It's the program at Bates that offers all interested students skilled assistance in writing. You can arrange individual conferences with a staff of professional writers trained to provide friendly and insightful support. Established in 1981, the Workshop has served more than 3,500 students preparing papers for every discipline at the College.

The Workshop welcomes all students. Whether you are writing your first college paper, a column for the campus newspaper, or a senior honors thesis, our tutors will help you through the writing process from developing your ideas to polishing your phrases.

That depends greatly on what you wish to accomplish. You will be an active participant, learning to make decisions about how to change your papers and yourself as a writer. Consequently, you can expect your tutor to ask you lots of questions to strengthen your critical thinking skills and guide you in becoming more self-reflective.

We can help you learn to strengthen your writing skills:

• analyzing assignments
  
• generating, focusing, organizing your ideas
  
• developing and supporting an argument
  
• evaluating and revising drafts
  
• improving sentence clarity
  
• building editing skills

• taking notes
  
• integrating and crediting sources

and improve your essay exams:

• understanding exam questions
  
• developing and organizing responses
  
• handling time constraints

We also want to explain the limits of our program. We will not provide instant cures, grade your papers, guarantee higher grades, write, proofread, or correct your papers for you. We are interested in your success as a writer. The greatest benefit of tutoring is discussing your concerns and developing a plan to resolve them.

Individual tutorials

• Handouts
  
• Resource library and reference books
  
• Orientation tours
  
• Instruction in writing:
  • Short papers
    
  • Research papers
    
  • Lab reports
    
  • Scientific papers
    
  • Essay exams
    
  • Senior theses
    
  • Fiction and poetry
    
  • LSAT and MCAT essays

  
  

If you wish, you may arrange regular meetings with a tutor. These usually last fifty minutes and focus on papers you are in the process of writing.

53 Campus Avenue, across from Chase Hall

Telephone: 786-6159

Office hours:

Mon.: 9 a.m. – noon; 1–5 p.m.
Tues.: 9 a.m. – noon; 1–5 p.m.
Wed.: 9 a.m. – noon; 1–5 p.m.
Thur.: 9 a.m. – noon; 1–5 p.m.; 6 - 10 p.m.

Additional evening hours are available each semester.

Joyce Seligman, M.A., Director
Patricia Hager, B.A.
Michele Pavitt, M.A.
Susann Pelletier, M.S.
Seri Rudolph, Ph.D.
Richard Wile, M.A.

"My tutor encouraged me, and she listened to my ideas carefully and respected them. Her questions made me think more about the topic."

"In my first meeting we had to analyze every line of my paper. I was confused and I had trouble articulating my thoughts in a clear and coherent manner. My tutor taught me how to develop and effectively argue a thesis and revise my own papers. In my most recent meeting, we simply discussed how to correct my concerns with my paper."

"Without giving up originality, one can turn to others for advice and encouragement."

"My tutor reinvigorated my drive and helped me see my theme more clearly. I really can't stress enough how helpful she was with my honors thesis. Two of the three honors examiners for my defense commented that my thesis was extremely well organized and well written. Thank you!"

"I know how to read my drafts now as a critic would — to ask the right questions and make sure my papers contain the right information."

"The Writing Workshop is a great resource for writers who are already skilled."

"I now see writing as a welcome challenge."

For more information, click here to get to the Writing Workshop homepage