Writing Consultations

Our Support

Writing Consultants can work with:
  • Academic writing
  • Personal statements
  • Creative writing
  • Personal work
They cannot work with:
  • Take home essay tests for a class
  • Career Center documents such as resumes
General Information:
  • You can have one writing consultation per day
  • When work with a group-written paper, all writers must be present
  • If you're 15 minutes late, we'll give away your slot unless you call us at 417-836-6398
  • The Writing Center is closed whenever the university is closed. Please review the Academic Calendar.
  • You can schedule an appointment yourself using our online serive, by speaking to a receptionist in person, or by calling 417-836-6398

In-Person or Synchronous Virtual Consultations

Fall 2023 Service Dates: August 23 to December 7

Scheduling in advance is recommended, but in-person walk-ins are welcome! We'll work with you until the next scheduled appointment arrives.

Schedule an Appointment Online Using TracCloud

How to Make a Writing or Presentation Center Appointment

  1. Go to https://my.missouristate.edu/ and locate the "Student Success Resources" card and select "TracCloud (Schedule a tutor or Writing Center appointment)." This will take you to the TracCloud dashboard.
  2. The “Schedule an appointment for help” field will contain each student’s classes and generic choices like “other.” Select an item from the drop-down menu and click Search.
  3. Available slots will be displayed on the next page. Select the slot of the day and time you’d like to book.
  4. You will be prompted to choose whether the appointment is online or in person (check the box for an online appointment) and confirm the booking.
  5. After confirming, you will receive a confirmation message to your BearMail account.

If you have chosen an online appointment, this message will contain a link to access the appointment. Alternatively, you can navigate to https://my.missouristate.edu/; Campus Life tab, TracCloud link to return to the TracCloud dashboard. A link to enter the consultant’s Blackboard Collaborate room will be displayed under the date.  

All in-person appointments will occur in the Bear CLAW on the first floor of Meyer Library. Please visit the Bear CLAW front desk to check in when you arrive.

Missing an Appointment

If you miss three appointments scheduled in advance, you will be unable to use the services of the Bear CLAW for the remainder of the semester without speaking to the director.

Canceling an appointment less than 24 hours before your scheduled time counts as a missed appointment.

Preparing for an Appointment

Our consultants will help you in every way possible during your session, but there are a few ways you can prepare ahead of time to make the most of your session:

  • Please prepare your questions before your appointment
  • Have your instructor's assignment sheet, related class handouts, and textbook at your side
  • List your goals for your meeting

Online Consultations - Email

Fall 2023 Submission Dates: August 23 to December 5

Writers can obtain advice regarding their manuscript through an email consultation. A paper may be at any stage of the writing process. A writing consultant will read and give you an overview of the text's strengths and weaknesses.

Rules for Submission
  1. We can accept submissions only from a valid Bear PASS accounts.
  2. Only one paper per email is accepted.
  3. Drafts with comments will be returned to you as soon as possible, normally as follows:
  • 1-5 pages: Up to 2 Business days.
  • 6-10 pages: Up to 3 Business days.
  • Over 10 pages: Up to 3-5 Business days
  • Graduate Thesis: For best results, send us a chapter at a time, not the entire thesis.
  • Screenplay/Stage Play: Up to 10 pages at a time.
  • Book: One chapter at a time.

NOTE: The Writing Center is closed whenever the university is closed, affecting the timeline. Please review the Academic Calendar.

How to Submit Your Paper

Attach a paper in either Word or rich-text format to an e-mail and send it to writingcenter@missouristate.edu. Links to Google docs are also welcome.

*Please note that we can accept submissions only from a valid Missouri State University email address. All others will be deleted.

In the body of your email, please include:

  1. your first and last name.
  2. your native language (if not English).
  3. your Missouri State University connection: dual credit, satellite location, study away – (where?), online course, or academic department.
  4. any specific concerns and/or questions about the paper.

It is important to include answers to all four questions to ensure a timely and topical response to your submission.

If you need to speak to a writing consultant directly, please contact the director, Michael Frizell, to make arrangements.

Information for Faculty & Staff

We're looking forward to assisting your students! Please contact Michael Frizell, Director of Student Learning Services, before sending your students en masse to the Online Writing Center. In your email:

  1. Include your prompt: Students often forget to share that with us. We want to ensure we're following directions, too.

  2. Indicate the due date: We want to make your job easier. Sharing the due date will allow us to allocate enough consultants to meet deadlines.
  3. Let us know how many students we can expect: This is helpful, too!
  4. Verifying submissions: If you need us to verify that your student submitted a paper, let us know. We can send you the exact day of submission and the proof of consultation.