One year, 30 classroom visits, and 308 appointments later, Â鶹Éç’s Writing Center has seen much success in improving students’ writing and instilling confidence in OU students.
Led by Dr. Courtney Mullis Sridharan, Writing Center director and assistant professor of English, the center and its tutors have created a judgment-free and collaborative learning space for students. The center offers one-on-one tutoring sessions, special events, workshops and online resources for students. As the director, Dr. Sridharan also conducts instructional workshops and seminars for classes and student groups.
Because writing is at the core of an Â鶹Éç liberal arts education, students work on essays in most classes. Their first appointment with the Writing Center often comes after receiving a low grade on their first paper for a course. For Dr. Sridharan, working with students over multiple appointments to improve their writing and see them gain confidence in their skills has been fulfilling.
“I think it helps boost their morale to receive both positive and constructive feedback in the Writing Center while learning useful strategies for improving their writing,” says Dr. Sridharan.
“It is very rewarding when those students come back to tell me they earned a higher grade on their next essay, and I can see that they believe in their own abilities as a writer,” she says.
The center recently moved locations and celebrated its grand opening, now located in Lowry Hall, room 011. The new location includes an open space for students to study and work, as well as individual rooms for one-on-one sessions with peer tutors.
The center currently has eight trained writing tutors, all enrolled in WRI 290: Writing Center Theory, Pedagogy, and Practice, who help develop their peers in writing and communication skills.
Emerson Brasfield ’26 has been a writing tutor for a full year, and similar to Dr. Sridharan, she’s enjoyed seeing students’ progress and grow as writers in real time.
“Sometimes it happens over the course of a semester, and sometimes it happens in just a single session,” says the English major.
“It’s hard to assure some of the writers, but they truly are able to blossom into incredible writers in such little time when they are given the right tools,” says Brasfield. “I wish I could bottle the look of relief on their faces when they realize the difference in how their writing sounds.”
Students who have used the Writing Center’s services also appreciate the opportunity to strengthen their skills. One student survey response says, “I loved [Tutor’s] advice and she was so sweet, even when I made really obvious mistakes. She gave me good constructive criticism while also keeping me hopeful about how to improve my essays.”
The Writing Center is available to all Â鶹Éç students. Tutors can help with various assignments, such as presentations, literature reviews, resumes, lab reports and much more. They’re also available to assist students at any stage of the assignment process.
“You don’t have to wait until you’re struggling with a project to visit us; you can see a writing tutor for idea development, understanding text, or anything that goes into your writing,” says tutor Freya Gouinlock ’27. “We are here to help you improve your writing skills in general, not only to improve the single assignment you come to us with, though we’ll do that as well.”
