| Writing Center

WRITING CENTER

The Rocky Vista University Writing Center assists writers in the development of effective written communication, assignments, and professional documents, offering guidance from start to finish—from brainstorming and outlining to revising and editing. Through audience- and genre-centered instruction, specific feedback, and access to resources, the RVU Writing supports faculty and students alike.

Mission

The RVU Writing Center employs collaborative discussion and writing instruction to guide writers through all stages of the writing process and to equip writers from all backgrounds with the agency and writing skills necessary to enhance their careers and lives.

Values

Writing as a means to communicate, advocate, and understand ourselves and the world.
The autonomy that comes from education and empowerment of students.
Collaboration with students and faculty to improve writers, not simply writing.
Respect for students, faculty, and the writing process, which develops through practice and commitment.
Diverse ideas and the impact of individual life experiences on one’s perspective.
Dedication to achieving excellence in all aspects of writing.

Vision

Facilitating achievement of competencies related to attitudes, skills, knowledge, and behavior
Leading the way in osteopathic medicine curriculum in writing incorporation and assessment

Meet the Writing Center Staff

Alexis Marosi Horst, MA
Writing Center Manager

Alexis grew up in Michigan before moving to California and completing her Bachelor of Arts degree in English at San Diego State University. In 2009, she moved to Colorado and earned her Master of Arts degree in Literature at CU Denver. While at CU, Alexis began working at the writing center at the Anschutz Medical Campus where she discovered her love for working with health science students. She joined RVU in 2016 and seeks to help students gain familiarity and confidence with the writing process. Outside of writing centers, she enjoys camping, paddle boarding, and hiking.

Hope Ruskaup, MFA
Writing Center Coordinator

Hope completed her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature at the University of Colorado Boulder where her focus was namely on globalization studies. During this time, she also served as the Editor in Chief for the University of Colorado Honors Journal whose principal goal was interdisciplinarity. Hope went on to earn her Master of Fine Arts in Poetry from the University of Montana where she continued to work in publishing while serving as an editor for the university's literary journal, Cutbank. Hope remains an avid reader and is familiar with many modes and styles of writing.

Schedule an Appointment Below

The Writing Center offers two versions of writing support: Asynchronous, email-only feedback + real time, synchronous meetings.

For asynchronous, emailed feedback, students can schedule timeslots for their writing to be reviewed on the email-only feedback schedule. We ask that students allow four business days for emailed feedback.

Synchronous Writing Center services are available online (virtual) or in-person on the Colorado campus, in the Frank Ritchel Ames Memorial Library, room L103. Appointments can be scheduled in either 30-minute or 60-minute increments. Students are limited to 60 minutes of WC appointments per day. Real time, virtual or in-person meetings can be scheduled on the synchronous meetings schedule.

To access your virtual synchronous appointment, login to WCOnline, navigate to your appointment, open the pop-up window, and click “Start or Join Online Consultation.”

Appointments are all in Mountain Time, regardless of where you are when you schedule the appointment. Please plan accordingly. All services are accessible and will be facilitated through WCOnline.

First visit? Register for an account.

Returning? Log in below.

What to Expect

Students

1-on-1 or small-group meetings
30–60-minute appointments
Writing instruction to apply to future texts
Access to resources designed to enhance learning and understanding
Specific feedback on the text
- Audience and genre-centered instruction
- Focus on higher-order concerns like analysis, organization, synthesis
- Lessons on lower-order concerns: grammar, punctuation, proofreading

Faculty

Individual appointments for assistance with grants, publications, abstracts, and responding to student writing
Guidance on crafting writing assignments for comprehension, reflection, communication, and professional development culminating in portfolio development
Support with:
- Developing the necessary components in a writing assignment/assessment
- Incorporating written components across the COM, MSBS, and PA curriculum
- Scaffolding writing assignments
- Creating effective rubrics and methods for writing assessment

Writing Guides

Do I need an appointment?

To keep things running smoothly, the Writing Center operates on an appointment system. You can schedule an appointment by going to https://mywco.com/rvu

I don’t have anything written yet; should I cancel my appointment?

The Writing Center can help at all stages of the writing process, whether you’ve got a solid draft or are still in the brainstorming stage. Plan on bringing any notes, feedback, or ideas you’d like to incorporate into your writing.

I have class during all the available appointments; how can I get help?

If you are unable to attend a face-to-face session but you still want your paper reviewed, your best option is to schedule a timeslot on our email-only feedback schedule. This will reserve time to have your paper looked at even though you aren’t available. After your appointment, you will receive an update to your appointment. The update will include your paper with comments and explanations.

What’s the best way to improve my writing?

In short, practice! Good writers aren’t born that way; writing is a skill that can be developed and improved with practice. Reading a lot is also a great way to get familiar with what good writing looks (and reads) like. The Writing Center has many resources available to students: books to check out, handouts to refer to, and example papers from different genres. Students looking for general writing tips are also encouraged to bring in old writing to sessions to get tailored, specific feedback and instruction.

I have some writing I’d like to work on, but it’s not for an assignment; can I visit the Writing Center?

Absolutely! The Writing Center is available to help with all types of writing, whether that is personal communication, professional documents, or creative writing done for fun. Students and faculty should feel free to bring in any writing they want feedback on, regardless of the impetus for writing.

Why should health science students care about writing?

From a professional standpoint, writing skills are necessary to obtain grant funding, propose and publish research, and even communicate with patients and office personnel via emails and memos. Writing is also a knowledge-transforming activity; to write well about a topic, students need to really understand it, and the writing process itself helps students to engage in metacognition and transformative learning. Reflective writing promotes lifelong learning, helps curb burnout, and improves professionalism and patient care. Additionally, because most medical students’ undergraduate careers do little to provide them with writing instruction and practice, students who don’t engage with writing during medical school may never develop the skills they need to communicate or reflect in a meaningful way. Writing, like any other skill, must be developed and maintained with practice and support. Traditionally, students with a biology/premed background weren’t assigned much, or any, writing in their undergraduate careers. Fortunately, good writing comes from good practice; the Writing Center is here to empower students to communicate effectively.