Tutoring for Graduate Students

The Writing and Speaking Center welcomes grad-student writers and speakers of all levels and abilities—all writers need readers, and all speakers need listeners! We work with all kinds of projects and can help at any stage of the process, from brainstorming to polishing. Our Writing Consultants and Speaking Fellows are trained to work with writing and speaking from across the disciplines. Writing and speaking support is free for current students.

Writing Appointments

Interested in meeting with a writing consultant? Schedule an appointment.

Our writing consultants are graduate students and professional tutors from a range of disciplines. Whether you’re working on a seminar paper, a conference paper, a dissertation proposal, or a fellowship application, our writing consultants can help you at any stage of the writing process, from brainstorming to revising. While tutors cannot provide subject-area expertise or proofreading services, they can discuss writing strategies and principles, and share reader-based feedback on your work as general academic readers.

A Writing Consultant can:

  • Provide feedback on your writing (from the perspective of a general academic reader)
  • Support all aspects of the writing process, including planning, pre-writing, drafting, revision, and editing
  • Help you become more familiar with common conventions and genres in academic writing, such as literature reviews, proposals, and abstracts
  • Help you develop strategies for project management, including time management skills, setting short-term and long-term goals, recognizing progress, and creating action plans that help you meet writing and revision goals

Speaking Appointments

Interested in meeting with a Speaking Fellow? Check out the drop-in hours or schedule an appointment.

The Speaking Fellows are undergraduate tutors who can provide feedback on speeches and presentations for classes and beyond. They can help with many aspects of spoken communication, including:

  • Planning, practicing, and polishing speeches and presentations, including thesis defenses
  • Leading class discussions
  • Practicing for interviews
  • Practicing for casual and professional conversations
  • Developing visual aids (including posters)
  • Overcoming speech anxiety

Scheduling an Appointment

Writing appointments (50 minutes): Appointments are scheduled Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. in Rush Rhees Library, Room G-122.

Speaking appointments/drop-in hours: Hours are typically held in the evening and afternoon. Check current drop-in hours & locations.

To schedule: call (585) 273-3577, stop by (Rush Rhees Library, Room G-122), or make an appointment.

Occasionally graduate students first need to be added to our database before you can schedule appointments online. If you have trouble scheduling an appointment online, please email the Writing and Speaking Center (wsap@ur.rochester.edu), call (585) 273-3577, or stop by our main office, Rush Rhees Library, Room G-122 (on the ground level of Rush Rhees Library). Once you are entered in the system, you can schedule an appointment online.

Location: The Writing, Speaking, and Argument Program is located on the ground floor/tunnel level of Rush Rhees Library in Room G-122.