When professors approach the writing centre for help with designing or grading, they usually invite us to address the students during class time, either in a lecture, or in tutorial workshops, or both. 1 presents the typical interactions among students, professors, and LAC staff members. Professor designs course materials. LAC staff give a lecture-workshop.
Student writes assignment, hands it in.
LAC evaluates assignment. Professor returns assignment to student. No matter how much help and encouragement we offer, many students will attempt to churn out the required pages in a single push the night before the assignment is due. The writing centre does offer free half-hour consultations, but only the motivated students bother to make appointments. But experience reveals that students come to workshops without having put sufficient advance thought into their work, and instead expect to be told how to begin.