LSS West
Writing & Language Tutoring
All on-campus centers remain closed. Limited in-person tutoring is available in the library, by appointment only, from 10AM - 3PM on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. A wider range of tutors and hours are available virtually via Zoom.
Gain confidence and new perspectives in your own writing—from essays to applications to short stories and more.
Our tutors provide one-on-one writing tutoring to offer you reader feedback, refer you to trustworthy resources, and help you develop as a writer. We are here to assist you with any writing project, in any subject, and at any stage of the writing process, from the roughest outline to the most polished draft.
We are committed to every student's success. Read about our vision for racial equity in our Writing Center Statement on Antiracism.
ESL Tutoring
During spring 2021, ESL tutor Isaac Zhang is available for one-on-one or small group ESL tutoring on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1 to 5 pm. To schedule an appointment or receive the Zoom invite, speak with your ESL instructor or contact Isaac directly at bzhang1@spscc.edu.
Spanish Tutoring
Spanish tutor Luis Martinez is available for one-on-one or small group tutoring by appointment. To schedule a Zoom meeting, contact Luis at lmartinez-torrijos@spscc.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Our physical location in building 22 room 101 is currently closed. However, you can meet live with a tutor in our Zoom room, submit a draft for feedback to eTutoring, or schedule an in-person appointment with a tutor in the library. (During spring 2021, library tutoring hours are Tuesdays and Wednesdays 10 am - 3 pm. Appointment required.)
When you enter the Virtual Tutoring Center, you will be greeted by one of our staff members, who will ask what kind of help you need and then either schedule an appointment for later or place you in a breakout room with a tutor right away. It's that simple!
If you are attending a session in the library, simply check-in with the front desk and you will be directed to your tutor.
You can visit us through Zoom during our virtual tutoring hours, or email us at learningsupport@spscc.edu. If you email, please include in your message:
- your name
- your SID number
- the desired day and time
- the class or project you are working on
Appointments may be scheduled weeks ahead of time, and you may also choose to have recurring weekly appointments. We love working with writers more than once!
Up to two per week. Each appointment is 25 minutes long by default. If you are working on a longer project or need extra assistance, you may request a 50-minute appointment.
Appointments are recommended but not required. If you visit us in Zoom and a tutor is not already with another student, we will be happy to help you then. However, an appointment is the only way to guarantee an available tutor.
Note, too, that during busy times of the quarter—typically around midterms and before finals—our appointment schedule tends to fill up two to three days in advance. For that reason, we encourage you to schedule appointments ahead of time rather than try to schedule for the same day. As much as possible, come early and come often!
Arrive a few minutes ahead of time and bring the following:
- the assignment instructions and relevant class notes
- your questions
- your most recent draft (if you have one)
Nothing! All of the tutoring on campus is free.
Our tutors are a mix of current and former SPSCC students and qualified learning support technicians. All student writing tutors must receive a faculty recommendation and complete English 200, a 2-credit tutor training course, before applying for a position on staff.
eTutoring is a great option for you. Simply log in to eTutoring and upload an essay draft, and within 24-48 hours you will receive personalized feedback from a trained online writing tutor. Note that eTutoring sessions do not count toward your limit of two appointments per week, so you may use both eTutoring and face-to-face tutoring in the Writing Center.
You can also access useful handouts, videos, and links at our LSS Resources webpage.