Scheduling Appointments

You can schedule appointments on your own—at any time—using our online scheduler, WCOnline.

You may also call one of our offices during business hours: Lincoln Park: 773–325–4272 | Loop: 312–362–6726

Our Using the Online Writing Center introduction video includes a detailed, step-by-step demonstration of how to schedule an appointment.

  1. Log in from our website or go directly to http://depaul.mywconline.com.
  2. Select a campus (Lincoln Park or Loop) below the login box, then select “Log in.”
  3. You will be taken to the schedule for the current week, and it will show the campus that you selected when logging in. To change campuses, simply use the drop-down menu above the schedule. To change the week, use the links below the drop-down menu. The tutors available during a given time slot will have white schedule blocks in the row beside their names. You can view a tutor’s bio when you click on any white schedule block. You can also use the “Limit to” drop-down menu above the schedule to search for tutors with specific areas of expertise.
  4. Once you know the day, time, location, and tutor you would like to work with, click on the appropriate white schedule block. A new window will open, so please ensure you have pop-up blocked disabled on your browser. If there are no available appointments during the time you would like, you may select the clock button on your preferred date to add your name to the waitlist. Please note that writers on the waitlist are not automatically added to the schedule–if an appointment time opens up, all writers on the waitlist for that time will be automatically notified about the opening, but you will need to log in or call the Writing Center to schedule the appointment.
  5. Use the drop down boxes to adjust the length of your appointment, keeping in mind the required minimum and maximum appointment lengths:
    Face-to-Face Appointments: 30 minutes minimum, 2 hour maximum
    Written Feedback Appointments: 1 hour minimum, 2 hour maximum
    Online Realtime Appointments: 30 minutes minimum, 2 hour maximum
    To meet your tutor online, log back onto WCOnline and select the red link that says, “Start or Join Online Consultation” from your appointment window approximately 5 to 10 minutes before the start of your appointment.
  6. Choose an appointment type (Face-to-Face, Written Feedback, or Online Realtime) from the drop-down list.
  7. If you wish for a copy of your appointment letter to be sent to your instructor, advisor, or any third party, please indicate that on your appointment form and include their name and email address in the respective boxes.
  8. If applicable, please list the course and due date for the project you are working on.
  9. Give a detailed description of your assignment as well as a summary of your main concerns and any specific topics or areas on which you are seeking feedback. Your tutor will use this information to prepare for your tutorial. You can also attach your assignment prompt or any relevant materials after you save the appointment.
  10. Select “Save Appointment” to schedule your appointment.

Follow these steps to attach a document such as your draft, your assignment prompt/guidelines, or any other files related to your project or writing process that you think would be beneficial for your tutor to access.

Option 1: Attach a document at the time you schedule an appointment

  1. Follow the steps above to log in and schedule an appointment.
  2. Once you have saved your appointment, you should see a “Success!” message confirming your appointment. Select “click here” beneath the success message to attach a file.
  3. Complete the “Attach a File” form by selecting the “Choose File” button to find the file on your computer.
  4. Add a “Document Title” to inform your tutor what document you are attaching.
  5. Select “Upload File.”
  6. You should see a green banner stating “Your file has been attached successfully!” on the “Attach a File” window.
  7. Repeat steps 3–6 to attach additional files.
  8. When you are finished attaching files to your appointment, select “Close Window.”
  9. Confirm your file(s) has been attached by reviewing the appointment form for your appointment. Select the gold box on the schedule that indicates your appointment time, then scroll to the bottom of the appointment window to review what has been attached in the “Attached Files” section.

Option 2: Attach a document to an already scheduled appointment

  1. Log into your account.
  2. Select the yellow folder icon in the upper left corner of the page beneath the “Welcome.” A separate window will pop up labeled “Attach a File.” If you do not see a pop-up window, please check to ensure pop-up blocker is disabled on your internet browser.
  3. From the “Appointment” drop down, select which of your scheduled appointments you want to attach the file(s) to.
  4. Use the “Choose File” button to find the file on your computer.
  5. Add a “Document Title” to inform your tutor what document you are attaching.
  6. Select “Upload File.”
  7. You should see a green banner stating “Your file has been attached successfully!” on the “Attach a File” window.
  8. Repeat steps 3–7 to attach additional files.
  9. When you are finished attaching file(s) to your appointment(s), select “Close Window.”
  10. Confirm your file(s) has been attached by reviewing the appointment form for your appointment. Select the gold box on the schedule that indicates your appointment time, then scroll to the bottom of the appointment window to review what has been attached in the “Attached Files” section.

WCOnline's Waiting List feature allows writers to automatically receive an email notification or text message when an appointment has been cancelled on a given day.

If you don't see any openings on the day you want to come in, click on the clock button and

  • either click Add to Waiting List to receive an email notification
  • or enter your cell phone email address to receive a text message.

When there is a cancellation, you will be notified.

Once you receive a notification, you will need to sign back onto WCOnline and make the appointment—the Waiting List DOES NOT automatically make an appointment for you.

Appointment Policies

Writing Center Tutors aim to provide thorough feedback. Consider the following policies when determining the length of your appointment.

We’re able to work on:

  • 4 double-spaced pages per 30 minutes
  • 8 double-spaced pages per 1 hour
  • 12 double-spaced pages per 1.5 hours
  • 16 double-spaced pages per 2 hours

Writing Center Tutors need at least 1 hour for Written Feedback appointments.

If you want your tutor to review a specific part of your paper (e.g. pages 8–15 in a 20-page draft for a one-hour appointment), you’ll need to indicate the page range when you make your appointment. Otherwise, the tutor will start their review at the beginning of your document.

Time for Writing Letters

The last 5–10 minutes of every appointment will be used to allow time for tutors to write appointment letters and transition between appointments. As a writer, you will receive an appointment letter via email after every appointment so that you have a summary of your appointment as well as a reminder of possible next steps for your writing process.

Reporting Your Appointment to Others

When scheduling your appointment, you will also have the option to have a copy of your appointment letter sent to your instructor or any third party you request. Letters will be sent only at a writer’s request. If you wish for a copy of your letter to be sent to your instructor, advisor, or any third party, please include their name and email address in the respective “Instructor or Third Party” boxes when making your appointment.

Appointment scheduling policies may change during final exam weeks. These changes will be announced on the log-in page of WCOnline if applicable.