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Berea College

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The Writing Studio works closely with faculty and staff across Berea. This page includes some resources and responses to common questions we receive.

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Yes, please do! If you’d like to hang around longer than a few minutes, please reach out ahead of time, so we can formally welcome your students.

Can I bring my class to the Writing Studio?

You’re welcome to require appointments for your students. However, to ensure we have enough available staff/hours to accommodate entire classes, we ask that you let us know if you plan to require more than one meeting per student. It’s also helpful if you share any relevant documents (e.g., assignment sheets, applicable course policies) with our <a href="mailto:halll2@berea.edu">director</a>, so she can train consultants on supporting your assignment specifically.
After every required appointment, you should receive an e-mail from the Writing Studio e-mail with appointment information (student name, date, length of meeting) and a short summary. If you need this confirmation but have not received it, just e-mail us directly and we&#8217;ll share our records.

Can I require appointments for my students?

We have very limited availability for classroom workshops, but you’re welcome to reach out directly to our director with your request.
If you attended a workshop sponsored by our office prior to 2025 and would like access to materials from that workshop, reach out and we can send you a link to our workshop archive.

Can you do a workshop for my class?

No. If you know you’ll be unable to teach your course meetings, you’ll want to arrange coverage with your department colleagues. You can also reach out to the Dean of Faculty Development’s office to facilitate coverage.

Can you cover my writing class?

We do not hire or place course-embedded consultants or TAs. However, if you know there’s a Writing Studio consultant with specific experience with your discipline, writing course, and/or assignments, feel free to recommend that consultant to your students. (We are also happy to recommend specific consultants to your students depending on student/course need.)
It&#8217;s important for our consultant&#8217;s professional development that they work with different kinds of assignments and classes, so we do not limit their availability to one instructor, class, or department.

Can I have a specific writing consultant assigned to my class?

Possibly! Reach out to our <a href="mailto:halll2@berea.edu">director</a> to discuss your vision.

Can I use your space for an event?

Not in any official capacity. The Writing Studio is not here to identify AI-generated papers. We’re also not here to inform instructors of AI use or penalize (or be part of penalties for) students who choose to use AI as part of their writing processes. We exist as a judgment- and evaluation-free space for writers to deepen their writing practices and build their confidence. By making the work of writing more visible, we hope students will come to see writing as a useful, approachable technology for their intellectual, emotional, and communal growth. For more information on our stance on generative AI, please read <a href="https://berea.edu/the-nest/writing-studio">our general FAQ</a>.

Can you tell me if this paper was written with/by AI?

There are different ways to encourage a student to visit us:
The first is to verbally encourage or require them to visit. You might walk them over to our space or e-mail them with a link to our main page or consultation site.
You can also submit a referral through <a href="https://berea.campus.eab.com">Navigate</a>, the college’s support platform. All referrals go to the Writing Studio inbox. Upon receiving the referral, our director will contact the student to schedule a meeting. Once our director meets with each referred student once, she closes the referral.
After the initial intake meeting, the Writing Studio director will determine next steps for the student. Some students do incredibly well working with their peers in the Studio and others may do better with continued one-on-one meetings with the Writing Studio director or other professional staff.

I have a student who would benefit from some focused time with a writing consultant. How should I encourage them to visit the Writing Studio?

Yes. Although the bulk of our sessions center on writerly practices, reading and writing are “interanimating” (as one of our favorite literacy scholars puts it). For that reason, we are happy to spend some time working with Studio visitors on developing different annotation or note-taking practices and approaches to reading. Because we have likely not read all the texts folks are being assigned and we’re not course-specific tutors, we can’t explain course readings or quiz students as part of our consultations.

Does the Writing Studio help with reading too?

Yes. Lauren regularly meets with faculty and professional staff to discuss their writing projects. You can make an appointment by e-mailing our <a href="mailto:halll2@berea.edu">director</a>.

Can I make an appointment with the Writing Studio?

Yes, that’s a great use of our expertise. Let us know if there’s a specific disciplinary perspective or type of feedback you’re looking for and we&#8217;ll help arrange a meeting with a suitable consultant.

Can I ask your consultants to give me feedback on my writing course?

This happens sometimes. Writing Studio consultants are students, not professors, which means they’re not content experts and (like all human beings) sometimes they get things wrong. Each consultation is an opportunity for our consultants to try out different frameworks and strategies. They’re also actively developing their own pedagogical and philosophical perspectives as part of their work. Thank you for helping their learning by supporting the Studio despite occasional missteps.
Feel free to contact our <a href="mailto:halll2@berea.edu">director</a> directly with a generous summary of the error/interaction, and she’ll incorporate any corrections or alternative perspectives into training for all the consultants.

I disagree with something a Writing Studio consultant said to my student. What do I do?

We depend on faculty nominations and recommendations to hire our incredible student staff. If you have a student who you think would excel as a Writing Studio consultant, please let us know. You can e-mail our <a href="mailto:halll2@berea.edu">director</a> directly with the student’s name and/or share <a href="https://www.berea.edu/the-nest/writing-studio/student-hiring/application-for-writing-resources-consultants">Writing Studio’s consultant application</a> with the student. We’re always happy to answer prospective consultants’ questions about the work

I have a student I think would make a good Writing Studio consultant. Who do I reach out to?

Yes, but we have limited hours. During these periods, the Writing Studio is primarily staffed by our director, who, like most other Berea faculty and staff members, takes vacation and attends to her professional development during the summer months.

Is the Writing Studio open during May term and/or the summer?

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Berea College | 859-985-3209 | CPO 2198 | writingstudio@berea.edu

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