The Faculty of Graduate Studies offers dedicated writing support to assist graduate students at all levels of study. Our Graduate Academic Support Specialist offers a variety of one-on-one and group support. Graduate students can book one-on-one sessions to receive support on a particular area of their writing, receive critical feedback on a piece of writing, or review feedback they have received on a completed assignment. Student groups, staff, and faculty can book workshops that will be specially tailored to their needs. Graduate students can also join our weekly Writing Café, which provides a quiet group writing space with drop-in style writing support.
Please book only one writing support session per week to allow equal access for all graduate students. If you would like to request extra sessions, contact Danielle Morris-O’Connor directly at dmorrisoconnor@brocku.ca. Thank you!
- Focus area session
For these one-on-one support sessions, you will select an area of your writing that you wish to improve, and your session will focus on instruction and practice in this area. Focus areas include grammar, sentence structure, organization, research, referencing, and understanding assignment expectations and instructions. Sessions are 1 hour long, can be in-person or virtual, and must be booked at least 48 hours in advance. You can book a session below.
- Assignment review
For these one-on-one support sessions, you will bring a completed assignment (returned with feedback) to review. We will discuss the feedback and ways to improve your writing for future assignments, as well as practice those improvements on your completed assignment. Please note that these sessions are not an “editing service” and are only for assignments that will not be submitted again. Sessions are 1 hour long, can be in-person or virtual, and must be booked at least 48 hours in advance, with the marked assignment and assignment description attached. You can book a session below.
- Critical reads
For these one-on-one support sessions, you will receive critical feedback on a short writing sample (for example, a section of a thesis chapter) on selected areas of focus, such as writing style, use of research, citation and referencing, grammar, sentence structure, organization, and argument. Please note that these sessions are not an “editing service” and will focus on asking critical questions about your writing and noting areas for improvement. Sessions are 1 hour long, can be in-person or virtual, and must be booked at least 48 hours in advance, with the writing sample (max 5 pages) attached. You can book a session below.
Join our writing community of graduate students every Thursday from 2-4pm for writing time and support. You can join both in-person (MCD 350L) or online (a Teams link will be sent to those who RSVP at noon on the day of the event).
Every Writing Café will include dedicated quiet time for students to work on any stage of their writing (including planning, reading, and research). Our Graduate Academic Support Specialist will be available throughout for drop-in style one-on-one writing support. You can also meet and chat with other grad students during our hourly check-ins. Some Writing Cafés will have a featured resource from one of our partners across campus. They will also be on-hand for one-on-one support and may begin the Café with a short exercise or presentation related to their resource.
Free snacks and hot beverages will be provided. Check this week’s Experience BU event to RSVP to give workshop and writing exercise suggestions!
Academic writing workshops specifically for graduate students can be booked by students, staff, and faculty. If the workshop is not attached to a particular course, you are asked to provide a location (if possible) and have at least 5 participants. Workshops will be tailored to your requested needs, including topic, area of study, length, in-person/virtual, and style (from lecture-based to practice/exercise-based).
If you are a faculty member looking to book a workshop for your students, please fill out the “Order a Workshop” form through Learning Services.
If you are a student or staff, or if you have any questions, please contact the Graduate Academic Support Specialist at dmorrisoconnor@brocku.ca.
Meet Your Graduate Academic Support Specialist
Danielle recently completed her Ph.D. in English Literature at the University of Alberta. She has over 6 years of experience in teaching academic writing in a university setting, including as a primary instructor of English courses focused on critical analysis, writing, and research, for which she received the prestigious University of Alberta Graduate Student Teaching Award. Her academic journey includes experience as an international graduate student, presentations at multiple international conferences, and three published articles in academic journals. She also recently completed a project through the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of Alberta on building student and instructor wellbeing into teaching pedagogy, learning, and assessment.
When you attend a one-on-one session or workshop with our Graduate Academic Support Specialist, the Faculty of Graduate Studies collects participation data in order to 1) evaluate our services, 2) make decisions about our programming, and 3) report attendance to faculty IF attendance is mandatory for your program.
Brock University protects your privacy and your personal information. The personal information requested for this service is collected under the authority of The Brock University Act, 1964, and in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).
If you have any questions, please contact the Faculty of Graduate Studies at Brock University at (905) 688-5550, ext. 4490 or see www.brocku.ca/graduate-studies.