Welcome to New Mexico Tech’s Writing and Communication Lab (WCL). We are a tutoring
resource committed to helping students become better writers and communicators through tailored and individual
consultations. Our tutors are experienced in STEM writing and offer consultations
both in person and online, to undergraduate and graduate students. Find the descriptions
of our services below.
Want to visit us? We welcome walk-in appointments and are located in the Skeen Library, next to the
Office for Student Learning (1st floor). Stop by during our hours of operation!
WCL Interim Director: Dr. Steve Simpson | Student Assistant Director: Arianna Albers
Writing Consultations
We open the door for all students to comfortably receive guidance to produce the best
work they can. Bring in a draft, bring in an idea: we can help. We support the entire
writing process from idea generation to final revision by helping you articulate and
meet goals for your writing, brainstorming ideas, re-working or expanding upon drafts,
and encouraging self-editing techniques. While we are not proofreaders or editors,
we are ready to you every step of the way.
We can help you with:
Class essays
Research papers
Master's theses
Dissertations
Résumés/CVs
Employment/internship applications
Statement of Purpose essays
Student Research Symposium papers
In preparation for your appointment, please make sure to have a copy of your assignment
you can share with us, and if possible a copy of the rubric you are using as well.
Please visit us throughout your writing process as it makes revisions easier!
Oral and Multimodal Presentation Consultations
We provide a supportive environment where students from all disciplines can receive
public speaking and presentation guidance from a qualified peer tutor. Our consultants
can help individuals or groups plan and design presentations and presentation recordings.
We can help you practice, review and refine your work, and provide constructive feedback
from an impartial audience. We can help with:
Oral Presentations
Thesis/Dissertation defense
Conference talks
Poster presentations
We recommend to make an appointment well in advance of your presentation or defense,
and to schedule multiple appointments (practice makes perfect!). To prepare for an
appointment, consider printing copies of your presentation for our feedback.
Graduate Student Resources
The WCL offers numerous services for graduate students. Below, we’ve listed just a
few. Please feel free to contact us about any of these resources or just to chat about
other ways that we might help you as you work toward your degree.
Graduate Communication Courses
Dr. Steve Simpson offers a 3-credit graduate communication course every fall semester,
which is perfect for students looking for an introduction to graduate-level writing
and presenting or for a structured environment for writing portions of a thesis or
dissertation (COMM 575: Communication in the Sciences). This course is designed for
both native and non-native English speakers!
Furthermore, the CLASS Department offers a number of advanced technical communication
and humanities courses that can be taken at the graduate level. Please see our Graduate
Programs page for more details.
ESL Support
We offer a variety of services for non-native English speakers, from one-on-one consultations
on writing and oral presentations to support for improving conversational English.
Please come visit us for more information on how we can help you.
STEM Communication Fellows
The STEM Fellows are NMT graduate students who help staff the Writing and Oral Presentation
Center. They are chosen based on their excellent skills in communication and are trained
in working one-on-one with students on scientific and academic writing and presenting.
Fellows also work closely with faculty and students from academic departments all
over campus. Some of their duties include one-one-one or group writing consultations
within the writing center and providing services to home departments, such as setting
up writing groups and seminars.
STEM Fellows are available to work with students in Distance Education graduate programs.
To set up a distance consultation, email us at write@nmt.edu or use our WCOnline Appointment System.
Student Research Symposium Resources
In collaboration with the Office for Student Learning and the Skeen Library, we offer workshops to help students prepare for the Student Research Symposium each year. These include
abstract writing, research poster design, oral presentation and 3-minute speech workshops.
Please consult the SRS webpage to access workshop recordings and other important information about the event!
We also offer free poster printing services for students who present at the SRS and
book a poster design consultation with us. This semester, the deadline for poster
printing is Friday, April 14th, at 5.00 PM. The WCL will have extended hours of operation
from April 1st to April 14th, 2023. To book a poster design consultation, click here.
If you have questions about any of the Writing Lab services, you can connect with
us at write@nmt.edu or in person when the WCL is open (1st floor, Skeen Library). We are also posting
announcements and updates on our Instagram page (@nmtwritinglab)!
