Writing Assistance FAQ

How do I schedule a writing assistance appointment?
How do I know if I scheduled my appointment correctly?
Where do I go for my appointment?
I need to change/cancel my writing assistance appointment. What do I do?
What does it mean to be marked Missed?
What do I do if I get a Missed appointment e-mail, but I was at the writing assistance appointment?
What do I do if I can’t log into TutorTrac?
How do I know if I logged in correctly at the start of my appointment?
I’m an Alumna/Alumnus, and I want to use Writing Assistance, but can’t log in. What do I do?
How many appointments can I schedule?
What sorts of problems can ERC Writing Assistance help me with?
How can I prepare for my Writing Assistance appointment?
Who are the Writing Fellows?
Can you correct/proofread my paper?
Can you help with any course, school or type of writing?
Are you a commuter student or a BU student who is currently studying abroad?
I am looking for other writing assistance on campus?

——————————————————————–

How do I schedule a writing assistance appointment?

Click here to schedule a writing assistance appointment.

How do I know if I scheduled my appointment correctly?

While a confirmation window will not appear, you will receive a confirmation e-mail from the ERC shortly after you have scheduled your appointment that will contain the following information:

Your Writing Fellow’s name
Your Writing Fellow’s e-mail
The date of your scheduled appointment.
The time of your scheduled appointment.
Reminders about ERC policy

You will also know you have scheduled your appointment correctly if you refresh your home screen in TutorTrac and see Upcoming Appointments.

Where do I go for my appointment?

The ERC is located on the 4th floor of the George Sherman Union. Please sign in on the computers located in the lobby. If you have any questions, feel free to ask the ERC Office Assistants.

I need to change/cancel my tutoring appointment. What do I do?

If you have signed up for a writing assistance appointment and later realize you are not able to attend, you must cancel your appointment, and then book a new appointment.

To cancel an appointment, send an email to the wfellows@bu.edu address, at least 24 hours prior to the start of your scheduled appointment. If you are not within the 24 hour window, you will be marked as Missed.

As long as you e-mail wfellows@bu.edu to cancel your tutoring appointment 24 hours prior to the start of the scheduled tutoring appointment, you will not be marked as Missed.

What does it mean to be marked Missed?

Missed means that you did not attend an appointment as scheduled (either you did not come to the appointment or you were more than 15 minutes late). It is the policy of the ERC that once you have 2 Missed appointments, you will be unable to make or attend any future appointments until you have come into the office and spoken with one of the ERC’s professional staff about your attendance. If you feel you have received a Missed notification in error, please see the next question.

What do I do if I get a Missed e-mail, but I was at the appointment (for example, I couldn’t log on because the system was down)?

In the event that TutorTrac is inaccessible to log in for your scheduled tutoring appointment, you will need to check in and out with the ERC’s Front Desk. TutorTrac automatically generates Missed e-mails, but as long as you check in and out with the Front Desk, this Missed appointment record will be deleted. If you have any questions regarding Missed appointment e-mails, please email wfellows@bu.edu.

What do I do if I can’t log into TutorTrac?

If you’re trying to log into TutorTrac and it is slow to respond, please be patient and take a look at your web-browser’s progress icon. This is a good indicator that it is loading and might take a few extra seconds.

If you’ve arrived at the ERC for an appointment and can’t log in, stop at the front desk and the ERC Office Assistants will assist you.

How do I know if I logged in correctly at the start of my appointment?

After you have selected Writing Assistance as your center, Writing Assistance as your subject, and the reason for your visit, you will click Continue. At that point you will see the following screen. This screen confirms that you have successfully logged in for your appointment.

I’m an Alumnus/Alumna and I want to use Writing Assistance, but can’t log in. What do I do?

Alumni are encouraged to use ERC Writing Assistance. Any Alumni graduating in 2011 or later can simply use their BU ID and Kerberos password to log on. If you graduated prior to 2011, please write to wfellows@bu.edu to request a password for the TutorTrac system. Include your full name, telephone contact number, BU ID number and your desired TutorTrac password. You will receive an email when your account is set up.

How many appointments can I schedule?

You can have one appointment on any given day, with up to three appointments in a ten-day period. The ten days begin on the day of your first appointment. You can schedule a third appointment on the eleventh day.

What sorts of problems can ERC Writing Assistance help me with?

Click here for a description of what you might expect (or not expect) from a Writing Assistance appointment.

How can I prepare for my Writing Assistance appointment?

Click here for a description of how to best prepare for your appointment.

Who are the Writing Fellows?

ERC Writing Fellows are doctoral-level graduate students with a strong background in effective writing who offer writing advice and troubleshooting strategies for your projects.

Can you correct/proofread my paper?

No. We can offer you advice and strategies for self-proofing, though.

Can you help with any course, school or type of writing?

We can usually offer some sort of assistance with any type of writing, and we serve all BU students, staff, faculty and alumni. If you are concerned about an unusual project, feel free to write us at wfellows@bu.edu with questions.

Are you a commuter student or a BU student who is currently studying abroad?

The Writing Assistance program can work with these students through our Online Writing Support service. Please click here for more information about this service.

I am looking for other writing assistance on campus?

Please explore the following options to discover the resources that will best meet your academic needs. If you have any questions, or you would like help determining which resource will be a good fit for you, please make an appointment with one of our professional staff members. Writing Centers Resource Flyer