Scholarly Writing Specialist
Whether you’re developing your thesis or preparing an article for publication, strong scholarly writing is essential to your success. Our Graduate Writing Support program connects you with Dr. Cathryn Bennett, our Scholarly Writing Specialist, who offers individualized guidance to help you grow as a writer at the graduate level. Explore our services, schedule a consultation, and receive the support you need.
The Scholarly Writing Specialist can work with you on:
- Dissertations and theses
- Research papers
- Grant applications
- Reflective writing
And additional support may be available for:
- Academic presentations
- Pronunciation
- Academic CVs and cover letters
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General Appointment Information »
Scheduling Information »
Appointment Preparation »
Resources and Workshops »
Appointments
How Appointments Work
Appointments can last up to 45 minutes and begin on the hour. When you sign up for an appointment, please indicate what you wish to work on. In the appointment, your goal(s) for the session will be reviewed at the start. This gives you a chance to agree on what can be accomplished during the session.
If you bring a draft with you, you and Dr. Bennett can read it through to determine how to use the time most effectively.
Starting Your Appointment
If you have already booked an appointment through this website, you can walk into NSB 211B at your designated appointment time. If you arrive early, the office faces the graduate study area, so feel free to sit there and look over your work before the session begins.
To make the most of your time, please arrive promptly. Late arrivals may need to wait or reschedule, depending on availability.
Online Appointments
Online appointments are also available and can be selected during the booking process. See the scheduling section below.
During the Appointment
At the beginning of the session, Dr. Bennett will make suggestions and point out additional areas to work on as needed. If you are working on sentence level issues, she can help you identify patterns of errors and guide you in developing stronger editing skills.
Be sure to ask questions if anything is unclear. Remember this is your session and you should focus on areas in your work that you are most concerned with.
Long Papers/Multilingual Writers
Please be realistic about how much can be covered in one session. If you have a long paper to discuss, think about specific aspects of that assignment to work on in particular. While Dr. Bennett is trained in assisting ESL students to write in academic style, it is also important to maintain the writer’s unique voice in their research. Writing support aims to uphold linguistic justice by supporting academic success without enforcing native-like fluency.
There is a wealth of services available throughout the university to help ESL/EAP writers, including the Graduate Writing Center (GWC) and English for Professional Purposes Intercultural Center (EPPIC).
After Your Appointment
After your appointment, you may request confirmation of your session be sent to your instructor by providing your email address. Whether you’re a new or returning student, we ask that you complete a brief post-appointment survey to help us improve our services.
Scheduling
Appointments can be scheduled up to one day in advance. Same day appointments are not guaranteed.
Availability: Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. For students who are seeking an appointment outside of these times, please email with the date/time desired and a new appointment can be arranged.
In-person meetings take place in NSB: 211B, while online meetings will be scheduled over Teams.
Feel free to drop by the office on Mondays and Tuesdays, no appointment needed.
On Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, appointments are available online only for off-campus students.
Survey
Prior to your appointment, please complete the following survey. While this survey is optional, it will help me to understand the writing needs of the students here at Penn State.
Book Your Appointment
Ready to set up your appointment? Click the button below to find a time that works best for you.
Appointment Policies
- If you need to reschedule or cancel an appointment, please email in advance so that the time can be made available for another student. If you need to cancel, please do so at least 2 hours before your scheduled appointment.
- Similarly, if you know you will be late to an appointment, please email in advance with an estimated time of the appointment starting.
- Writers are limited to a maximum of 2 appointments per week. This limit helps ensure you have time to apply feedback between sessions and allow other students equal access to appointments.
- While back-to-back appointments are allowed, a session that is more than two hours can be draining for you and the Scholarly Writing Specialist. Therefore, longer sessions should be confirmed in advance.
Prepare for Your Appointment
Before Your Appointment
If you have an in-person appointment, if possible, please email your draft and assignment guidelines (including grading rubric and instructor comments, if available) prior to the session.
You may wish to bring paper to make notes, though any material that is worked on can be sent by email afterward.
Guidance for Attending the Appointment
The Scholarly Writing Specialist does not offer proofreading services. For assistance with proofreading, please visit the GWC’s proofreading/editing services.
Resources and Workshops
In addition to individual appointments, Dr. Bennett will provide academic writing workshops throughout the year. Workshops will be recorded and listed on this page. General topics will include:
- Logical progression of argument(s)
- Building a persuasive argument
- “Flow” in writing
- Academic grammar and punctuation
- Literature synthesis
- Criticality of sources
- Paraphrasing
- Writing coherently and concisely
- Types of reviews: systematic, scoping, integrative
- Comparisons/distinctions within the literature cited
