New resource helps GU students improve their writing skills

Published: October 06, 2023

Author: Dave Bell

Imagine that you have a paper to write, but every time you start, you end up staring at a blank laptop screen. Your mind churns, your fingers freeze, and your screen remains vacant. It’s a classic case of writer’s block.

Or perhaps you struggle with confidence in your writing abilities. Negative self-talk and lingering comments by former teachers keep playing in your head, asserting that you're not a good writer.

Whatever your writing challenges, help is available at the recently launched Greenville University Writing Center.

“The Writing Center is a resource that works with all enrolled students to develop core literacy skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking,” said Kathy Ice, the center’s director, pictured at left in the photo above. “We’re not a copy-editing service. Instead, we coach students through the process. We want to help them develop their writing skills and be proud of what they’ve created.”

Ice comes to Greenville University with a bachelor’s degree in print journalism and a master’s degree in English, both from Eastern Illinois University. She had a career as a public affairs officer in the U.S. Air Force and recently served two years as a writing consultant back at EIU.

“As I’ve worked in other writing centers, I’ve found that the most valuable thing I can do for students is to talk them through the writing process,” Ice said. “Often, they have the tools, but they need help to organize their ideas and get them down on paper.”

Providing that assistance at The Writing Center is graduate assistant Emily Penfold, a GU alum who received a bachelor’s degree in Spanish Education in 2020, served as a student teacher of high school Spanish for a year, and is currently working on a master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language.

“My goal is to help students be successful at each stage of the writing process – from brainstorming, to the first draft, to revisions, and through the final draft,” said Penfold, who is shown working with a student in the above photo. “If we can help them be successful at each stage, it gives them confidence and takes the scariness out of the process.”

The Writing Center, located in Room 230 on the main floor of the Ruby E. Dare Library, is open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Appointments last 30 minutes and can be scheduled in advance by emailing the center at writingcenter@greenville.edu. Walk-ins will be accepted if time is available, but appointments are preferred.

“What we do at The Writing Center is different than what is offered by academic tutors,” Ice said. “Tutors are more assignment-based, working with students in a specific subject area. We, on the other hand, focus on core writing skills that apply to all areas of higher education.”