CSUN’s Learning Resource Center (LRC) will continue to offer writing and tutoring services to students in fall 2010.

The center is a facility available to students who need assistance in writing, math and science. The center combines two types of labs to accommodate for the writing needs of freshman and multiple subject labs for all other undergraduate students.

These labs are available in separate rooms in Bayramian Hall. The subjects range from any area of writing to other fields such as chemistry, biology, physics, economics, philosophy and math.

The center also provides a writing program. Students schedule an appointment and meet with a tutor once a week to work on their writing skills and any necessary or due assignments. Students also have the option to walk-in but are subject to a wait if there are no available tutors, Green said.

Rashawn Green, director of the LRC said students are encouraged to make appointments at least a week in advance for any papers they would like assistance with writing. There are about 14 to 15 peer tutors in the writing lab. If students need help on an immediate basis, they are asked to schedule an appointment at least two hours in advance. This becomes really important around midterms and finals, she said.

“We strongly request that students make appointments,” said Green. “This will help them avoid waiting or worse not receiving the help they need.”

The writing center uses trained teacher assistants and part-time faculty, and both labs service a little over 400 students. said Green.

LRC also offers a multi-subject lab that receives the largest amount of students. This resource is available to students on a walk-in basis, Green said,

“The purpose of these labs is to help students be successful,” Green said. “We don’t want tutoring to have the stigma it has always had.”

Green said they try to collaboratively recruit students who may need the center’s services.

“We try to work with the professors so they may identify students in classes that may need the extra assistance and recommend the labs to their students,” Green said.

Students agree that the resource center labs are not taken advantage of and only used when necessary or mandatory.

“I was required to visit the writing lab once,” said Junior Melissa Ochoa. “But if I wasn’t required to for that class I would’ve probably never gone on my own.”

While most labs are used on an immediate basis for specific projects, Green said she hopes students will develop the study discipline to seek help before it becomes necessary.

“My appointment went well because the tutor gave me advice on how to improve the skills I already had, not highlight what my writing lacked,” Ochoa said.

Green said the purpose of these sessions is to equip students with the critical thinking to enhance the skills they already possess.

“We don’t want to discourage students,” Green said. “We are here to help.”

The Learning Resource Center is located in Bayramian Hall 408 and to schedule an appointment or to obtain more information call (818) 677-2033. Students should allow time to fill out the required paperwork associated with lab usage, Green said.

Students who need basic writing technique and development help but cannot make it to the center, can also visit the LRC website were writing tools are available.