Writing Center
Need help with your English paper?
The Writing Center has tools and tutors available to help students with their writing.
“The goal of the Writing Center is to produce better writers, not just better papers,” said Master Tutor at the center Noreen Brown. “The tutors here can help students choose topics for their papers, we can help them with the computers and we can review, but not edit papers because this is not an editing service.”
All registered Sinclair students have access to the Writing Center, and a Tartan Card is all that is required to enter the lab. Students are helped on a first come, first serve basis, and no appointments are necessary.
“These policies are in place to ensure that the maximum number of students can be helped,” said Brown. “Sometimes all a student needs is one minute for a tutor to show them how to turn the computer on and we can’t do that if we are taking hour-long appointments.”
The Writing Center sees many new students every quarter and some say it has made a huge impact on their success at Sinclair.
“I’ve gotten a lot of help here,” said Sinclair student Ronnie Moreland. “The Writing Center has improved my skills and my confidence has gone through the roof.”
Math Lab
Packed full of knowledge and loaded with resources, the Math Lab’s tutors and computers are available to all MAT math students.
“For anyone taking any MAT math class we can help, we have resources for every course. But, we don’t do the DEV math courses; DEV math students have their own lab provided by tutorial services,” said Lab Coordinator Willow Cliffswallow.
The Math Lab consists of two areas of study: the lab area and the help room.
The lab area has instructional videos, CD lectures, practice tests, graphing software, textbooks, student solution manuals and access to interactive practice problems with step-by-step help and examples.
Student tutors and faculty operate the help room where students can get quick help and specific answers to their math questions.
“In the help room, the tutors and faculty can explain procedures and processes of how to solve particular problems, but students have to understand that they don’t get a private tutor, they have to share the tutors,” said Cliffswallow.
Tartan Cards are required to enter the Math Lab and all visitors must follow lab rules.
“Visitors have to keep a quiet atmosphere, be considerate of others, turn their phones on vibrate and go out into the hallway if they want to talk,” said Cliffswallow.
The Math Lab sees approximately 1,000 different students and receives 6,000 to 7,000 visits a quarter, according to Cliffswallow. But, she still thinks the lab is being underutilized.
“More students could take advantage of the lab,” she said. “We have done some preliminary studies that actually show that students who use the lab are more likely to pass their math course.”
BIOSIS lab
Run for students, by students, the Biology Self Instruction Service (BIOSIS) provides aid and resources to any student willing to put in the extra effort.
The BIOSIS lab, located in Building 1, Room 043, contains equipment such as anatomical models, charts, interactive computer software, microscopes, internet access and videotapes.
BIOSIS is run by student tutors who try their best to answer any questions posed by students, according to Master Tutor Denine Tate-Bryan.
“The mission of the BIOSIS lab is to assist students in learning the material presented in lab and lecture biology classes, by providing them materials found in the lab, as well as additional materials like audio and visual aids,” Tate-Bryan said.
The lab is open to all students, not just those registered in Biology. But all students are expected to follow lab rules.
“To maintain an environment that is conducive to everyone being able to study, we do not allow kids in the lab.” Tate-Bryan said. “Some lab materials could be dangerous to kids and kids can be disruptive. All our other rules are just common sense. Try to keep the noise level to a minimum and respect that some materials have to be shared.”
BIOSIS hours change from quarter to quarter. In the second week of every quarter, a new schedule of hours of operation is posted on the door of the BIOSIS lab. After the second week of the quarter students can call 512-2169 to ask about the schedule, according to their website on Sinclair.edu.
The BIOSIS lab has been at Sinclair more than 20 years, but the faculty still doesn’t think it is being used to its full potential.
“I think the BIOSIS lab is underutilized, some students seem unaware that the lab is here.” Tate-Bryan said. “I suggest to students that they set aside time for the BIOSIS lab like it was one of their classes. When I was taking my classes, I studied here and I think it made an entire letter grade difference.”
Service Box Info
Writing Center hours:
Mon-Thurs 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Building 7 Room L06
http://www.sinclair.edu/centers/wc
Math Lab hours:
Mon-Thurs 8.a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Building 1, Room 315
http://www.sinclair.edu/centers/mathlab
BIOSIS lab hours can be found in Building 1, Room 043 or at http://www.sinclair.edu/centers/biosis