FAQ
Writing Center
What is the idea behind the Writing Center?
With what it offers, the team of the Writing Center wants to do its part for the writing culture at the university. The idea is to strengthen academic and professional writing and reading. We consult students individually—in German as well as in English—and offer workshops and events such as Writing Days and the Long Night of Procrastinated Papers.
Who can take advantage of the Writing Center's offers?
All students and doctoral candidates of the LMU are welcome. Our offers for teaching staff, however, only extend to faculty of the School of Language and Literature.
What benefits do I have as teaching staff/faculty from the Writing Center?
We'd like to support your efforts to improve your students' writing expertise: with in-class workshops, our Writing Fellow Program, or short visits in your class. We have also developed a collection of methods to better integrate writing into teaching. The goal is to make papers easier—to read as well as to write!
How can I inform my students about the Writing Center's offers?
We'll gladly provide flyers and posters of the Writing Center—just send us an e-mail to schreibzentrum@lrz.uni-muenchen.de! Your students can also find all information on our website.
Do only weak students need to go to the Writing Center?
The Writing Center should not be understood as coaching for weak students—everyone can improve their writing expertise and every text can profit from feedback. Even doctoral students of all fields of study regularly make use of our office hour and the workshops offered.
Can I require my students to make use of the Writing Center?
Visiting the Writing Center should not be made a requirement. Of course we are happy if you recommend our office hours and other offers to your students. We also will gladly visit your class to promote our services ourselves.
Do students receive credit points for participating in the Writing Center's events?
Students participating in the workshops of the Writing Center will receive a certificate if requested. However, only for the SLK-classes, such as "How do I write a paper? Introduction to academic writing," do students receive credit points.
Writing & Teaching
Can I invite the Writing Center to visit my class?
We will gladly visit your class! You can book one of our in-class workshops on subjects concerning the writing process with our peer-tutors or you may invite us and we will shortly present the Writing Center and acquaint the students with our offerings.
What are in-class workshops?
In-class workshops are part of the regular class and last between 20 and 90 minutes. You decide which subject from our list concerning the writing process best fits your class. In a short call, we will discuss how exactly the workshop can be integrated into your class. Contents and duration can be adapted to your seminar's needs. Our peer tutors—experienced and trained—are glad to receive an inquiry at schreibzentrum@lrz.uni-muenchen.de.
What is the Writing Fellow Program?
Writing Fellows are experienced and trained peer tutors of the Writing Center. They support and help teachers who want to integrate writing assignments into their class and accompany you for one semester in your class. For further information, click here.
How can I integrate writing into teaching?
As part of our multiplication project "Integrating Writing into Teaching" we have developed, among others, a collection of methods to support you in the effort. With pleasure we will also meet with you and find a solution for your individual needs! Just send us an e-mail to schreibzentrum@lrz.uni-muenchen.de or call us at +49 (0)89 2180-1316.
Why should I integrate writing into teaching?
Writing is imperative for academic success, and writing expertise is often required in classes focusing on specialized knowledge in the disciplines. However, academic writing is a demanding task based on a complex process. In addition, writing always depends on the specific field of study and cannot solely be learned in interdisciplinary classes and workshops.
The integration of writing into teaching as a tool to think and learn not only enhances the students' development of the discipline's specific writing expertise, but also lends a hand in the consolidation of the class' content—and as a result leads to better papers.
Writing Consultation
How does the writing consultation work?
In a consultation, tutors support students with the elaboration and development of writing assignments at every stage. Together with the students, the tutors will discuss and try to solve questions and doubts. We recommend bringing parts of the text or a table of contents either in print or electronically with questions to the appointment or office hour. If desired and sensible (e.g. for a consultation on a dissertation project), it is also possible to mail us a part of the text (max. 10 pages) beforehand.
Who are the writing tutors?
Multiple tutors are available during our office hours and the tutor who is free at the moment will consult the students in order of arrival. For questions and concerns connected to your specific field of study, we recommend making an appointment for individual consultation so that we can provide—as far as possible—a tutor from this discipline.
Does the Writing Center offer proofreading and copyediting?
The Writing Center does not offer proofreading or copyediting for entire writing assignments. Smaller parts can be read during the consultation, yet only to "help you help yourself": to demonstrate mistakes which the students can then correct throughout the rest of the paper.
Your question is not among these?
Please send us an e-mail to schreibzentrum@lrz.uni-muenchen.de!