Academic Resources

Center for Writing Excellence

The Center for Writing Excellence (CWE) is available to all university students, faculty, staff and alumni who are committed to developing and improving as writers.

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cwe@montclair.edu
973-655-7442
Bohn Hall, 5th floor
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We're Here to Help!

Schedule a writing appointment with our experienced writing consultants! Sessions are designed to provide help with every aspect of the writing process, with the goal of enabling writers to achieve long-term improvement, confidence and independence.

Learn More and Schedule an Appointment!

About CWE

The Center for Writing Excellence (CWE) is available to all university students, faculty, staff and alumni who are committed to developing and improving as writers. Sessions with experienced writing consultants are designed to provide help with every aspect of the writing process, with the goal of enabling writers to achieve long-term improvement, confidence and independence. All sessions are confidential.

We welcome Montclair writers at any stage of the writing process, in any discipline. Drop in to collaborate with a writing consultant. Grow as a writer.

The Center for Writing Excellence now houses the Graduation Writing Requirement. On our GWR page, you will find a list of courses that currently meet this requirement, separated by college and major; the procedures for developing courses that meet this requirement; and useful information on Writing in the Disciplines and Writing Across the Curriculum.

And don’t miss the CWE Digital Dashboard, which is filled with online resources for writers, researchers and teachers ranging from grammar help to tips on evaluating writing and much more! 

What We Do

We provide writer-centered services to all members of the Montclair State community, with the aim of promoting a culture and practice of writing excellence throughout the university and beyond. The CWE believes that all individuals committed to improving their writing can grow and flourish as writers. 

Conferences are generally a maximum of 25 minutes and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. We can also schedule appointments in advance, and we are now offering online consultations. There is no charge for these services.

Specifically, we can help you with:

  • Getting started: Understanding the writing task and generating ideas
  • Drafting: Developing a focus and an argument, selecting appropriate evidence, and organizing your ideas
  • Revising: Choosing strategies to improve drafts
  • Polishing: Learning to edit your own writing

Come to your session prepared with:

  • Assignment or task
  • Text for course (if you are taking one)
  • All work you have done to get started (any freewriting and notes)
  • A draft of your paper or other document (if you have one)
  • Your goal for the conference
  • Most important, specific question or writing problem for which you would like help

What we do not do:

  • Proofread or edit your papers for you, but we will help you learn how to do so
  • Interpret (if you are a student) comments your instructor made on your paper or discuss grades, but we will look at your efforts to revise
  • Review more than 4-5 pages at a time, though you are welcome to return

Our Mission

Since opening in January 2010, the CWE has been committed to:

  • developing a culture and practice of writing excellence serving the research and teaching needs of a growing public university: students, faculty and staff;
  • establishing the centrality of writing in all university endeavors beyond remedial work;
  • offering a broad range of writing services geared to the success and retention of students and to provide professional development and training to consultants working in the CWE; and
  • creating a strong, cross-curricular center that supports the teaching of writing in the undergraduate majors and General Education and the graduate and professional schools.
writing consultation session with student and faculty at a desk reading and reviewing a paper

The CWE’s primary goals are:

  • To provide professional development and individualized writing instruction to students, faculty, staff and alumni who wish to become more effective writers and communicators in their academic studies, professional work and personal lives.
  • To help faculty in all disciplines meaningfully incorporate writing into their courses to enhance teaching and learning and to demonstrate how writing is central to the academic enterprise.
  • To sponsor initiatives focused on recognizing the changing role of literacy in the twenty-first century and to be a resource for improving lives and learning through writing.
  • To identify and advance knowledge about best practices in writing and in the teaching of writing in a variety of academic and professional settings.
  • To ensure that all graduates of Montclair State have the opportunity to develop the writing competence needed to succeed in their chosen careers.
 

Schedule an Appointment

Schedule an appointment using our online scheduler (if you have not used the online scheduler before, you will be prompted to register first). To contact us by phone, please call the phone number highlighted in blue on the WC Online log-on page. This number changes according to which staff member is managing the Virtual Front Desk. You can also write to cwe@montclair.edu.

  • Appointments are scheduled every hour on the half hour. Appointments are 25 minutes long.
  • Bring a copy of your work to your session (preferably on your laptop) or attach it to your appointment.
  • If you are more than five minutes late for a scheduled appointment and someone drops in, we will give your time away. If this happens, we will gladly schedule another appointment for you.

Appointment Resources and Information

CWE appointments are limited to three scheduled appointments, per person, per week. 

  • Montclair graduate students, multilingual writers, faculty, and writers with a disability may request extended appointments, which are 50 minutes long. Appointments will be extended based upon availability.
  • Two out of three appointments can be extended to 50 minutes by calling the CWE.
  • Writers can schedule appointments up to 4 weeks in advance.
  • Writers may drop in for additional sessions as explained below.

Drop-in appointments can be scheduled 15 minutes in advance when there is an available opening. To schedule a drop-in, call the phone number posted on our sign-in page: https://montclair.mywconline.com/

  • Drop-ins are 25 minutes only.
  • One drop-in, per writer, per day.

All cancellations must be made the night before your appointment; the DEADLINE to cancel is 11:59 pm. 

After two same day cancellations, your account will be disabled for one month. A third late cancellation or missed appointment will disable your account for the rest of the semester. No exceptions.

If you miss two or more appointments and do not cancel them in advance, your account will be disabled for the rest of the semester. Or, if you miss one appointment and have a same-day cancellation, your account will also be disabled.  If your account is disabled, you will only be able to drop in since you will no longer have access to our online schedule. Canceling an appointment in advance is easy! You can call the CWE to cancel your appointment 973-655-7442 or log in to our schedule, click on your appointment, and select “cancel this appointment” at the bottom of your appointment box. 

Thank you for working with us to make sure that all the writers at Montclair State University who need appointments can get them.

When your account is disabled for late cancellations or missed appointments:

  • any scheduled future appointments will be canceled
  • you can still have sessions but on a DROP-IN BASIS ONLY.  Call the number on the WC Online log-on page when the center is open to see if a drop-in time is available.
  • your account is restored at the end of the semester (or after one month for late cancellations).

Prior to the spring 2020 semester, all work done and discussed in the center was confidential between the writer and CWE staff. However, the CWE is now required to report information about student sessions to the Office of Academic Services. If a writer requires proof of attendance, they can request a Confirmation Email which is sent from cwestaff@montclair.edu. We do not share the content of the session but will verify attendance for the writer’s use.

Digital Dashboard

The CWE Digital Dashboard is our rapidly expanding directory, filled with hundreds of links to online resources for writers and teachers

writing consultation session with student and faculty at a desk reading and reviewing a paper

Resources for Teachers

Teachers will find help with integrating writing into courses, designing assignments, responding to writing, conducting peer review, teaching writing with technology, writing in the disciplines, and Second Language writing. Links for helping educate students about what plagiarism is and how to avoid it are also included.

A student leaning over a table, writing with a pen on a piece of paper

Resources for Writers

Writers will find help with the writing process, conducting research, citing sources, grammar and style, and specific types of writing. Links for helpful resources about technology and writing, writing in the disciplines, Second Language writing, and academic integrity are also included.

Request a Presentation


The CWE provides presentations upon request. If you are a Montclair State University instructor and would like to schedule an in-class presentation, please click the link below to complete the form.

A college guidance counselor speaks to a student in her office and gestures at her computer screen

Resources for Graduate Students

Your culminating activity is a key milestone near the end of your graduate program. It gives you the opportunity to demonstrate what you have learned and show your readiness in your field of study. Depending on your program, this may include a thesis, dissertation, capstone project, comprehensive exam, portfolio, internship, co-op, practicum, clinical experience, recital, exhibition, final research project or another comprehensive experience.

Visit the Graduate Center for Culminating Activity Guides and Resources

Leadership

The staff of the Center for Writing Excellence are dedicated to making your visit to the CWE a positive experience.

Melinda Knight

  • Professor and Director of the Center for Writing Excellence

Alicia Remolde

  • Assistant Director of the Center for Writing Excellence
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Our Staff

Hours & Location 

To contact us by phone, please call the number on the WC Online log-on page. This number changes according to which staff member is managing the Virtual Front Desk. You can also write to cwe@montclair.edu.

The CWE is located in Bohn Hall. The entrance to the CWE is located to the left of the main Bohn Hall entrance. See campus map.

Summer Service and Calendar

May 5 – August 28, 2026

Face-to-face appointments and online sessions (with Zoom option) are available.

  • Monday: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
  • Tuesday: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
  • Wednesday: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
  • Thursday: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
  • Friday (online only): 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
  • Saturday: CLOSED
  • Sunday: CLOSED

CLOSED:
Monday May 25 for Memorial Day
Friday June 19 for Juneteenth
Friday July 3 for Independence Day, observed

Two cubicles each with two chairs, in a modern office setting An office environment with chairs spread throughout

 

Hours are subject to change. See available appointments via our online scheduler. The last appointment begins 30 minutes before we close.

Inclement Weather Notice: In the event of inclement weather, all appointments will be moved online. Please see the CWE Emergency Contingency Plan on our Appointments page or check our CWE Facebook page for changes to our schedule. When the university closes due to an emergency, the CWE will move all appointments online whenever possible.

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