Like many other programs and offices on Eastern’s campus, the Writing Center has adjusted its hours for the summer session.

The reduced hours have the Writing Center open from 10 to 11:30 a.m., 12:45 to 1:45 p.m., and 3:45 to 5 on Mondays and Wednesdays in Room 3110 of Coleman Hall. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the hours are 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:45 to 2:45 p.m.

For the weekends, the Writing Center holds its sessions in the Booth Library Reference Room. The sessions are from 10 to noon on Saturdays and 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Sundays.

Jessyca Walton, a consultant at the Writing Center, said the reduced hours are justified because of the low traffic during the summer.

“During the summer we tend to be much slower and typically only have a handful of sessions per day,” Walton said.

Even though the Writing Center sees much less business during the summer than in the fall and spring semesters, Walton still suggests that students call to set up an appointment for a sessions instead of doing a walk-in. The Writing Center’s number in Coleman Hall is (217) 581-5929.

“Students may walk-in; however, students should be aware that if we are in a session or have an appointment at the time they walk in, that session will take priority,” Walton said.

The Writing Center is staffed by graduate assistants from the English department, and currently three consultants are working during the summer session.

As a consultant, Walton helps students through a variety of issues, which may include “organizations of thoughts, working effectively with sources, citations, and grammar and mechanics.”

Walton, who graduated from Eastern with a bachelor’s degree in family and consumer sciences in 2005, has a year of experience at the Writing Center. She decided to come back to Eastern because of the English master’s program.

Walton said the job of being a consultant at the Writing Center mostly involves listening to students explain their problems and then dissecting their work to find additional problems.

“As we read we keep an eye out for the concerns the student may have had, while simultaneously watching out for other issues that the student isn’t aware of,” Walton said.

The Writing Center will resume its regular hours for the fall semester, which are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. for Mondays through Thursdays and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays.

Derrin Coad can be reached at 581-2812 or dkcoad@eiu.edu.