Student Writing Center

Contact

Name: Shawn Gonzalez, PhD
Position: Assistant Director for Writing Services
Organization: Office of Academic & Career Success

130 South Ninth Street
Edison Building, 18th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Contact Number(s):

Welcome to the Student Writing Center (SWC) at Jefferson’s Center City Campus. We serve matriculated students who attend classes in Center City, Abingtonor Dixon, and those who are distance/online learners in Center City-based programs.

East Falls students should schedule appointments through the East Falls Academic Successs Center.

Mission & Values

Our mission is to provide a welcoming and inclusive space for you to enhance your writing skills and gain confidence as an academic writer.

We enjoy sharing our knowledge about effective academic writing in the health sciences, while supporting your professional development with life-long strategies for planning, drafting, revising, and editing.

Instead of "fixing" your writing for you, we offer clear insights, specific tools and strategies, and examples of how you might revise and edit.

We approach each tutoring session by actively listening to your writing concerns and goals, collaborating with you in structuring the session, and tailoring our tutoring style to meet your specific needs.

In addition to tutoring sessions, our Online Writing Lab offers on-demand resources for student writers, including self-guided tutorials, to help you gain confidence and build skills in academic writing.

We value your feedback on our services and resources, and we welcome your ideas on how we can better meet your needs.

Schedule an In-Person or Virtual Appointment

Appointments are offered either in-person on the Center City Campus, or virtually. In-person appointments take place on the 18th floor of the Edison Building (130 South 9th Street). 

Our primary offerings are 30- and 60-minute tutoring sessions. In these sessions, you will work with your tutor to identify strengths and areas for development/improvement in your writing.

Book a 30-minute session for a paper up to three pages long. Book a 60-minute session for a paper up to 10 pages long. If you have a longer document, please contact Shawn.Gonzalez@jefferson.edu to determine how we can best support you with one or more appointments.

Distance learners meet with writing tutors virtually. Center City-based students should indicate their preference for in-person or virtual sessions in the “Special Instructions” field when making an appointment. We will do our best to accommodate your preference. However, please note that some writing tutors are only available for virtual appointments, because they do not work on campus. If you request an in-person appointment with a tutor who can only meet virtually, we will let you know. All of our tutors have experience with Zoom, and we have had good results with virtual appointments.

All appointments, whether in-person or virtual, include written feedback, if we receive your draft at least 2 hours in advance.

Virtual appointments are generally done through Zoom, although if a phone conversation is more convenient, just let us know. If your schedule does not allow for a live conversation, we can offer written feedback through email. You do need to book an appointment with a tutor even for email feedback, to ensure we budget time to review your paper. Add a note in the “Special Instructions” field if you are requesting written feedback only.

Additional Services