Our Philosophy
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” ~ Maimonides
The guiding philosophy of the University Writing Center is rooted in the belief that every student, with appropriate guidance, can improve and continuously develop their writing abilities. Our primary objective is to empower students to become better – more confident, independent, and successful – academic writers in the long term.
Mission
Our mission is to help HBKU students enhance their academic writing skills through targeted instruction and by engaging with them in critical conversations about their writing at any stage of the writing process. We aim to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where students can receive personalized assistance, develop critical thinking skills, and gain a deeper understanding of the writing process.
Vision
We aspire to be a trusted and reliable campus resource which helps to develop capable and confident academic writers in their respective disciplines.
Who is the center for?
The University Writing Center is an academic writing support service that is available to all HBKU students, regardless of their discipline or level of language proficiency. Nevertheless, it should be borne in mind that we are not subject specialists and therefore cannot offer content knowledge for specific disciplines.
We understand that students entering graduate programs at HBKU have different academic backgrounds and experiences. For some, it is their first time studying in English in higher education, while for others it is something they have already experienced, although a significant period may have elapsed since their previous studies. Accordingly, the University Writing Center welcomes all students, regardless of the degree of assistance they require, and our ultimate goal always remains the same – to help develop better writers over time. We are also keen to collaborate with faculty, especially if they feel we can assist their students in a particular task or aspect of writing.
What services do we offer?
The University Writing Center specialists work with students to improve and develop their writing skills so that they can produce clear, well-organized, and effective papers and assignments. Instead of simply proofreading students’ work before submission, writing specialists provide helpful feedback on different aspects of their work to ensure their ongoing development as writers. The center offers the following core services:
Individual (one-to-one) consultations
HBKU students can make appointments for individual tutoring sessions (consultations) with an English or Arabic writing specialist. In these sessions, they can discuss and receive guidance on different types of writing assignments (academic genres), grammar, vocabulary, style, referencing and other aspects of academic writing.
Workshops/ In-class support sessions
The University Writing Center specialists develop and conduct workshops throughout the academic year. These workshops, which may be offered university-wide or organized in collaboration with individual HBKU colleges and/or programs, focus on various aspects of academic writing including genre analysis, style, structure and academic integrity.
Digital resources
A comprehensive collection of online self-help resources is available and regularly updated on the University Writing Center English and Arabic LibGuide pages.
We are also happy to organize and facilitate writing groups (e.g., a thesis writing support group). Such sessions allow students to receive feedback on their work from peers and writing specialists and thus help them to maintain motivation and stay on track during the writing process.
How do individual consultations work?
During an individual consultation, we typically focus on one paper or assignment. When you make the appointment, which must be done via our online booking system, you will be expected to have a clear idea of what you would like to focus on during the session (e.g., outlining, paragraphing, academic writing style, punctuation, etc.). The writing specialist that you meet with will provide helpful feedback about different patterns that appear in your writing so that you can improve the quality of your work immediately, and most importantly, over the long term. As every paper is unique, please note that we do not promise to cover a certain number of words or pages within a 50-minute session.
What do we do?
We provide constructive feedback on student writing at both the micro and macro levels. This includes, but is not limited to, the following areas:
We also suggest useful reference materials (in-house handouts, websites, books, etc.) that you can consult independently to improve your writing.
What do we not do?
How do I book an individual consultation?
You can make an appointment using our online booking system, WCONLINE.
Log in with your institutional (HBKU) username and password. These are the same credentials you use for other institutional services.
This will take you to the default schedule, which is the current UWrite English schedule. You can select the Arabic schedule by clicking on “schedules” on the menu bar at the top of the page.
When you make the appointment, you will have to select the type of assignment as well as the specific aspect(s) of academic writing you would like to focus on. It is important to be clear about what you want to accomplish during the session. This will help both you and the writing specialist.
Students have three options for 1-1 sessions:
1. Face-to-face: Conducted in the Minaretein Building or Penrose House (LAS). It is recommended that you bring a printed copy of the paper you want to work on.
2. Synchronous Online appointment: Using the booking service platform (WCONLINE) or Webex to work on the paper collaboratively with the writing instructor in real time.
3. E-tutoring: Attach a paper to your appointment on the booking system – the writing specialist will review the paper for the duration of the appointment. It will then be returned to you via email with relevant comments and corrections that you can carry forward and apply to the remainder of the paper.
Please note that each e-tutoring appointment is the same 50-minute duration as a face-to-face or synchronous online appointment.
For options 2 and 3, remember to attach a copy of the paper you want to work on when you make the appointment or at some point before it.
How can I find out about workshops?
Information regarding university-wide workshops can be found on the University Writing Center LibGuide’s Upcoming Workshops tab. Details of college-specific workshops or in-class sessions will be provided by individual colleges/course leaders.
Where is the center located and when is it open?
University Writing Center staff are located on the first floor of the Minaretein Building: Office C.01.003 (Mr Owen Connor), Office C.01.004 (Dr Omaima El-Hardlo), and Office C.01.020 (Dr Juliet Lovering).
We also have a STEM Writing Specialist in Penrose House/ LAS: Office C123H (Dr Shifa Zuhara).
The University Writing Center is open Sunday to Thursday for individual consultations. Please register/log in to our online booking system for daily timings and writing specialist availability.
How can I contact the center?
UWrite English LibGuide: https://hbku-qa.libguides.com/uwrite
UWrite Arabic LibGuide: https://hbku-qa.libguides.com/uwrite-arabic
Appointments: https://hbku.mywconline.com/
The University Writing Center is here to support you on your writing journey. We look forward to working with you to enhance your writing skills and help you achieve academic success. Feel free to reach out to us with any questions or to seek assistance scheduling an appointment. Let’s work together to unlock your full writing potential!
[1] Please note that a writing specialist will not necessarily be knowledgeable about the specific referencing style that you are using. For this reason, if, for example, you are seeking referencing guidance for STEM subjects, it is advisable to make an appointment with a STEM specialist.
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