You do not have to be a full-time student to use the Writing Center; however, you must be actively enrolled at BC to use our services.

No, we can also help with science, speech, psychology, resumes, transfer application essays, and more. As long as you need general writing help, you can come in with whatever you have. We also help with PowerPoint, MS Word, and Excel, but please keep in mind that some consultants are more familiar with certain programs than others.  

The Writing Center is not open on the weekends. 

The Writing Center is located at E.220 inside the Student Success Center. We are on the second floor above the entrance to the Bonnen Central Building. You can find us using the stairs or elevator across from the front lobby entrance.

Yes. The Writing Center has TSI resources you can review on your own. If you’d like to meet with us, please bring your score report from Counseling & Testing, so we can help you with the areas in which you need the most attention. Call us at 979-230-3460 to set up an appointment.

Yes. If you come to the WC for a session, printing is always free! You can print either from our computers in the Center, or we can print your work using one of our available USB drives. 

• USB drives
• Phone and computer charging ports and cables
• Office supplies (Pens, pencils, paper, sticky notes, white-out, highlighter, paperclips, hole-puncher, hand sanitizer, etc.)
• Monitors to display essays/speeches on larger screens

Yes. You may be in the Writing Center when you are not actively working with a consultant; however, our space can get packed. Be mindful of other peoples’ space and time as they work with our consultants. 

We have virtual and physical copies of most of BC’s writing and speaking assignments. However, it is best to bring your class’s assignment instructions just in case the Writing Center does not have a copy of them. We may also ask you to access your class in D2L to find an assignment prompt or instructions.

Appointments are not required, and walk-ins are allowed; however, we cannot guarantee we will be available for walk-ins at all times of the day. Our last appointment is 55 or 25 minutes prior to closing, and we are not able to accommodate sessions after we close. 

We do not accept drop-off papers in the Writing Center, as we only look at papers with you present in the session. We want to ensure that you are actively learning in sessions, so it is important for you to be available and engaged as we look at your work. 

Unfortunately, no. The Brazosport College Writing Center is only available for BC students taking classes through BC, students studying to take the TSI through BC, and students enrolled in courses with Community Education (GED). 

At this time, we do not offer group sessions in the Writing Center. We only have one-to-one sessions. 

Appointments are FREE and you are never expected to pay for them. The cost of WC services is included in student tuition.

We can only have one session per student per day. This is to allow availability for other students who may need our services. Additionally, there is a limited amount of information a person can retain in one sitting, so it is more effective to come back another day after processing what you learned. 

Yes! For each session you have with us, you will receive a survey in your student email that helps us see how the WC is doing. If you complete this short survey, you are entered into a monthly raffle where you can win a $25 VISA card and other Writing Center swag. You also automatically earn Strive 2 Drive points for each session you have. 

You can review 1 assignment per session.

TutorTrac is a software that the Writing Center uses to schedule in-person and online sessions. Students and consultants use this software to schedule appointments.

To log into TutorTrac, use your student username and password. It is the same sign-in information as D2L and the computers on campus.

Log into TutorTrac using the same sign-in information as D2L and the computers on campus. You will see “Upcoming Appointments” in a box in the middle of the screen. If your appointment was scheduled correctly, you will see the appointment date, time, and other information displayed in the “Upcoming Appointments” box. If you do not see your appointment displayed, your appointment has not been scheduled correctly. Please try to schedule again, and contact the Writing Center at 979-230-3460 if you need assistance. 

You must schedule your appointment at least 12 hours in advance of the appointment time. If you need a same-day appointment, please call the Writing Center at 979-230-3460 to check walkin availability for that day. 

You may call the Writing Center at 979.230.3460 or email writingcenter@brazosport.edu to inquire about a walk-in availability time. You may also physically visit the Writing Center on campus to inquire about walk-in availability.

Yes! You may call the Writing Center at 979.230.3460 to schedule an appointment. A consultant will be happy to accommodate your needs and answer any scheduling questions you might have.

Scheduling an online session is similar to scheduling an in-person session via TutorTrac. Select the online session option for your appointment reason when scheduling an online appointment. There are 2 online session reason options available:

• TUTORING: WHITEBOARD
  • o This includes the chat box and Whiteboard. Whiteboard will be used to post your essay, assignment instructions, etc.
• TUTORING: WHITEBOARD & ZOOM
  • o This includes the chat box and Whiteboard while using Zoom to communicate during the session. You may use a different platform (Google Docs, Screen Share, etc.) besides Whiteboard after you logged into the session to gain access to the Zoom link. 

You may also call the Writing Center at 979.230.3460 for over-the-phone assistance scheduling your online appointment.

Follow the 3 steps below:

1. Log in to TutorTrac.
2. Select your online appointment. 
3. Click on the “Open LiveDoc Session” button, which is located on the right side of the box underneath “Appointment Duration.”

This will then place you in an online chat with your consultant so that the session can be held.

Attending a Zoom session is similar to attending a Whiteboard session, only you hop on a Zoom call instead of chatting through Whiteboard the entire session. Follow the two simple steps below to attend your Zoom session:

1. Enter your online session by following the procedure listed in the previous question. 
2. Use the Zoom meeting invite information in the Whiteboard chat sent by your consultant.

You may have a Whiteboard & Zoom session that is Zoom-focused. For example, you must still enter the Whiteboard chat to access your Zoom link, but your session from there can abandon Whiteboard functions and only use Zoom, Google Docs, etc.

Yes, you can use Google Docs during an online or Zoom session. Here are some simple instructions for using Google Docs during an online session:

• Whiteboard-only session: Send a shareable Google Doc link to your consultant via the Whiteboard chat
• Whiteboard & Zoom session: Screen Share your Google Doc through Zoom, or send a Google Docs shareable link via the Zoom chat

All students are required to follow the Brazosport College Student Code of Conduct while in online sessions with the Writing Center. In addition, the following behavior expected of all students during online sessions:

• Be respectful with your words. Any degrading speech will be addressed, possibly resulting in the session ending early.
• Be fully clothed if you have your camera on. Having no shirt and/or no pants/shorts/bottoms on while you are on camera will result in the session ending immediately. 
• Do not make any vulgar or sexual references. A college writing consultant session does not have to be rigid, but it must remain professional.

No. Cameras are not required during a Zoom session. 

If power or connection is lost during your online session, you can wait until the session ends to see if your connection returns before leaving the session. If there is an emergency behind your power outage or connection loss, you may leave the session to tend to the emergency. 

No. Try not to edit your paper while the consultant is editing. Doing so will erase the consultant’s feedback and cause a delay in your session. If you want to adjust something while your consultant is editing, open another document to make a note. Then, when the consultant has given back control, you can copy/paste your changes in.

You cannot go back to the session later to save your consultant’s feedback. You must save your feedback to your computer before logging out. To save the chat, highlight the text in the chat window, copy the text, and paste it into a document. To save your paper with feedback, highlight the text in the Whiteboard window, copy the text, and paste it into a document. 

Your consultant will post the questions of the Reflection Sheet in Whiteboard that you will need to answer towards the end of your session. You must answer those questions when posted. Giving your professor your reflection sheet is simple:

1. Copy and paste your completed reflection sheet into a document
2. Upload the document to its appropriate D2L dropbox

If your professor does not have a dropbox for your reflection sheet, contact them for instructions. 

The Writing Center website states that 25-minute online sessions ARE NOT permitted. 25 minutes for an online session is not allowed due to communication taking longer, leaving feedback taking longer, and sometimes, connection issues occurring, which takes time away from the actual session time.

If you schedule a 25-minute online session, your consultant will follow 1 of 3 possible procedures:

1. If the scheduled consultant has time available to extend the session to 55 minutes, they will extend the session and inform the student of the 25-minute online session rule when the session starts.
2. If there is another consultant available for a 55-minute session during that time slot, they may volunteer to take the session, and your scheduled consultant will extend and move your appointment to that consultant.
3. If the scheduled consultant does NOT have time available to extend the session to 55 minutes, the consultant will cancel the appointment, followed by an email informing the student of the cancellation, the reason for cancellation, and rescheduling information.

While it is possible to attend an online session over the phone by logging into TutorTrac on your phone, it is preferred if you attend an online session on a trusted laptop or computer. Your session experience will be enhanced if attended on a laptop or computer because it is easier to read and respond to feedback on a larger screen. 

If you have assignment instructions and readings, bring those with you. If you’re working on a draft, bring that to the session. If you are not ready to look over a draft yet, we can help you with the writing process by brainstorming, outlining the rest of your paper, and much more.We might have them in our archives, but we might not. If we do not, we may ask for permission to look at your instructions on D2L. 

You should expect the following during your session:

• To have specific concerns you want to work on regarding your assignment
• To ask your consultant questions regarding your assignment 
• For your consultant to ask engaging questions regarding your assignment 
• To be prepared to engage with your consultant’s questions

Accidents happen! Please reschedule via TutorTrac if you still need the appointment, or call us at 979.230.3460 for further information on availability. 

If possible, please call us at 979.230.3460 to inform us that you will be running late, and if tardiness exceeds your session's time, you can reschedule for a better time. If you arrive 15 minutes into a 55 minute session, we will still be able to meet. However, if you arrive more than 5 minutes late to a 25 minute session, you will need to reschedule. 

Yes. You may request a specific consultant. If they are available at the time and day you choose for your appointment, they will be happy to work with you.

You do not need to have a physical copy of your paper. You do need to have access to a digital copy. You are welcome to bring a USB or your laptop. If need be, you can use the computers in the Center to print your paper, or you can use the display monitors we have mounted next to every table to look at your paper on a bigger screen. 

In the case of online sessions, you may ask the consultant if you can send your paper through their employee email for easier access in case Whiteboard is having difficulties. However, you cannot email your paper to a WC consultant to review outside of a formal online or in-person WC session.

There is no rigid dress code enforced in the Writing Center; however, it is required to be appropriately clothed. This includes: 

• Keeping your shoes on at all times during in-person sessions
• Wearing a shirt at all times in both Zoom and in-person sessions
• Wearing shirts that are generally inoffensive and don’t attack specific social groups 

Please refer to BC’s Student Code of Conduct for further information on the dress code in the Writing Center.

You do not need to have a completed assignment to work with us! We can help with brainstorming, drafting, questions/concerns on assignments, and much more. Please indicate in your appointment reason on TutorTrac what you plan to work on during the session. 

If necessary, you may switch with an available consultant at any time in the session, provided another consultant is available. 

We recommend that you participate as much as possible in the session. You and the tutor both benefit from your ideas and input. You are always encouraged to be active when you work with us, as all sessions are meant to be collaborative. 

Yes. Your child is welcome to hang out in the WC during your in-person session. We have toys that may keep them occupied while they wait. However, your child will remain your responsibility, as we are not equipped to supervise them.

Unfortunately, we do not provide childcare in the Writing Center.

The Writing Center Reflection Sheet is a three-question document we hand to students when they are coming into the Writing Center for credit or extra credit. Your consultant will ask you to answer the first question at the beginning of the session. At the end of your session, your consultant will ask you to answer questions two and three. 

If you need help filling out your Reflection Sheet, your consultant can help answer questions you are unsure about. Also, refer to any guidelines or instructions your instructor gave you.

To scan your Reflection Sheet, we have brochures on how to use Adobe PDF available for you to pick up. If time permits at the end of your session, consultants may be able to help you learn how to scan your reflection sheet. 

Please follow your instructor’s directions for completing and submitting your Reflection Sheet. 

You MUST have a session with us in order to receive a Reflection Sheet. We cannot sign your Reflection Sheet if you did not previously have a session or if the session did not focus on your assignment.

You will earn credit if your instructor gives you credit/extra credit for coming in and by having a session with a consultant. Your consultant will provide you the Writing Center Reflection Sheet for you to fill out and for them to sign at the end of the session. You will then give the Reflection Sheet to your instructor, following their instructions on how they want the document to be turned in. If you aren’t sure if your instructor offers credit/extra credit for writing center sessions, check your syllabus or ask them.

Yes. We will send your instructor an email each week with a list of all their students who visited the Writing Center. If they require you to come in, we will provide you with the Writing Center Reflection Sheet to fill out and us to sign at the end of your session. Please follow your instructor’s directions for completing and submitting your Reflection Sheet. 

Yes. You must participate in the session to get credit/extra for your assignment. You will benefit the most from your session if you participate actively. You might be surprised how beneficial our sessions can be, especially for strong writers. 

Yes. The BCWC is a safe space for all identities and backgrounds. Consultants move through training to ensure they are active and engaged allies for the LGBTQIA+ community.

The Writing Center has no official connection to the LGBTQSA. However, some of the consultants regularly attend meetings, and many of the consultants who have graduated from BC were club members prior to completing their degrees.

You can contact the LGBTQSA club advisor Jeff English at Jeff.English@brazosport.edu, by calling his office at 979.230.3227, or by stopping by his office (B.203). 

The Writing Center staff practices Anti-Racism by engaging in regular training to examine hypervisibility/invisibility, social systems, and implicit biases in our space. We have also incorporated this examination into our onboarding process for new consultants.

Yes, the Writing Center offers accommodations for many learning disabilities. We have private rooms available to minimize distractions in sessions and dyslexia friendly fonts available for all sessions. We can also offer other accommodations, such as adjusted session lengths, if the learning difficulty is documented with BC. To learn more about documenting a learning disability, you can reach out to the Disability Service Counselor, Phil Robertson, by visiting the Counseling and Testing department in the Bonnen Central Building, emailing disabilities@brazosport.edu, or calling his office at 979.230.3236.

Yes. The Writing Center is wheelchair accessible. You can get to the second floor by using either the elevator at the entrance of the Bonnen Building or the one in the Student Pavilion. Both entrances to the Student Success Center are equipped with automatic door openers, and the Writing Center door stays open. All walkways and doorways are sized to ensure wheelchair access.

Unfortunately, the Writing Center does not have any ASL consultants available at this time. We do welcome you and your interpreter! If you are in need of an interpreter, please reach out to the Disability Service Counselor, Phil Robertson, by visiting the Counseling and Testing department in the Bonnen Central Building, emailing disabilities@brazosport.edu, or calling his office at 979.230.3236.

The people on the wall are the current Writing Center consultants. Each consultant has a profile card with their name, nickname, portrait, and fun facts about them. 

To work in the Writing Center, you must fit the following criteria:

• Have passed ENGL 1301 with a B or better
• Must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher 

Brazosport College students may apply to become a writing consultant, and individuals who are not Brazosport College students may as well, so long as they meet the criteria previously stated. 

Writing consultants are considered part-time Brazosport College employees. Writing consultants are NOT classified as student workers. 

The following are job experiences/opportunities that are obtained as a Writing Center consultant:

• Attending and/or presenting at national and regional college writing center conferences
• Customer service experience 
• Experience working with students
• Teamwork with Writing Center projects
• Writing Center leadership roles

Yes! The Writing Center has a snack rack inside the door with an assortment of chips, pretzels, sweet treats, and trail mix. There are also bowls of candy on each of the tables if you want to snack on something smaller during your session. We may also have water bottles or soft drinks occasionally. 

Yes! The Writing Center can be found on Instagram @bcwriting and Facebook @brazosportWritingCenter

The Writing Center hosts and participates in many events, such as our Open House, Poem in my Pocket Day, and the Avatar Archives. 

The gator on the bite resources/wall is named Harold. He is a cousin to the Brazosport College mascot, Fred The Alligator!