Welcome to The Metro Writing Studio

Announcements

The studio is open daily for in-person and virtual tutoring sessions on Mondays from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, Tuesdays from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM  Wednesdays from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Thursdays from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM, and Fridays 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Please click on “Schedule a Visit” to make an appointment. Walk-ins and wait-list are welcome- depending on availability.  

Schedule a visit

NOTE: Mobile devices may display incorrect scheduling information. Please use a desktop or laptop to view the scheduling website accurately. 

What we do: The Metro Writing Studio provides free writing support to undergraduate and graduate students and all FDU faculty and staff. In one-on-one consultations and workshops, our consultants offer feedback and strategies to help you improve at every stage of your writing, from brainstorming to final drafts.

Who’s eligible: We will work with any currently enrolled FDU Metro undergraduate or graduate student, and all Metro faculty and staff. Metro Alumni are also eligible for services. Students who miss two scheduled appointments in the studio will be unable to make future appointments online. If you are restricted from online scheduling, you can join the waitlist or be seen as a walk-in depending on availability that day.

Note: Students arriving at a tutoring session without materials such as drafts or assignments will not be seen.  Students will need to reschedule their appointment making sure to bring their course materials with them to their next session.

Want to know more? Contact the Metro Writing Studio at metrowritingstudio@fdu.edu.

Style Guides
APA Style Guide
MLA Style Guide
Library Workshops

Workshop Schedule: Spring 2025

These free workshops are open to all FDU students, faculty, and staff. No registration is required to attend; however, you will need to login to the appropriate ZOOM meeting ID in order to connect to the virtual presentation.

or email Julia Wagner, Director, at jawagner@fdu.edu for more information about the workshops and the tutoring services offered at the Metro Writing Studio.

Registration information: Log on to the ZOOM meeting 10 minutes before presentation times.

Academic Writing and The Annotated Bibliography Workshop (HINAL)

February 13th (TH) 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM, Virtual Presentation: ZOOM

In this workshop, hosted by Professor Paul Caruso, students will be instructed in the purpose and use of annotated bibliography.  This is a practical workshop providing a blend of information with useful links and references that will help students primarily with research skills.

Registration link: Register for Workshop

 

Recognizing and Avoiding Plagiarism (JINAL)

February 20th (TH) 1:00 – 2:30 PM, Virtual Presentation: ZOOM

Professor Yelena Shekhtman will teach students how and when to quote and/or paraphrase from an original source, and how to acknowledge that source to avoid committing plagiarism accidentally.

Registration link: Register for Workshop

Zoom link: https://fdu.zoom.us/j/9255241620

 

ESL CASUAL CONVERSATIONS IN ENGLISH (HINAL)

FEB 27th (TH) 6 – 7:30 PM, Virtual Presentation: ZOOM

Professor Rochelle Moskowitz leads this conversation skills-building workshop, focusing on creative use of synonyms and idioms to make your meaning clear, concise, and appropriate to the situation. 

Registration link: Register for Workshop

Zoom link: https://fdu.zoom.us/j/6790048367

 

Introduction to APA Format (JINAL)

March 5TH (W) 5:00 – 6:30 PM, Virtual Presentation: ZOOM

Professor Danielle DesFosses will cover the basics of APA formatting, commonly used to cite sources in academic writing, and guide students through practice exercises. This workshop will be repeated on 3/26.

Registration link: Register for Workshop

Zoom link: https://fdu.zoom.us/j/3878044840

 

Advanced APA Format (JINAL)

March 6th (TH) 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM, ZOOM PRESENTATION

Designed for those who know the basics of APA, this workshop presented by Professor Helen Kuttner will offer a brief overview before launching into more complicated citation issues.  A question-answer period will follow for your specific APA format questions. This workshop will be repeated on 3/27. 

Registration link: Register for Workshop

Zoom link: https://fdu.zoom.us/my/hkuttner

 

Essential Spoken English for International Students (HINAL)

March 6th (TH) 7:00 – 8:30 PM Virtual Presentation: ZOOM

Culled from Professor Paul Caruso’s teaching experiences abroad, this participatory workshop will help international students improve their English conversation skills in the classroom and among their peers.

Registration link: Register for Workshop

 

What is Critical Writing? (JINAL)

March 18th (T) 5:00 – 6:30 PM Virtual Presentation: ZOOM

What is the critical perspective?  And how do students demonstrate it in their writing?   This is a workshop led by Professor Danielle Des Fosses that first explains the necessary point of view and then demonstrates steps needed to carry out research that supports analysis of this aim in student writing.

Registration link: Register for Workshop

Zoom link: https://fdu.zoom.us/j/3878044840

 

Accessible Tutoring Strategies

March 19th (W) 3 – 4:30 PM ZOOM PRESENTATION

Dr. Kathleen Lyons offers strategies to help tutors enhance accessibility in their tutoring sessions to engage all students. We will start with general strategies using principles of universal design for learning. Then, we will discuss specific strategies that support neurodiverse students and students with learning disabilities. We will work together to understand the unique access needs of FDU students and discuss how we can best support our students—with or without disability accommodations—in our tutoring practices.  

This workshop is intended for FDU faculty and staff who work to support the academic writing needs of FDU students.

Registration link: Register for Workshop

Zoom link: https://fdu.zoom.us/my/kathleenlyons

 

Basic Grammar (JINAL)

March 24th (M) 11:30 – 1 PM Virtual Presentation: ZOOM

Just write it!  Rochelle Moskowitz leads this grammar workshop on using the imperative voice in student writing.

Registration link: Register for Workshop

Zoom link: https://fdu.zoom.us/j/6790048367

 

Basic Grammar (HINAL)

March 25th (T) 2:30 – 4:00 PM Virtual Presentation: ZOOM

Rochelle Moskowitz hosts a grammar workshop on The Definite and Indefinite Article and how to employ them in student writing.

Registration link: Register for Workshop

Zoom link: https://fdu.zoom.us/j/6790048367

 

Undergraduate Academic Writing and Research

March 25th (Tuesday) 7:00 pm -8:30 pm

Students are instructed on the elements of researching accurately and appropriately for academic essays. This includes how to vet sources and make good source decisions. Led by Professor Paul Caruso, students will be provided with a blend of information from useful links and references, within this practical hands-on writing workshop.

Registration link: Register for Workshop

Meeting room: fdu.zoom.us/my/pcaruso2025

 

Introduction to APA Format (HINAL)

March 26th (W) 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM ZOOM PRESENTATION

Professor Danielle DesFosses will cover the basics of APA formatting, commonly used to cite sources in academic writing, and guide students through practice exercises. This is a repeat of the workshop presented on 3/5.

Registration link: Register for Workshop

Zoom link: https://fdu.zoom.us/j/3878044840

 

Advanced APA Format (JINAL)

March 31st (TH) 4:00 – 5:30 PM Virtual Presentation: ZOOM

Designed for those who know the basics of APA, this workshop, presented by Professor Helen Kuttner, will offer a brief overview before launching into more complicated citation issues. A question-and-answer period will follow for your specific APA format questions.  This is a repeat of the workshop scheduled on 3/6.

Registration link: Register for Workshop

Zoom link: https://fdu.zoom.us/my/hkuttner

 

ESL Casual Conversations in English (HINAL)

April 8th (T) 1 PM – 2:30 PM, ZOOM Presentation

Professor Rochelle Moskowitz will lead this communication skills workshop, focusing on networking and self-advocacy skills in daily and special circumstances.

Registration link: Register for Workshop

Zoom link: https://fdu.zoom.us/j/6790048367

 

Common Essay Patterns

(HINAL) April 10 (TH) 4:00 – 5:30 PM

Professor Helen Kuttner will review the various patterns available to writers for composing essays before examining strategies for writing clear and effective argumentative, compare, contrast, and cause-and-effect essays. 

Registration link: Register for Workshop

Zoom link: https://fdu.zoom.us/my/hkuttner

 

Creating the Works Cited

List (HINAL) April 17th (TH) 1:00 – 2:30 PM Virtual Presentation: ZOOM

Professor Yelena Shekhtman will lead this workshop, which is designed for those familiar with the basics of MLA parenthetical citation; she will focus on how to create a works cited list.

Registration link: Register for Workshop

Zoom link: https://fdu.zoom.us/j/9255241620

ESL Conversation Schedule

Non-native speakers of English are invited to come practice spoken language skills at the Metro Writing Studio. We look forward to resuming the ESL Conversation schedule in the Fall semester.  

Referral form

Referral forms are not necessary; tutoring is available on a drop-in basis. However, faculty may refer students to the Writing Studio by completing the online referral form for those students in need of assistance.

To fill out a referral form please click here: Referral Form

FAQ’s

The Metro Writing Studio provides free, individualized tutoring in writing and writing workshops to help students, faculty, and staff at Fairleigh Dickinson University improve their writing skills.

  • Where is the Metro Writing Studio?
    We are located on the second floor of the Metropolitan Campus Library (on the Metropolitan Campus in Teaneck) behind the Reference/Circulation Desk.
  • What are the hours of operation?
    Monday-Thursday 10.00 am to 7.00 pm, Friday 10.00 am to 4.00 pm, Sunday 1.00 pm to 5.00 pm. The Studio, which offers wireless connection to the Internet to those with an FDU webmail account, is open as a quiet and comfortable study space whenever the library is open.
  • Who may use the Studio?
    Students who are matriculated at Fairleigh Dickinson (whether undergraduate or graduate, part-time or full-time), faculty, and staff are eligible to make use of all the Studio’s offerings.
  • What kind of help do the tutors provide?
    Tutors assist students with all phases of the writing process from brainstorming ideas to polishing the final draft. We do not, however, offer proofreading or editing services; our goal is to teach students how do such things for themselves.
  • Do I need to make an appointment to see a tutor?
    No, we see students mainly on a drop-in-basis (limited appointments become available later in the semester). On occasion, you might have to wait before a tutor is free to work with you, so plan your time wisely. Be sure to fill out a Request for Tutoring Form upon your arrival.
  • What should I bring when I see a tutor?
    You should bring the assignment given to you by your instructor, the materials (such as articles or books) upon which the assignment is based, and a printed copy of what you have written so far.
  • What other types of services does the Studio provide?
    Throughout the semester, we offer workshops on various writing-related topics such as how to recognize and avoid plagiarism and how to use MLA and APA citation formats. International students can practice speaking skills six times a semester at our English conversation workshops.

One of the top academic priorities of the Metropolitan Campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University is to graduate students who are competent and confident writers. To advance this goal, the Campus Writing Initiative, an innovative, comprehensive, campus-wide commitment to student writing, was adopted. The Metro Writing Studio supports the Campus Writing Initiative and reinforces the philosophy of the Writing Program.

Faculty and Tutors

  • Julia Wagner, Director, Metro Writing Studio
    Department of Literature, Languages, Writing, and Humanities

Tutors

  • Claudia Arones
  • Ruth Morrison
  • Helen Kuttner
  • Yelena Shekhtman
  • Lisa Karrer
  • David Simons
  • Terry Gibson
  • Danielle Des Fosses
  • Ron Chavious
  • James Veach
  • Irene Konstantinidis
  • Josie Horna
  • Paul Caruso

Graduate Assistants

  • Reema Patel
  • Hinal Purohit
  • Jinal Patel