About
The HUA Center for Writing Excellence is a comprehensive service, offering writing instruction, research guidance, and academic support to all HUA students and stakeholders.
Our staff work closely with students and stakeholders from a wide range of academic backgrounds to help them meet their personal research and publication goals.
Registered students can seek an appointment with a writing tutor to work on improving their skills in academic research and writing. They can choose to brush up basic skills, seek help with a specific assignment such as a term paper, thesis proposal, or a dissertation, or learn to navigate different citation styles. They may also make use of the center’s drop-in hours as needed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Faculty members are encouraged to refer their students to the Center for assistance with writing assignments. Please remember that the end of semester is an extremely busy period; contacting the Center earlier in the year will ensure better and more hands-on tutoring from start to finish.
The Center for Writing Excellence also serves as a nursery for HUA’s publishing initiatives. Fellows of the Institute of Advanced Studies may seek assistance to develop for book proposals.
Our Services
We offer assistance with all aspects of academic writing, including:
- Researching a topic, extracting and presenting material from sources
- Selecting a thesis topic, developing an argument
- Creating a reading list
- One-on-one writing consultations
- Editing and formatting
- Discipline-specific writing support
- Mastering academic writing
- Writing for different audiences and genres
- Abstract writing; writing book reviews
- Blind-review of submissions for publication
Hours and Scheduling
The Center is open from Tuesday to Friday (20 hours a week). You may schedule a one-on-one session by emailing writing@hua.edu. Send an email stating your concerns and your expectations. Remember to attach a copy of your work. This will allow our tutors to prepare effectively for your session.
Getting Started
The best way to learn about the Center’s activities and offerings is to sign up for the next webinar. Here you will learn about topics such as how to propose a thesis, how to create a reading list, and how to format a paper and use one of the common citation styles.
Graduate Students
The Center offers students in HUA’s MA/PhD program the ability to submit their draft thesis. A tutor will read your draft and respond with detailed comments and suggestions. You may also request a one-on-one session to discuss elements of the thesis such as the abstract, the structure of the argument, chapter headings and divisions, and the bibliography.
All graduate students must schedule at least one session with the Center for Writing Excellence prior to submitting their thesis proposal. Please note that our writing tutors cannot replace your faculty advisors: thesis guidance by your dissertation director is a crucial component of graduate study. Our sessions can only help you write more effectively.