, share the professor/advisor’s email address with the consultant before leaving
- After an appointment is the perfect time to schedule another appointment!
Navigate
Like many offices on campus, the VCU Writing Center uses Navigate for all scheduling needs. In order to make an appointment for our services, you must be an active user in Navigate. A variety of factors play into your status in Navigate, so please contact our Coordinator, Jess Rogers (rogersjp2@vcu.edu), if you have any difficulties scheduling an appointment and need to discuss Navigate access questions. Please note that recently graduated alumni may utilize Writing Center services for the duration of their Navigate access.
The VCU Writing Center relies on the functionality of Navigate to maintain and conduct appointments. In times of weather emergencies or technical difficulties, you may be contacted to reschedule your appointment.