The Graduate Writing Center

Our Mission

The Graduate Writing Center seeks to empower graduate students at MIIS by providing them with useful, immediate takeaways from our tutoring sessions while supporting them with tools and suggestions to independently improve their own academic and professional skills. We assist writers of all disciplines and of all language backgrounds to strengthen their academic skills. We support student writers in recognizing their own strengths and challenges throughout the writing process in order to promote reflection and professional development.

Hours

• We are open during fall and spring semesters.
• Evening and weekend appointments are available.

Tutoring Sessions

• We have both on-site (in Monterey) and online (by Zoom) tutoring sessions available.  When you make your appointment, let us know which you prefer.
• During a tutoring session, you will have 50 minutes with your tutor to discuss your topic/assignment. Our tutors will ask you questions about your writing goals and concerns and guide you through the process.
• You can ask for help from our tutors on a variety of scholarly and professional genres. These might range from your academic course work (e.g., research papers, analytical essays, policy memos) to more professional products such as conference submissions, op-eds, grant proposals, journal articles, presentations, blog posts, etc.
• Tutors help you brainstorm ideas, compose outlines, structure your paper, and adhere to stylistic conventions of their field (e.g., MLA, APA, or Chicago).
• Your session focuses on you and your needs. The writing tutors are committed to helping you become a better writer, and this means that they are not going to “fix” your paper, but will help give you the tools to do so.

Appointments 

• The GWC runs on appointments and does not have drop-in hours available. Book an appointment here using your MIIS/Middlebury e-mail address for your one-on-one session.
• We have both on-site (in Monterey) and online (by Zoom) appointments available.  When you book your appointment, let us know which you prefer.
• Please let your tutor know what you would like to talk to them about when you make your appointment, so they can prepare in advance.
• If you’d like your tutor to review a draft/assignment with you, please e-mail your product to your tutor at least 24 hours before your appointment so that they have time to read your paper. Don’t worry if a draft is not “perfect” or “finished.” Send it along anyway; that’s what we are here for!
• Once an appointment is made through the system, you will receive a confirmation email about your appointment. Our tutors will also get in touch with you to request your paper and make the necessary arrangements if your appointment will be held on Zoom. 
• Please make only ONE appointment at a time, in order to leave appointment availability for other students.  After you meet with your tutor, you can make a follow-up appointment if needed.
• If you think you won’t be able to make it to your appointment, please make sure you cancel it within no less than 24-hours’ notice to avoid a late cancellation/no-show penalty. You can cancel your appointment by following the instructions on the appointment confirmation e-mail.

Workshops

The GWC will offer workshops throughout the semester.  We try to offer them during the Community Hour timeslot on Tuesdays (12-2 PST).  Please check MiCommunity for announcements of details and times!

Upcoming Workshops

Tuesday, Sept 26   Time Management (hosted by Student Services)

Tuesday, Oct 3       Using ChatGPT  (12:15 PST)

Thursday, Oct 5     Graduate Study Skills (hosted by Student Services)

Tuesday, Oct 10     Data Visualization (12:15 PST)

Previous Workshops

Watch the Academic Integrity Workshop here. (Passcode: w+7Y6RRr)

Watch the Zotero Workshop here. 

Watch the Academic Presentations Workshop here.

Writing Resources

Here are some links to good writing resources that may be helpful:

Purdue Online Writing Lab: Resources for subject-specific writing, preparing job materials, and style guides (APA, MLA, Chicago)

The Writing Center at UNC, Chapel Hill: Resources for different genres of writing, as well as for various aspects of the writing process (e.g., procrastination, reorganizing, flow)

Contact Us

If you have any questions, please contact us at writingcenter@middlebury.edu.

Meet Our Tutors

Syed Ali Zia Jaffery

Ali is a student at the Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies program. He is also Deputy Director of the Center for Security, Strategy and Policy Research, University of Lahore, and Associate Editor of Pakistan Politico Ali was a Visiting Fellow at the Stimson Center, Washington, D.C. Ali regularly writes on strategic issues for national and international publications, to include Routledge, South Asian Voices , The National Interest, The Atlantic Council, CSIS, Daily Times, and The News, among others. Ali is an alumnus of Woodrow Wilson Center’s Nuclear Proliferation History Project Nuclear History Boot Camp. His research interests lie in the fields of nuclear deterrence, strategic stability, and geopolitics. He taught undergraduate level courses on foreign policy, national security, arms control& disarmament, and non-proliferation for 5 years.

Shenny (Xiaoyu) Cai

Shenny is a second-year graduate student in the Translation and Localization Management program at MIIS. Currently, she serves as the Program Manager of Translators for Elders, a non-profit language service provider (LSP). She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Linguistics and Spanish, with a minor in Italian, from UC Davis. During her undergraduate studies, she tutored in Chinese, Spanish, and Italian. Additionally, she has experience in academic writing, including research papers, journals, literature reviews, personal statements, and persuasive essays. Outside of work, she enjoys walking her corgi, planting succulents, and watching stand-up comedy shows.