Skip to main content
Ontario Tech acknowledges the lands and people of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.

We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

Learn more about Indigenous Education and Cultural Services

Writing and English as an Additional Language

Writing support is available to undergraduate and graduate students at any stage of the writing process through same-day consultations, one-on-one appointments and workshops.

One-on-one Appointments

Learn more - One-on-one Appointments

Book an appointment on the Student Life Portal

Individual writing appointments

Individual 45-minute appointments with Writing Specialists and Peer Writing Tutors may be booked up to two weeks in advance.

Individual academic writing support is available both in-person and virtually via Google Meet by appointment on the Student Life Portal.  

Same-day writing appointments

Individual 30-minute same-day appointments with Writing Specialists or Peer Tutors are booked starting at 6 a.m. on the same day.

Same-day academic writing support is available both in person and virtually via Google Meet by appointment on the Student Life Portal.  

Visit the Student Life Portal to view the writing, ESL/EAL, graduate, group, and same-day calendar, and to book your appointment.

For more information, please contact studentlearning@ontariotechu.ca.

writing support praise

Writing Workshops

Learn more - Writing Workshops

Writing Specialists offer a broad range of academic writing workshops throughout the year. Writing workshops are designed to provide guidance about academic writing expectations in university.

Writing workshops are interactive, focus on specific topics and can be booked on the Student Life Portal. 

The Student Learning Centre offers both in-person and online workshops focusing on specific aspects of writing.

Cite with might: APA references and beyond
  • Format: Hybrid
  • Length: 45 minutes

This workshop will go over the basics of in-text citations, reference lists and formatting. It will also discuss strategies for responsible digital-tool usage, such as Zotero/Mendeley citation management software. It will primarily focus on APA 7 as a reference point, but will also provide an overview of some other reference and citation systems.

This workshop will provide you with multiple writing resources, accompanied by a Q&A period at the end.  

Session one: Online

Tuesday, September 26 | 1 to 1:45 p.m.

Register

Session two: In-person

Thursday, September 28 from 11 to 11:45 a.m. | Shawenjigewining Hall, Room 228

Register

Master your thesis statement: Building your argument in writing
  • Format: Hybrid
  • Length: 45 minutes

Join us to focus on crafting an argument in writing with a specific focus on building a strong thesis statement. This workshop will cover types of thesis statements (e.g., open vs. closed), claims in a thesis statement, and what makes a thesis straightforward and effective.

Together with students, our Writing Specialist will examine examples of strong vs. weak thesis statements and you’ll learn to understand how to support your thesis through your writing.

Session one: Online

Thursday, October 19 | 2 to 2:45 p.m.

Register

Session two: In-person

Tuesday, October 24 from 1 to 1:45 p.m. | Shawenjigewining Hall, Room 223

Register

Session three: In-person

Thursday, October 26 from 4 t o5 p.m. | Charles Hall, Room 219

Register

Revise and be wise: Self-editing and proofreading strategies
  • Format: Hybrid
  • Length: 45 minutes

This workshop will focus on tips, strategies and suggestions for you to become better at revising and reviewing your own work, and utilizing current technological tools. The primary focus is to encourage you to proactively revise and edit your work as part of the overall writing process.

You’ll practice with a small section of writing to revise, utilizing the strategies and tips outlined in the session.

Session one: Online

Wednesday, November 1 | 4 to 4:45 p.m.

Register

Session two: In-person

Wednesday, November 8 from 11 a.m. to Noon | Charles Hall, Room 219

Register

Session three: In-person

Thursday, November 9 from 1 to 1:45 p.m. | Shawenjigewining Hall, Room 223

Register

Professors may arrange in-class writing workshops or class visits upon request by emailing studentlearning@ontariotechu.ca.

Conversation Café

Learn more - Conversation Café

Graduate Writing Boot Camp

Learn More - Graduate Writing Boot Camp

Ted Talk Tuesdays

Learn more - Ted Talk Tuesdays

The aim of writing support sessions is to help students develop writing skills, as opposed to only proofreading completed papers. Writing and ESL Specialists can help student writers in the following areas:

  • Getting ideas
  • Grammar and sentence structure
  • Organizing ideas
  • Paraphrasing and summarizing
  • Proof reading techniques
  • Punctuation
  • Referencing and citations (APA, IEEE, MLA, etc.)
  • Revising and editing skills
  • Spelling
  • The writing process
  • Other topics as needed

 Sessions are for feedback as opposed to editing. Appointments usually allow for a few pages of writing to be reviewed (not full papers). Writing specialists seek to empower independent writers; however, we do not: 

  • Compose or re-write assignments
  • Do your work
  • Edit or proofread your papers
  • Provide assessments or challenge grades on your behalf
  • Review take-home midterms or final exams

Instead, we hope to teach you the necessary skills you need for brainstorming ideas, following the writing process, discussing genre and otherwise act as consultants for your work. Our goal is to make better writers, not better papers (North, 1984).

Graduate students are seen by writing specialists not tutors.