Paper Assistance Guidelines for Walk-in Students
The English paraprofessionals and instructional support specialists (ISS) in the Academic Success Center (ASC) offer help at every stage of the writing process, from basic sentence mechanics to brainstorming and composition.
In particular, the function of the ASC's paraprofessionals and ISS is to assist students in improving and developing their own writing skills. Given this mission, the ASC's paraprofessionals and ISS are not proofreaders; rather, they work to enable students to write and proofread their own papers.
In short, the philosophy and aim of the ASC's paper assistance policy is to foster student-writer independence and self-reliance.
Paraprofessionals and ISS do not focus their efforts on correcting students' mistakes or making sure that students submit a perfect paper. Instead, they offer suggestions and strategies for change and improvement that will strengthen students' abilities. Paraprofessionals and ISS will not correct the mistakes in a paper just to ensure that a student receives a good grade.
| ASC Service Guidelines | |
|---|---|
| We will.. | We will not... |
| Answer specific questions students have regarding any writing concern only after they have first proofread their work. | Proofread, edit, correct or read an entire paper. |
| Review the first page or first paragraph of students' papers — if their concerns are not specific — and help them learn how to identify and correct their errors. | Check for every potential mistake in a paper. |
| Suggest or provide students with reference materials and other resources which should help them to start writing or revising their papers. | Write or revise a paper. |
| Provide students with objective feedback on the coherence and clarity of their work, especially if they can present us with their instructors' expectations or provide previously graded assignments. | Predict or guarantee grades. |
| Help students thoroughly if they bring their papers to us early enough to make any necessary changes. | Be able to give students much help at the last minute. |
| Help students find the most frequent mistakes in their writing. | Provide a quick fix for every single error in students' writing. |
| Provide general suggestions on reading comprehension or ask questions that may help students better understand their assignments. | Interpret reading assignments. |
| Better assist students if they present us with a typed draft that they have already proofread and spellchecked. | Always be able to read students' handwriting. |