As a graduate student at Southern, you have access to year-round academic writing support.

You have access to one-on-one writing tutoring—both in-person and virtually—designed to support a wide range of writing needs, from thesis development to discipline-specific assignments. Peer tutors, many of whom are experienced in professional and academic writing, provide guidance on structure, clarity, and style. Additional resources include year-round writing workshops, online tools, and specialized support for English language learners, ensuring that you have the tools you need to succeed at every stage of your academic journey!

Check this page regularly for announcements on future workshops!

Ongoing Support

One-on-One Librarian Consultation

10am – 3pm on weekdays in Buley Library

One-on-One Librarian Consultation (Virtual)

Sit Down and Write (Virtual)

Call for Facilitators! Facilitating is easy – just keep an eye on the timer. The important part is showing up (on Teams), for you and the Sit Down & Write community.

Contact Rebecca Hedreen at hedreenr1@southernct.edu for more info and to schedule your sessions.

CASAS Writing Tutors

  • Monday: 8:00AM – 5:00PM
  • Tuesday: 8:00AM – 8:00PM
  • Wednesday: 8:00AM – 8:00PM
  • Thursday: 8:00AM – 5:00PM
  • Friday: 10:00AM- 4:30PM
Appointments can be booked through Navigate (video reference) OR by calling 203-392-6828. In Navigate, please select “Graduate Writing Tutoring”. Navigate will have the most up-to-date appointment availability.
 
If you have further questions, please email Bob Benway at benwayr1@southernct.edu.

Library Resources for Graduate Students

Buley Library Youtube Channel

Upcoming Workshops

Date Time Event Location
Tuesday, October 6, 2026 5:00PM – 6:00PM

Simplifying the Writing Process: One Chunk at a Time

Facilitator: Dr. Tess Marchant-Shapiro SCSU Writing Director, Professor of Political Science

 WebEx
Thursday, October 22, 2026 6:00PM – 7:00PM

Advanced Research geared towards Business Grad Students (MBA/DBA)

Facilitator: Amy Jansen MSLIS, MA, Business Librarian Associate Librarian | Library Faculty

Master advanced research strategies and specialized databases to locate high-quality scholarly literature, industry data, and company information- whether you’re gathering market intelligence or building the peer-reviewed evidence base for DBA-level research.

 Zoom
Wednesday, November 4, 2026 6:00PM – 7:00PM

Grad Student’s Guide to Copyright and AI

Facilitator: Rebecca Hedreen M.L.I.S., Library Services

What is copyright? What is fair use? What can and can’t you use in your academic work? Come learn about copyright and your thesis or dissertation and copyright and publishing, and (briefly) copyright and AI. 

 Zoom 
Tuesday, November 10, 2026 5:00PM – 6:00PM

Revising Your Writing for Clarity

Facilitator: Dr. Tess Marchant-Shapiro SCSU Writing Director, Professor of Political Science

 WebEx
Thursday, November 19, 2026 6:00PM – 7:00PM

Setting Up Your Scholarly Profile

Facilitator: Amy Jansen MSLIS, MA, Business Librarian Associate Librarian | Library Faculty

Build and manage your academic identity using tools like ORCID, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate to increase the visibility and impact of your scholarly work.

 Zoom

Past Workshops

Topic Archive

Citation Managers – what are they and why do you need one

Facilitator: Rebecca Hedreen M.L.I.S., Library Services

Video

Slides

Citing and Referencing Sources using APA

Facilitator: Dr. Tess Marchant-Shapiro SCSU Writing Director, Professor of Political Science

 N/A

How to Read Scholarly Articles

Facilitator: Dr. Tess Marchant-Shapiro SCSU Writing Director, Professor of Political Science

 Video

Beyond Google Scholar & SouthernSearch: diving deeper into your research

Facilitator: Amy Jansen MSLIS, MA, Business Librarian Associate Librarian | Library Faculty

Video

Slides

Beyond Google, Part 2 – Advanced Searching

Facilitator: Amy Jansen MSLIS, MA, Business Librarian Associate Librarian | Library Faculty

 Slides

AI Tools for Article Searching and Review

Facilitator: Rebecca Hedreen M.L.I.S., Library Services

Session-1

Session-2

Has Your Reference Been Retracted

Facilitator: Rebecca Hedreen M.L.I.S., Library Services

 Video

Journal Quality Unpacked

Facilitator: Amy Jansen MSLIS, MA, Business Librarian Associate Librarian | Library Faculty

 Slides

Research Smarter, Not Harder: Advanced Tools & Techniques

Facilitator: Amy Jansen MSLIS, MA, Business Librarian Associate Librarian | Library Faculty

 Video

AI Literature: Searching Tools and Cautions

Facilitator: Rebecca Hedreen, M.L.I.S., Library Services

 N/A

Finding and Using Gray Literature for Advanced Research

Facilitator: Amy Jansen MSLIS, MA, Business Librarian Associate Librarian | Library Faculty

 N/A

Beyond the Basics: Advanced Search Strategies for Graduate Students

Facilitator: Amy Jansen MSLIS, MA, Business Librarian Associate Librarian | Library Faculty

Move beyond simple keyword searches. Master advanced database filters, Boolean logic, and citation chaining to streamline your literature review and uncover the specialized scholarly resources needed for graduate-level work.

Video

Slides

Journal Quality – Why It Matters for Your Research

Facilitator: Amy Jansen MSLIS, MA, Business Librarian Associate Librarian | Library Faculty

Not all sources are created equal. Learn to evaluate journal credibility, interpret impact metrics, and identify predatory publishers to ensure your thesis or project is built on a foundation of high-quality scholarship

 N/A

Advanced Research for Graduate Students: Using AI Research Tools and Citation Tracing & Profile

Facilitator: Amy Jansen MSLIS, MA, Business Librarian Associate Librarian | Library Faculty

Learn how to responsibly integrate AI tools into your research workflow to discover sources, refine search strategies, and work more efficiently while critically evaluating AI-generated results.

 N/A

Topic Archive

Writing Clearly at the Macro-Level: Structuring a Paper

Facilitator: Dr. Tess Marchant-Shapiro SCSU Writing Director, Professor of Political Science

 N/A

Writing Clearly at the Micro-Level: Writing Paragraphs and Sentences

Facilitator: Dr. Tess Marchant-Shapiro SCSU Writing Director, Professor of Political Science

 N/A

Simplifying the Writing Process: One Chunk at a Time

Facilitator: Dr Tess Marchant-Shapiro SCSU Writing Director, Professor of Political Science

Video

Slides

Ethical Use of Generative AI in Writing

Facilitators: Hayley Battaglia, M.F.A., M.S.L.S., Library Services and Dr. Tess Marchant-Shapiro, SCSU Writing Director, Professor of Political Science

 N/A

Building Clarity into the Structure of Your Writing

Facilitator: Dr. Tess Marchant-Shapiro SCSU Writing Director, Professor of Political Science

 Slides

Writing a Literature Review

Facilitator: Dr. Tess Marchant-Shapiro SCSU Writing Director, Professor of Political Science

 Slides

Revising your Writing for Clarity

Facilitator: Dr. Tess Marchant-Shapiro SCSU Writing Director, Professor of Political Science

 Video

Building Writing Structures to Communicate Clearly

Facilitator: Dr. Tess Marchant-Shapiro SCSU Writing Director, Professor of Political Science

 Video

Topic Archive

From Idea to Proposal: Developing a Strong Thesis or Dissertation

Facilitator: Dr. Cheryl Durwin Professor, Psychology and Graduate Coordinator

 Video

Formatting a Thesis or Dissertation

Facilitator: Dr. Tess Marchant-Shapiro SCSU Writing Director, Professor of Political Science

 Video

Topic Archive

Business Writing for Professionals

Facilitator: Attorney Rob Smith, Jr. Chairperson of the Management and International Business Department

 Slides