Writing Center

Questions? Contact Us.

Writing Center
Dodie Forrest
Writing Center Director
DForrest@yvc.edu

Yakima Writing Center
Glenn Anthon, Building #4
Rooms 125B and 177
509-574-4829

Grandview Writing Center
Grandview Main, Building #56
Room L101
509-882-7055

Writing Center

The Writing Center — on the Yakima and Grandview campuses — is a resource for YV​C students and faculty. Our primary purpose is to guide students to become better writers in a college setting.

The mission of YVC​’s two Writing Centers is to provide writing support to student writers at all levels of experience and writing skills across the curriculum.

We believe that learning to write well means sharing your writing with others. That’s why the Yakima and Grandview Writing Centers exist—to help you become a better writer by spending time with you on your writing projects. Because we support your thinking and writing, we will not write your papers for you, correct errors, or polish sentences. Instead, we listen to your writing concerns, show you ways to get started, ask questions, offer suggestions and encouragement, and in general help you pay attention to your thoughts as they develop on the page.

  • Help you decipher your assignment and start brainstorming ideas
  • Listen to your ideas and help you start writing
  • Check the focus of your paper to see if it matches the assignment criteria
  • Show you ways to organize and develop your ideas
  • Offer suggestions and encouragement during revisions
  • Help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your paper
  • Help throughout the entire writing process, from brainstorming to drafting and final drafts
  • Welcome writers from all backgrounds and of all skill levels
  • Read, listen, and talk with you about your work in all stages of the writing process from gathering ideas, to drafting, revising, and editing
  • Discuss writing strategies
  • Answer questions about spelling, punctuation, and grammar
  • Show you how to proofread and correct errors
  • Respect your decisions about what to change in your writing projects

  • Edit your paper for you
  • Discuss grades or suggest a grade for a piece of writing
  • Correct your papers or do the writing for you
  • Take ownership of your paper (you are the writer and ultimately in control of your paper’s outcome)
  • Pretend to be the experts of your writing—that is your role
  • Pretend to be experts in biology, history, psychology, nursing, nutrition, and so on—that is your instructor’s role


Modes of Writing Assistance

The Yakima and Grandview Writing Centers (Glenn Anthon 125, Building #4 / Grandview Main, Building #56) are open for drop-in consultations. Please scroll down for specific hours.

For quick questions, our staff is also available by email at wcenter@yvcc.edu and by phone at 509.574.4829 (Yakima) or 509.882.7055 (Grandview).

First off, use the friendly Writing Center space to write, study, meet with your study group, and/or get assistance with your writing projects

If you need writing assistance:

  • Remember that the sooner you come to the center after getting your assignment, the more time you will have to develop your ideas.
  • Bring your assignment sheet.
  • Bring a draft, if you have one.
  • Bring specific questions, ideas, or concerns.
  • Be prepared to get to work on brainstorming your ideas or your draft.
  • Feel free to use our helpful handbooks and handouts, even when you aren’t working with a tutor.
  • Visit often. Stay as long as you like. Good writers go through several drafts before producing their final papers.
  • Receive feedback multiple times while you work on your paper or project.

Schedule a Writing Center Zoom tutor appointment time. Once you’ve booked an appointment in an available slot, you will receive an email with a Zoom meeting link for the appropriate day and time. Note: appointments cannot be booked less than four hours in advance of the appointment. Please plan accordingly.

Email writing assistance allows you to receive feedback on your work when you can’t make it to one of the centers during our regular hours. If you prefer to receive writing assistance via email, please fill out and submit this form, and we will respond with feedback within two business days.

This service is intended for the use of YVC students only — Thank you!

We are a learning service, not an “editing” service, and will not correct your work for you.

Please allow two business days for our response.

Ask specific questions or direct us to specific areas in your draft, or you may ask a general question if you don’t have a draft yet.

Here are some examples of the kinds of questions you could ask:

  • Do my ideas seem to be in order? Are they organized?
  • Is my introduction interesting?
  • Does this part make sense? (point us to a specific paragraph or paragraphs)
  • Is my thesis clear? What is a thesis, anyway?
  • Do I have a main point? What is it?
  • I have been told I write a lot of run-ons. Do you see any run-on sentences? or How can I correct them?
  • Am I citing my sources correctly? Our instructor wants us to use MLA (or APA?) format.
  • Am I using semicolons correctly?


Writing Center Hours

  • Monday – Wednesday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  • Thursday: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  • Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

  • Monday – Wednesday: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
  • Thursday: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
  • Friday: CLOSED

  • Monday – Wednesday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  • Thursday: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  • Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

 

Book A Zoom Consultation


Writing Center 101


Handouts & Helpful Videos


English 085 & 185 Information

English 085, Writing Workshop (1 – 2 credits)

Whether you are taking other English courses or not, you can sharpen your writing and thinking skills in this class. The course guides students through writing assignments (either those from other classes, or ones that we provide to you) and other related work from any or all of your classes.

In the workshop you will get individual assistance from consultants at the center who will coach you in the process of writing, from start to finish. Consultants will show you strategies for gathering ideas, drafting, organizing, and revising your work, as well as how to view grammar “errors” as opportunities to learn.

The workshop also offers guidance in critical reading strategies and provides a place where students can ask questions about academic language and expectations.

You can register for one or two credits. Meeting times are arranged between you and the Center. English 085 is graded on an S/F basis and can be repeated as many times as you like.

English 185, Writing Consultant (1 – 3 credits)

If you enjoy writing or you are anticipating a career as a teacher or writer, or both, then this course offers you a chance to share your knowledge about writing with your peers.

In the Writing Consultant course, you will learn how to conduct successful consultations, offer feedback, and determine the effectiveness of tutoring strategies. Writing Consultants in English 185 meet individually with student writers from all disciplines.

You can register for one to three credits. Hours are arranged.

Prerequisite: a minimum grade of B+ in English 101 and permission of the Writing Center’s director.

Writing Consultant Application

Faculty Student nomination Form


The Writing Center Staff

Name Job Title Email
Dodie Forrest Writing Center Director - Yakima Campus DForrest@yvcc.edu
Joshua Swayne Writing Center Coordinator - Yakima Campus JSwayne@yvcc.edu
Johnny Roger Schofield Writing Center Coordinator - Yakima Campus JSchofield@yvcc.edu
Jordan LaMay Writing Center Coordinator - Grandview Campus JLaMay@yvcc.edu

 

Peer Consultants
Taylor Hershberger - Yakima
Morgan McCann - Yakima
Karime Estrada - Yakima
Christy Hankins - Yakima
Sol Hernandez - Yakima
Rilla Roberts - Grandview
Karla Alvarez Gonzalez - Grandview