Public Health Writing Program FAQs.

During a writing appointment, a peer coach can help you with all stages of the writing process, including:

• Planning to write your paper;
• Brainstorming and outlining;
• Organizing and synthesizing the main points of an argument;
• Thesis development;
• Tailoring a writing assignment for a specific audience;
• Writing clearly and concisely; and
• Techniques for editing and self-proofreading.

Length of appointment: Writing appointments are 1 hour. Presentation appointments are 30 minutes. How to prepare for each appointment:

• Bring 2 printed copies of your latest draft/outline and your assignment’s description to the appointment.
• Bring any relevant materials for the paper to your appointment (i.e. an outline, papers you are citing, textbooks, etc.).
• Think about what your goals and what you want to accomplish during your session.
• Arrive on time.

• Bring printed and/or electronic copies of at least three pieces of writing that contain examples of the writing issues you wish to work on.
• Think about what your goals and what you want to accomplish during your session.
• Arrive on time.

If your TA for PH 720, is also a peer coach, it is against program policy to make an appointment with them. Please feel free to make an appointment with another peer coach. If you need assistance, please email the Program Manager at sphcoach@bu.edu

Yes. At least two member of the group must be present at the appointment. To help us accommodate your request, please indicate on the request form that the assignment is a group paper.

• You and a peer coach will use Zoom, and a shared screen to discuss your writing at your scheduled appointment time.
• You can ask the peer coach questions in real-time and receive feedback directly.

• You won’t be meeting to discuss your work with a peer coach online. Instead, you’ll upload your paper and receive written feedback from a peer coach.
• This kind of appointment is convenient if you’re living outside BU’s time zone, or you’re otherwise unavailable when we offer synchronous appointments. 

Peer coaches are upper-level SPH students who possess strong writing skills, understand the challenges of the writing process, have excellent communication, and are able to be discreet with confidential information. A select group is chosen each semester after demonstrating these skills through an application process. All peer coaches receive training about guiding students through the writing process, providing effective feedback, and the Public Health Writing Program’s policies and procedures. If you are interested in applying to be a peer coach, please contact sphwrite@bu.edu.

You may request a writing appointment online. Once you submit the appointment, you will receive a confirmation email. To ensure that your appointment is scheduled in a timely manner, we recommend scheduling all appointments at least 24 hrs. in advance. If you have any concerns about scheduling your appointment, please email the Program Manager at sphcoach@bu.edu.

Remember, writing is a process! You may not be able to address all your concerns about your paper in one writing session. Please allow yourself time to process the feedback and schedule a follow-up appointment as needed.

You may request to be placed on the waiting list by clicking the clock icon that appears next to each day of the week on the schedule. As soon as someone cancels an appointment, everyone on the waiting list receives a notification at once. You will have a small window to sign in and schedule the appointment.

You are allowed to schedule two appointments for every writing assignment you have. For example, if you have five writing assignments due this semester, you are allowed to request a maximum of ten appointments (two appointments per assignment).

The Public Health Writing Office is open during the office hours or by appointment. Visit the Make an Appointment with a Peer Coach page to determine each semester’s office hours.

If you are not available during the office hours, the program manager can work with you to schedule a writing appointment outside of office hours.

No.  We do accept drop-in appointments during office hours; however, we strongly encourage you to schedule an appointment in advance.  A peer coach may not be available if you drop-in, as scheduled appointments are given priority.

Please check your confirmation email for the exact location of your appointment.  

If you have signed up for an appointment and later realize you are not able to attend, you can make, cancel, or modify appointments by logging into the scheduling system at https://bu.mywconline.net. at least 24 hours prior to the start of your scheduled appointment. Appointments canceled at least 24 hours in advance may be rescheduled and you will not be marked as missed. If you cancel less than 24-hours in advance, you will be marked as missed. You may request a new writing appointment time when you cancel your appointment, but please be aware that we have limited availability

Missed means that you did not attend an appointment as scheduled (either you did not come to the appointment or you were more than 15 minutes late). Once you have two missed appointments, you will be unable to make or attend any future appointments until you have come to the office and talked to the program manager about your attendance. If you feel you have received a missed notification in error, please see the next question.

If you feel you have received a missed appointment notification in error, or if you have any questions regarding missed appointment emails, please email sphcoach@bu.edu.

Your missed appointments only count against you for the current semester; all missed appointment records are reset to zero once the new semester begins.