What is the Writing Centre?
The Writing Centre is staffed by friendly VIU faculty tutors interested in talking about any aspect of your writing, whether it's clear writing, thesis statements, citation and documentation, grammar, or organizing an argument. Even if you just want to discuss an assignment before you get started (or at any other stage in the writing process), the Writing Centre is the place to come. The Writing Centre is also home to a tutor from International Academic Support whose focus is on English language learning for international students (but we are happy to see international students too). For more information on the Writing Centre, check out our introductory video.
This service is free for registered VIU students.
Choose how you meet with a tutor:
- face-to-face in person
- online meeting
- asynchronous (you attach a document to the appointment; we look at it and reattach with our comments).
Help provided
- Tutors will help you with all stages of the writing process, but they won’t proofread your essay for you.
- Tutors will teach you the skills to proofread your essay.
- Resources are available for your use. Feel free to come in and use the reference material.
- Tutors will not discuss grades or help you with any examination material, including take-home exams.
- After multiple appointments on the same essay, tutors reserve the right to withdraw assistance at their discretion to ensure that the essay remains your own work.
- Information from your instructor always takes precedence over information from a Writing Centre tutor.
How to access our services
Book a 25-minute in-person or online appointment up to 12 days ahead. You need to create an account the first time you use the booking website. Need help? Find step-by-step instructions in our How to Book a Tutor video. Are you studying at Cowichan or tiwšɛmawtxʷ campus? There are Writing Centres there as well. Check out the Cowichan Writing Centre or tiwšɛmawtxʷ Writing Centre websites for full details.
We also offer online workshops to assist with a range of academic issues. Check back for upcoming dates or check out our academic writing handouts for guidance.
Appointments
- Available time slots appear as white boxes in the schedule (click on the box corresponding to the time, day, and tutor you want).
- All students may book two 25-minute appointments per week or one 55-minute appointment.
- Grad students may book two 55-minute appointments per week.
- Appointments may be canceled up to 30 minutes before the start time.
- Appointments will be made available to others if a student is more than 15 minutes late for a 55-minute booking or 5 minutes late for a 25 – minute booking.
- If you're running late, please contact us: phone 250-740-6330 or email writingcentre@viu.ca.
- Three no-shows will result in no more appointments for the rest of the semester.
Location
The Nanaimo Campus Writing Centre is on the fourth floor of the VIU Library (Building 305).
The Cowichan Campus Writing Centre is located in Learning Centre Room 120.
The tiwšɛmawtxʷ Campus Writing Centre is located in Room 153.
Hours
For the Spring 2026 semester, the Writing Centre has the following hours:
Monday: 9:30 am to 4 pm
Tuesday: 10:30 am to 4 pm
Wednesday: 9:30 am to 4 pm
Thursday: 10 am to 5 pm
Friday: 9:30 am to 3 pm (IAS tutor only)
Contact us
Email: WritingCentre@viu.ca
Tel: 250.740.6330.