Interim Director’s Message

Hello, and welcome to the Writing Studio’s web page! You’ll find all you need to know about the Studio—from instructions on scheduling an appointment to tips for having a successful session to an overview on what the Studio offers Adams students.

Located in room 220 of McDaniel Hall, the Writing Studio is your one-stop hub for all things writing here at Adams. Led by Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Composition and Director of First-Year Writing, Dr. Eric D. Brown, our team of Peer Writing Consultants are dedicated to helping you with all your writing needs. We offer all Adams students free one-on-one writing consultations in a safe, relaxed, and inclusive space. And we love working with new students, so if you haven’t been to the Studio yet, you should pop by and see what we are all about!

Writing Studio sessions are dynamic and engaging conferences where students share their writing, ideas, and writerly concerns with Peer Consultants; in turn, students receive meaningful feedback on their writing, guidance for moving forward and revising, and constructive criticism on their work. While each writing consultation offers immediate feedback and guidance, Peer Consultants also provide student writers with actionable, future-oriented feedback.

Studio Overview & Goals

No matter where you are in the writing process—whether you’re brainstorming, refining your thesis, structuring your argument, fine-tuning your draft, or designing the layout of your ePortfolio—our Peer Writing Consultants have your back. Peer Consultants are your go-to partners for working through any roadblocks you may have hit during the writing process. Peer Consultants serve as thoughtful readers and trusted critics—helping you uncover the best in your own work. And while Studio sessions offer valuable support for students, they’re designed to work alongside the guidance and feedback provided by your professors, not replace it. Ultimately, our mission is to help you become a more thoughtful, active, and confident writer!

Writing Studio Contact Information:

Session Guidelines

Duration: Each consultation is typically 30 minutes long. However, students can schedule back-to-back appointments if 30 minutes is not enough time. Please be sure to arrive and leave on time. Peer Consultants often have back to back appointments, so arriving late or not ending your session in a timely manner will likely affect other students.

Preparation: To make the most of your session, bring any relevant materials, such as outliner, drafts, assignment guidelines, notes you’ve taken, and instructor feedback you’ve received. These materials will help Peer Writing Consultants better understand your assignment and its goals.

Cancellation: Please cancel appointments at least 24 hours in advance via email (writingstudio@adams.edu) and/or the Writing Studio’s Google Calendar page.

Session Scope: Peer Consultants can assist you with various composing and revising activities like brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising, document design, citation practices, and understanding instructor feedback. Further, Peer Consultants can help students to forefront more rhetorically focused concerns like audience awareness, adherence to genre conventions, and the persuasive effects of employing credible sources when making an argument, for example

Session Limits: Peer Consultants do not provide editing or proofreading services. They also will not write or rewrite paragraphs, sentences, and/or ideas for students. A Peer Consultant’s role is to guide and support the development of students’ own writing skills.

Tips for a Successful Session. The most successful sessions are the ones students are prepared for. So, make sure to bring (or have access to) your assignment sheet/prompt, as well as any relevant course materials and instructor feedback. It’s also a good idea to have a couple specific questions and/or focus areas that you want to work on with Peer Consultants.

Meet the Peer Writing Consultants

Abbie Kemper

Hi Grizzlies! My name is Abbie Kemper. I’m a third year English Secondary Education student and I’ve been working in the Writing Studio for almost the same amount of time. I’m minoring in history and work as a Teacher Aid in Fourth grade too. When I’m not doing work or school, I love reading and coloring in my free time. I love being able to help a fellow Grizzly out in the studio with a paper or just be there to talk. I hope I get the chance to work with you this semester!

Austin Dillon

Hello, Grizzlies! My name is Austin Dillon, a third-year English Secondary Education major here at Adams State. When I am not studying or working in the writing studio, you can catch me calling plays for the Del Norte Tiger boys’ basketball team! I look forward to meeting more of my peers and helping lead them towards success in writing! Hope to see you soon!

Vinton Mora

Hey Grizzlies! My name is Vinton Mora. I’m a second-year English and Theatre major here at Adams, as well as a student-athlete on our lacrosse team. When I’m not busy on the field or hitting the books, I enjoy creative writing and listening to experimental hip-hop. I’m really happy to be able to help my peers with their essays and hopefully change their minds on writing– transforming a stressful act into an enlightening one.

 

 

Studio Hours, Scheduling an Appointment, and Support

You can find the current Studio hours and the Peer Writing Consultant schedule here: Writing Studio Hours and Schedule.  While we recommend scheduling an appointment, Peer Writing Consultants (and Dr. Brown) are available for drop-in sessions (if they don’t have already scheduled appointments). You can schedule a 30 minute session on our Google Calendar page.

Library Hours

The Writing Studio will host limited drop in hours at the Nielson Library during the semester. Sessions will be held in the First Floor Seating Area of the Nielsen Library (right next to advising). Note: library hours are drop-in only (i.e., students can’t schedule an appointment for library hours). Library hours are listed here: Writing Studio Hours and Schedule

Online Sessions (for Online Students Only)

Online tutoring is provided in MST time live via Zoom, which allows you to speak directly with a tutor, share your writing and writing assignment (through screen sharing), and work collaboratively in a whiteboard space with a peer writing consultant. Please note that online sessions are available only to online students. On-campus students need to schedule in-person appointments. You can schedule an online appointment here.

We utilize Zoom, not Google Meet, for tutoring sessions. Note: the Zoom link/invite will be sent to your Adams email about 10 minutes before your scheduled appointment.

Support: Workshops & Events*

Workshops. Throughout the semester, the Writing Studio will host a few writing focused workshops on topics like thesis development, revision strategies, citation practices, writing annotated bibliographies, and so on. These workshops will be held in various locations on campus and are mini-lessons that are aimed toward students who want more structured and classroom-like support than one-on-one sessions can offer. See the link for our list* of upcoming workshops: Writing Studio Workshops & Events

Events. The Writing Studio works collaboratively with multiple entities that are interested in running student and/or public-facing writing related events, both on campus and in the greater Alamosa area. For example, the Writing Studio works with various departments on campus and often partners with and takes part in Nielsen Library events like the Night Against Procrastination and the Scribe & Vibe events. See the link for our list* of our upcoming events: Writing Studio Workshops & Events.

*Note: Events and workshops may be added throughout the semester, so check the documents linked above for updates!