Commas, periods, MLA style, thesis statements and paper focuses. Every college student has to write papers for classes. But some just don’t know where to begin.

But that’s where the Writing Center, which has been offering help to students for 40 years, steps in. And now, the center has expanded its services even further.

Along with operating in Satterfield Hall, it also has three satellite locations. Additional tutors are located in the Tri-Towers lounge on Sundays from 7 to 9 p.m.; the Library Information Commons Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m.; and the Student Multicultural Center Mondays from noon to 1 p.m.

During each 45-minute tutoring session, a student is asked about the assignment and what he or she is trying to accomplish. The student will be asked to read the paper out loud while the tutor takes notes on a separate sheet of paper. The tutor then finds out what concerns the student has about his or her paper and offers help and suggestions on how to fix it.

Along with the additional tutoring locations, the Writing Center is also in the process of relocating to a 3,000 square foot space on the fourth floor of the library. Geraldine Winter, assistant writing program coordinator, said the new area will have computers, offices and a desk to take appointments. She said the place where it is now is crowded, noisy and not very inviting.

Writing Center Director Jeanne Smith said the center, though located in Satterfield Hall, serves the entire university and not just the English department. In the fall semesters, it usually services 1,600 appointments, around 100 per week.

It is not certain when the Writing Center will be moving to the library, but plans are underway.

“We’re going to move to a much bigger house,” Smith said.

Contact College of Arts & Sciences reporter Christina Stafford at [email protected].