Welcome
The Hixon Writing Center (HWC) at Caltech supports academic writers through one-to-one tutoring, resources, workshops, and events. We believe writing is a mode of discovery and learning as well as a tool for communication, and thus strong writing skills are fundamental to learning, creating new knowledge, and sharing that knowledge. We support writers across all academic disciplines, and we help writers negotiate the ways discipline, genre, and audience affect academic communication.
We are located on the third floor of the Center for Student Services (Bldg. 86), at the north end of the building.
Supporting Undergraduates
The HWC’s primary mission is to support undergraduates in
the writing they do in courses, in their research, and beyond. Our peer and
professional tutoring offers writers the ability to talk with a trained reader who
can offer feedback and support, whether you’re just getting started or
finishing up a project. Peer Tutors are undergrads who have been
trained by Caltech faculty to be writing tutors. We have two types of
professional tutors—Generalist Writing Specialists have advanced knowledge of
the humanities, and STEM Writing Specialists focus on STEM writing. Visit our Tutoring page to learn more about drop-in tutoring with peer tutors and tutoring-by-appointment with writing specialists.
We also lead group workshops and presentations in support of specific courses and on topics of student interest. Additionally, our website contains many print and video resources on academic writing that will be useful to undergrads.
Supporting Graduate Students and Postdocs
We know the stakes are high for the writing that graduate
students and postdocs do, and our staff of professional tutors is available to
support you in that work. Our Generalist Writing Specialists are well-equipped
to help you make sure your writing is clear and correct and to help you
understand key principles of academic argumentation. Our STEM Writing
Specialists, who have Ph.D. degrees in STEM fields, are experts in the specific
types and styles of communication used in STEM. Appointments are available via
the Writing Center Scheduler link in access.caltech.edu.
Grads and postdocs will also find some useful resources about scientific and technical writing on our website.
Supporting Faculty
We also provide resources for faculty interested in developing their use of student writing in the classroom. Our website contains useful language for your syllabus about the HWC, collaboration, and avoiding plagiarism. We can consult with individual faculty on topics such as effective syllabus design, innovative assignment creation, and giving effective feedback to student writers.
