Welcome to the Illinois Tech Communications Lab! Peer and professional tutors are available to help you become a strong and effective communicator. We provide support and feedback with:
- Thesis statements
- Research papers
- Lab reports
- Scientific poster design
- Oral presentations
- Data visualizations and infographics
- Scholarship/grant application essays
- And more!
All tutoring is free for our Illinois Tech community. Tutors are available for 50-minute pre-scheduled or drop-in appointments. We have experts in English as a Second Language for international students.
Hours: Available Monday-Friday for both in-person and online appointments. Drop-ins are also welcome! To see available times, click on the Schedule an Appointment button below.
Stop by! We are located on the upper level of Galvan Library, around the corner from OTS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Appointments can be made in advance . While drop-in support is available, the Communications Lab recommends students make a scheduled appointment at the link above at least one hour in advance.
To make an appointment:
- Click the link above and sign in. If you do not have an account, register to create one.
- After signing in, click on Communications Lab to view the full tutor schedule for the week ahead. Select an available slot at least one hour in advance
- Complete the form providing all the required information. You can also attach any files related to your project to ensure that your tutor is best prepared for your session.
- Once your appointment is scheduled, you will receive a confirmation email with all of the details.
- If you need to cancel your appointment, use the same system (click on your appointment, scroll down to the bottom, and click Cancel Appointment). Please be courteous to your tutor and fellow students and avoid not showing to your appointment without canceling it in advance. After three no-shows (i.e. missing the meeting without canceling), your ability to schedule with the Communications Lab may be limited.
The Communications Lab is located on the upper level of Galvin Library around the corner from the Office of Technology Services.
Yes! Though the Communications Lab encourages in-person appointments for a better learning experience, virtual appointments are available. If you select an online appointment, the link will be included in your confirmation email.
Additionally, any in-person appointment can be switched to an online session if you are no longer able to meet in person but would still like to keep the appointment that you made.
Yes! Our tutors are available to help with group assignments as well as individual ones. Please indicate on the sign-up form if you plan on meeting as a group.
Our tutors work with you to:
- Unpack assignments and prompts, brainstorm ideas, and build a strong focus
- Strengthen your argument, use of evidence, logical flow, and overall persuasiveness
- Improve organization of your draft to ensure your ideas are presented in a logical and effective order
- Assess your speaking style and presentation strategies (body language, use of transitions, etc.)
- Give concrete suggestions to help you become more clear, coherent, and attentive to given parameters
- Help you develop and practice effective discussion/conversation strategies
- NOTE: Tutors will not proofread or correct your work for you, but they will help you spot common error patterns and develop strategies for editing your work