Schedule a Consultation

The Clem History Writing Center (HWC) offers students the option of virtual or in-person appointments on weekdays. Weeknights and weekend appointments will remain virtual only.

We are open for appointments and drop-ins every day of the week, with more limited hours on weekends.

Please read the instructions below, then click the “Book Now” button at the bottom of the page to view available appointments and to schedule yours.

If you’ve booked a consultation already, please scroll down for information about what to expect and how to connect.

Before making your appointment, please note:

We offer 50-minute appointments – at no cost to students – that start at the beginning of the hour. After a ten-minute grace period, your appointment slot will become available for drop-ins, so please arrive on time to ensure you keep your spot. You are not obliged to take the full 50 minutes for your consultation. It can be as long or as brief as you need it to be within your timeslot.
Students are allowed to schedule one appointment at a time per assignment; follow-up consultations can be made after the initial meeting.
Students are not allowed to make initial appointments for the same day an assignment is due.
Please schedule virtual appointments no later than 10 minutes after the scheduled start time.
If you experience any technical difficulties in scheduling an online appointment, please email us at write1@wm.edu.
No open appointment on your day[s] of preference? Go to WCONLINE (click “book now” below), make sure you’re looking at the History Writing Center schedule, and click the “Waiting List” button below your preferred day[s]. Fill out the form that pops up. If an appointment is cancelled, everyone on the waitlist for that day will be notified and the appointment slot can then be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. If you’re on the waitlist and are notified that an appointment has become available, be sure to go to WCONLINE to make an appointment to ensure the slot is yours.

Consultation Policies

We DO NOT make initial appointments for papers due on the same day as the appointment. If you have already worked on the paper with a consultant, you may make a return appointment to go over your final revisions on the day the paper is due. Clem History Writing Center consultations are about improving the student as a writer, not line-editing individual papers.
Generally, we will limit the number of consultations on any single assignment to three (3) per student. Center consultants may waive this restriction if they deem it necessary on an individual basis. This policy is designed to insure that as many students as possible who need help will have access to the HWC.
Students with appointments will be prioritized over drop-ins, and drop-in students will be served with priority to the student who arrived first. Whenever possible, please try to use our scheduling website to make an appointment so that you’re guaranteed a spot. You are, however, also welcome to drop by the HWC or email us at write1@wm.edu if you notice an open slot on our calendar.
If you need to cancel an appointment, please provide at least 60-minutes notice. Appointments cancelled within 60 minutes will be considered late cancellations. Students are allowed two no-shows and two late cancellations. After two no-shows and/or two late cancellations you will be blocked from making appointments at the HWC for the remainder of the semester. If there are extenuating circumstances, please notify the HWC via email at write1@wm.edu.

What to Bring to Your Consultation

A copy of your work so far. For online appointments, your consultant will let you know how you can share your work electronically with them.
A copy of the prompt or instructions for your assignment.
Any other relevant materials (notes, an outline, visual aids, books, etc.).
The HWC recommends that students wear masks during consultations, given the fact that the HWC is small, windowless and unventilated. We have masks available in the HWC if you'd like one.

Making the Most of Your Consultation

Plan ahead. Schedule an appointment as soon as you can after you receive the assignment. Don't count on finding an available consultant whenever you drop in.
Be prepared (see “What to Bring” above).
Take an active role in your consultation. Before your appointment, think over any writing problems you’ve encountered, and let the consultant know what concerns you most.

What You Can Expect from the HWC

Help with writing challenges you’re encountering, including but not limited to writer's block, research methods, organization, revision strategies, proper formatting, the passive voice, and thesis statements.
Assistance at any stage of writing, from generating ideas to polishing the final product, and assistance with any type of history writing project, including book reviews, research papers, theses, graduate-level writing, and graduate school applications.
A compatible, competent consultant. Our consultants are advanced history graduate students who are familiar with all types of history papers assigned in the department. You are welcome to return to the same consultant or visit a different consultant after your first appointment.

What You Should Not Expect from the HWC

An editing service where you sit back and relax while we do the writing for you. We want to help you work independently.
A perfect paper. One session is rarely enough time to address every writing problem or issue. The real goal of a consultation is to help you become a better writer, a process which happens gradually.

Virtual Appointments

Please don’t forget that weekdays are the only times when you will have the option of scheduling an in-person or a virtual appointment. All weeknight and weekend appointments are virtual.

To make a virtual [Zoom] appointment:

Click on the “Book Now” button on the bottom of this page.
Make an account or log in to WCONLINE.
Choose an open appointment slot and click on that box. An appointment form will pop up on your screen. For a weekday appointment, you will be prompted to select whether you want a “Face-to-Face Appointment” or a “Real Time Online Appointment.” To make a Zoom appointment, select “Real Time Online Appointment,” then proceed to fill out and submit the appointment form.
After you’ve made the appointment, be sure to read the email that will automatically send to your William & Mary Gmail account.

To attend a virtual appointment:

A few minutes before it is time to start your online consultation, open the WCONLINE schedule (https://wm.mywconline.net/). Make sure you’re looking at the current day on the schedule and the consultant you’ve made an appointment with. There will be a Zoom room code next to your consultant’s name.
Log into your William & Mary Zoom account (https://cwm.zoom.us/), click “Join a Meeting” on the top right corner of the page, and enter your consultant’s Zoom code. When your consultant is ready, they will let you in from the Zoom waiting room.
Please begin the appointment from a computer where you have access to your assignment, so that both you and the consultant can view and discuss it together. Make sure you have headphones, a good internet connection, and a quiet space. In addition, please pay close attention to the email you receive after booking your appointment on WCONLINE.
If you have difficulties joining the online consultation, cannot access reliable internet, or need any other accommodations, please email us at write1@wm.edu.

In-Person Appointments

Please don’t forget that weekdays are the only times when you will have the option of scheduling an in-person or a virtual appointment. All weeknight and weekend appointments are virtual.

To make an in-person appointment:

Click on the “Book Now” button on the bottom of this page.
Make an account or log in to WCONLINE.
Choose an open appointment slot and click on that box. An appointment form will pop up on your screen. For a weekday appointment, you will be prompted to select whether you want a “Face-to-Face Appointment” or a “Real Time Online Appointment.” To make an in-person appointment, select “Face-to-Face Appointment,” then proceed to fill out and submit the appointment form.
After you’ve made the appointment, be sure to read the email that will automatically send to your William & Mary Gmail account.

To attend an in-person appointment:

If you have an in-person appointment, please meet your instructor at the History Writing Center (Blair Hall 347) at the time your appointment is due to start. Replace with: The HWC recommends that students wear masks during consultations, given the fact that the HWC is small, windowless, and unventilated. We have masks available in the HWC if you'd like one. We are happy to honor students' requests to meet outdoors. If you are showing symptoms of illness, but still wish to keep your appointment, we ask that you switch to a virtual format. Email us at write1@wm.edu if this is the case, and we will do our best to accommodate you.

Schedule a Consultation

Book an appointment online:

BOOK NOW