Online Writing Center

Hours

Drafts may be submitted 24/7 using the Request Tutoring link under the policies below. A maximum of 10 pages will be reviewed per draft (the first 9 pages and the first references/bibliography page).

For targeted reviews where you choose only one aspect of tutor focus, feedback will be given within 24 hours from the time of submission.

For full reviews, feedback will be given within 48 hours from the time of submission.

NOTE: You may submit a paper of any length, but the tutor will only review the first 9 pages and the first references/bibliography page. The first 9 pages will include any front matter you submit (title page, TOC, abstract, etc.). Please apply your tutor’s feedback on the first 9 pages to the rest of your draft.

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Policies

One draft review is permitted per assignment, whether a targeted or full review. Drafts already containing comments and drafts written for previous terms will not be reviewed. Already graded papers will not be reviewed without prior permission from the instructor to the Online Writing Center (OWC). Mid-term and final exams will also not be reviewed. Tutors will only review 9 pages and the first reference page of longer drafts submitted at any point during any term. In keeping with the OWC’s ‘no editing’ policy, end-of-program projects and any sections of such projects will not be reviewed. Students working on end-of-program projects should contact their departments or search online for qualified editors.

Group projects may only be submitted if the student clearly identifies the portion that he or she has written. In keeping with the OWC’s mission of improving an individual’s writing skills, each student will receive a review only of the section identified as his or her own.

Audio/Visual projects such as PowerPoint slides or transcripts, Infographics, video transcripts, or any other audio/visual scripts or images will not be reviewed. In accordance with our mission to improve academic writing skills, only papers and essays and their stages of development will be reviewed.

End-of-program projects: End-of-program projects and any sections of such projects will not be reviewed. Students working on end-of-program projects should contact their departments or search online for qualified editors.

An “end-of-program project” refers to the final written project of any program and any parts written in the immediate classes leading up to submission and/or defense of said project, including but not limited to dissertations, theses, and final case studies. Such final projects often but not always include a prospectus or proposal, a literature review, methodology, results, analysis, and discussion and must conform to final project formatting provided by the department.

Editing and plagiarism disclaimers: OWC tutors will not edit papers or point out every single error but will note patterns of error and provide instruction, explanations, examples, and links to resources. OWC staff may not be held responsible for recognizing plagiarism or interpreting Turnitin scores but will note any improper citations, documentation, or formatting.

Request Tutoring

After you have requested tutoring, open the OWC  tracker in myLU to view your tutoring requests from submission to completion.

The Skype appointments option allows you to set an appointment with a tutor to discuss one Microsoft Word draft in real-time via Skype. Please review the policies under “Draft Review” above as to what types of drafts will and will not be reviewed, as they also apply to Skype appointments.

Before submitting a Skype appointment request, be sure to download the latest version of Skype and set up a new account if you have not already done so, as you will need to note your assigned Skype username on the request form. Please review this brief tutorial on how to locate your unique Skype username before you open the request form—your unique username is NOT your own name.

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Hours

Requests for appointments may be submitted 24/7 using the Request Tutoring link under the policies below. Skype appointments must be made 2 days in advance and must fall between 8 a.m. and midnight, Eastern Time. If you are in another time zone, you are responsible for calculating your own local appointment time.

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Policies

Skype appointments may be made for a maximum of 1 hour per day 3 times per week and require a headset or microphone and speakers. The more available dates and times you provide, the more likely you will be to get an appointment. You must attach to your Skype appointment request form a draft of the document you want to discuss with your tutor (a thesis statement, research question, outline, discussion board post, rough draft, etc., which you yourself have written) by the time of your appointment or your appointment will be canceled. Use the link in your confirmation email from the OWC to access your request form and revise the attachment up to an hour before your appointment. 

*Please note: Make sure that the device you use for your appointment can display your draft and allow you to make edits while speaking with your tutor during the session (smartphones will not suffice).

Please be respectful of your tutor’s time and cancel the request prior to the appointment time if you cannot make it. To cancel a request, click “cancel” at the bottom of your request form.

• Before the appointment, download and install the latest version of Skype. Use no other version. Make sure your Internet connection is strong, incoming and outgoing audio is fully functional, and Skype privacy settings allow all users to contact you. Make sure you will not be interrupted, are in a quiet environment with no distractions, and have prepared questions and concerns about your paper to discuss with your tutor.
• During the appointment, make sure you take notes, make changes to your draft, type tutor suggestions on your draft, and/or use an app to record the session.
• After the appointment, you will receive your draft back with general comments summarizing points of discussion and/or links to recommended resources rather than specific explanations and instruction.

Request Tutoring

After you have requested tutoring, open the OWC tracker in myLU to view your tutoring requests from submission to completion.

Writing styles and general resources are located in the Academic Success Center. For APA 7^th edition questions, please see the “APA Formatting” link below. For a complete list of the writing styles in one place please visit the online writing styles guides page.

Writing Styles

• Turabian Formatting
• AMA Formatting
• APA Formatting
• MLA Formatting
• Bluebook Resources

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General Resources

• Writing Aids

Our Facebook Group offers weekly encouragement and writing tips. We will also keep you updated on new resources, services, and rare site issues.

GRST 500/501 are now 2 separate courses designed to be taken in conjunction with at least 1 other course, created to equip you with the organization and revision skills necessary to produce good graduate-level writing. They do not require purchasing a separate textbook (textbooks are integrated into each course and course fee) and have a pass/fail format to give students a low-stress and low-pressure educational experience.

• GRST 500: “Introduction to Graduate Writing” is an optional course for online graduate students who may or may not be accepted on caution and are apprehensive about future graduate-level writing assignments. Strongly recommended but not required for graduate students accepted on caution. The course fee is a flat $125.
• GRST 501: “Graduate Success Strategies” is an extremely beneficial required course for all online graduate students who are placed on Academic Warning or Probation. It is geared toward helping students obtain the mindset, support resources, and writing skills to succeed both in academics and life. The course fee is a flat $125.

What are these courses like?

GRST 500 and 501, designed to be taken in conjunction with at least 1 other course, are 8-week courses created primarily to equip you with the organization and revision skills necessary to produce good graduate-level writing. In addition to their reduced cost, these courses differ from other Liberty online courses in a variety of ways:

• GRST 500/501 provides instruction and feedback — from both the course instructor and a writing tutor — on a paper of your choice, selected from any other course you are taking that same term.
• Because of its pass/fail format, GRST 500/501 is a low-stress, low-pressure educational experience and will not affect your GPA. As long as you complete all work and show significant improvement between your rough and final drafts, you will pass the class and add a graduate-level writing course to your official transcript.
• Finally, GRST 500/501 are courses from which you will reap long-term benefits according to the level of effort you put into the class. The course may merely be helpful instruction that introduces you to the type of writing expected in graduate-level course work or, if given your best effort, can permanently improve your writing skills.

What is the bottom line?

For only the flat course fee cost mentioned above, you will receive guided instruction and feedback on a writing project of your choice from another class, the chance to develop organization and revision skills needed for future assignments, and a graduate-level writing course on your official transcript. If you are apprehensive about future writing projects, please take advantage of this unique opportunity by enrolling in GRST 500 along with your other courses in one of your earlier terms.

How do I register for GRST 500 or 501?

If you are placed on Academic Warning, you will automatically be enrolled in GRST 501, and if you do not pass the course the first time you take it, you will automatically be re-enrolled in a subsequent term and charged another flat course fee.

If you are NOT a student on Academic Warning, simply register for GRST 500 through ASIST as you would any other course. Select “Graduate Studies” (GRST) 500 as the subject in the course lookup feature when you go to register through ASIST, and be sure to select “online” as the instructional method.

GRST 500/501 Writing Textbook

Reviewed Paper

To access your reviewed paper, click the link to your completed request in your notification email and locate the document next to “Tutor Revised Copy.” Click on the paper clip to the left of the document box then click the small gray paper clip that appears to select “download” and access your paper. You may need to adjust your pop-up blocker or hold down the ctrl button to download your reviewed paper. 

Tutor’s Comments

To read the tutor’s comments on your paper, click on each individual comment. This will automatically highlight the word, punctuation, or phrase to which the comment is attached so you can easily understand the tutor’s advice.

If tutor comments do not appear to be visible, double-check whether “All Markup” is selected in the drop-down menu under the Review tab’s tracking options and that all items are checked under the “Show Markup” drop-down menu.

Problems connecting to the request form?

• Any operating system older than Windows XP will not work with the request form.
• Try entering your entire email address as your username, including @liberty.edu.
• Try clearing your browser’s cookies and cache, closing your browser, and restarting.
• Try using different browsers such as Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox.
• If you are trying to access the form from a place of business or from an institution-owned laptop, there may be a network firewall preventing your access. If so, speak with your IT personnel or log in from a personal device or location.
• If none of the methods above work, please contact Helpdesk at (866) 447-2869.