Mission & Philosophy

The Writing Den aims to facilitate an interactive and productive tutoring environment for first-year composition students by providing quality tutors who promote critical thinking, encouragement, and strive for excellence. Furthermore, the Writing Den’s efforts are also aimed at growing student confidence and self-sufficiency by advocating student resourcefulness and ownership of their own writing.  

Our philosophy centers on the metaphor of “heavy lifting.”  In other words, we expect students to do all the “heavy lifting” when it comes to their own writing.  As tutors, we provide the guidance, advice, and resources, so the student can do the “heavy lifting” while developing the mental muscle needed to make them stronger writers, furthering the Writing Den’s focus on student self-sufficiency and ownership. We hope that students will remember and carry the Writing Den experience with them throughout their college careers and beyond.