BUSSW Writing & Tutoring Resources
Academic Writing Coach Resources
The Academic Writing Coach (AWC) provides guidance to support students to sharpen academic skills such as reading, writing, research and time management strategies. The AWC facilitates learning and offers one-on-one writing instruction with a trained writing instructor. The AWC can assist to refine presentation skills as well as provide coaching for success in the graduate classroom. In addition, the AWC also provides strategic strategies for first generation college students who struggle with basic academic cultural literacy. The AWC is versed in graduate school social skills and can offer advice regarding difficult emotions, talking through failure, managing unrealistic expectations, crafting appropriate emails, and building skills for productive teamwork. Lastly, the AWC is a trained language teacher who can provide crucial language support for English Language Learners.
Student Testimonial:
“Working with Diana has greatly improved my writing abilities and bolstered my confidence as a graduate student. She is undoubtedly the most valuable resource at the School of Social Work. Students in the BUSSW program have the privilege of working with Diana, an expert writer, but regard her as a remarkable mentor known for her empathy, integrity, and sense of humor. Diana’s guidance on writing assignments enabled me to overcome numerous challenges that come with the writing process and enhanced my understanding of writing assignment expectations, but also her support empowered me to approach some of the most emotionally and personally challenging assignments with new-found confidence that has helped me excel in this School of Social Work Program.” -Jenna O’Donnell MSW ’26
Academic Writing Coach Appointments
Please follow this link to make an appointment.
In order to provide good communication, students are encouraged to review these SSW Writing Tutor policies. All appointments need to be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance. Emails are checked Monday through Saturday.
Once you have made an appointment, please send your assignment sheet, along with any material you wish to look at via email at dirose@bu.edu. If you use Google Docs, please also send an invitation to edit to dirose@bu.edu.
Please note, the SSW Academic Writing Coach does not edit papers, they will facilitate learning through conversations about how to make your paper better, improve clarity and make the final paper the best it can be.
Please note that there is a new publication of APA format, now in its 7th edition. Linked here is a model student paper to assist you, as you work through formatting your paper.
Finally, if you must cancel, please send an email to dirose@bu.edu and let the AWC know as soon as possible.
BUSSW Writing Tutor Policies
Time Management
Reading Strategies
Social Work Librarian Information
Lucy Flamm (she/her) has joined the community as the new Social Work Librarian. In this role, she is available to support students and faculty in all aspects of scholarly success. As you begin the semester, a new social work library guide is available to help you become familiar with using the Library, locating resources for your assignments, and research.
Lucy is available for one-on-one appointments with any member of the community (in-person or online). Some common types of meetings include:
- Finding resources related to your research topic(s)
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Navigating databases to find specialized information and evidence
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Evaluating sources to consider authority, ethics, and bias
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Creating and managing your notes, sources, citations, and data
Other topics are encouraged and welcomed! To make an appointment, you can email LFlamm@BU.edu. Learn more by visiting: https://library.bu.edu/socialwork, or find subject-specific guides throughout the semester by clicking here.
Writing Workshop Recordings
Reading Strategies Workshop 9/9/24 (Passcode: 8@t7Aptt )
APA Workshop 9/16/24 (Passcode: %1VpWm!m)
Time Management Workshop 03/04/23
Academic and Assessed Writing in Social Work (Passcode: qz?2Ny?z)
How to Read a Book (Passcode: D#hh8Np6)
Assignment Sheets (Passcode: w0&^GeUt)
Writing Process Workshop (Passcode: sb36#9#Y)
APA Resources
The BUSSW APA Style Guide contains tips on basic formatting and a summary of APA guidelines for citing sources in your papers. For help how to best read for your courses, please see the SSW Guide to Critical Reading.
Written Assignments: Style and References
Papers written for graduate courses are expected to include references to relevant literature. The School expects reference use to comport with the standards set out in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association Seventh edition. Additional resources are listed below: