UNIVERSITY WRITING SERVICES @ SLU

University Writing Services (UWS) is committed to the campus-wide improvement of student writing through one-on-one consultations. We work with students from all SLU colleges and departments on academic and non-academic writing. Writing consultants can also provide content-based feedback on cover letters, group projects, multimodal assignments, personal statements, and speeches/oral presentations.

Our role is to support you by offering a variety of consultation options (see locations) to hone your skills and become a more confident writer. We encourage you to bring in your project at any stage during the composition process which can include but is not limited to:

• Following assignment or project guidelines

• Brainstorming and identifying the topic you want to write about

• Forming research questions and hypotheses

• Developing thesis statements and arguments

• Organizing ideas (structure, topic/closing sentences, transitions, flow)

• Researching and supporting claims with evidence (source/quote integration)

• Citing and formatting sources properly

• Improving clarity, word choice and phrasing

• Identifying recurring grammar and punctuation mistakes

• Revising drafts and implementing feedback

We cannot guarantee better grades and we do not line edit or proofread essays. We help, but we also ensure that students are taking responsibility for their own work and developing writerly personas. Our end goal is for students to become self-directed learners.