what an SWS.online consultation is

Like our face-to-face consultations, online appointments are collaborative, student-centered conversations about writing. Unlike appointments in Nicholson, where consultants read and discuss your paper when you arrive, SWS.online consultations involve two parts:

1. You submit your writing and your specific questions electronically. The consultant whom you've chosen will read and respond to what you've written; you will “pick up” his or her response via email.
   
   

2. After you read the response, you will meet with your consultant online for a follow-up chat. In this collaborative online conversation, you and the consultant can address old or new questions, talk through revisions, and strategize about what to do next.

how to set up an SWS.online consultation

You can set up an sws.online consultation using the SWS.online submission form.

Note: SWS.online works best in Firefox,
a browser that is free to download.
If you do not have Firefox, you may experience interruptions in your chat.

what you’ll need for online submission

• a text file of your document
• any directions your instructor has given you for the assignment, including assignment sheets, your syllabus, and in-class notes
• your specific questions for the consultant
• your personal calendar for scheduling the online chat follow-up

what to expect after you’ve submitted your work

• You will receive an email when your consultant has read and responded to your paper and questions. You can assume that the consultant spent about 45 minutes reading and responding.
• This email will contain two links: one where you can “pick up” your document, and another you can follow to join the online chat follow-up.
• Most online chat follow-ups last about 45 minutes.
• The consultant will ask you questions about your concerns and what you've written/thought about so far on your paper or project.
• The consultant will discuss with you strengths in your writing and areas for improvement.
• The consultant’s goal is to help you develop writing strategies to apply to this particular paper/project and future work.

Look at our policies document (a pdf) to learn more about what to expect and how to get the most from your work with a writing consultant.