Reading & Writing Center

• Click here to make an appointment in 218 Parenzo with a professional consultant.
• For a drop-in appointment with a peer writing tutor, visit Ely Library Mon, Tues, or Wed 6-9 p.m. in the Reference Section.
• If these times do not work for you, text 413-459-1151 to schedule a meeting with a peer tutor. When texting for an appointment please indicate when your paper is due and when you are available to meet.

The Reading and Writing Center helps students, staff, and faculty at Westfield State University further develop their understanding of reading, writing, and critical thinking. Whether you're tackling a biology textbook, preparing to take the Massachusetts teacher certification exam (MTEL), trying to understand Shakespeare's diction, beginning an essay, polishing a resume, or writing a personal statement for graduate school, come see us. Our staff of professional consultants and peer tutors look forward to working with you.

While the Center helps students work on particular assignments, our mission is to make students become better readers, thinkers, and writers.  Therefore, the Center helps students further develop reading comprehension and learning strategies. We teach students to respond critically to texts and other sources of information.

We teach the entire writing process, including rhetorical analysis, preparation and invention, research, research question and thesis development, organization, drafting, revision, and editing for grammar and punctuation. We teach students how to write clearly, precisely, engagingly, and thoughtfully.

The Center also provides faculty and staff with the training and the resources necessary to make more effective use of reading and writing in the classroom.

The Center dedicates itself to making Westfield State University a campus committed in principle and practice to reading, writing, and critical thinking in the belief that these abilities are fundamental to life-long learning and success.

Interim Director: Beverly Army Williams, bwilliams@westfield.ma.edu

Professional Consultants: Katy Milford, Lydia Peterson, and Josephine Polnack

Peer Writing Tutors: Kaela Lucarelli (Major: Social Work), Caitlin Power (Major: Business and Management; Minor: English), Cameron Rodak (Major: History), Karissa St. Pierre (English)