Welcome
Spring 2025 Course Selection
To find the seminar best suited to you, please visit Choosing the Right Seminar.
See Course Descriptions for information and schedules for all Writing Seminars that fulfill Penn's undergraduate Writing Requirement.
If you have questions or concerns, please write us at crit‑writingsem@groups.sas.upenn.edu.
Writing Center Open for Fall: August 27th — December 13th
Click here to make an undergraduate Writing Center appointment using our online scheduling system (upenn.mywconline.com). We do not have graduate writing tutors or coaches available at this time.
If you need immediate assistance, have technical difficulties, or would like help with online appointments, please email tutorhelp@writing.upenn.edu or call 215-573-2729. Support is available Monday through Thursday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM and Sunday, 3:00 – 9:00 PM.
The Marks Family Center for Excellence in Writing strengthens the university's deep commitment to developing and refining the critical thinking, writing, and collaborative skills of our undergraduate students. Dedicated to teaching writing and to creating a community of writers across Penn's undergraduate schools, it brings together a uniquely discipline-based writing curriculum, dynamic workshops, symposia, student-centered projects and publications, and distinguished faculty.
The Center's Critical Writing Program is a recipient of the Conference on College Composition and Communication Writing Program Certificate of Excellence.
Penn undergraduates across all four schools fulfill their writing requirement through seminars offered by the Critical Writing Program. They continue to advance their skills by enrolling in a range of writing courses and opportunities affiliated with Marks Family Center for Excellence in Writing. Undergraduates receive additional writing support and feedback from peer and senior tutors in the Writing Center.
Click here for a complete list of Critical Writing Seminars.
Contact information
The Marks Family Center for Excellence in Writing
University of Pennsylvania
McNeil Building, Suite 110
3718 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6121
Telephone: 215-573-2729
Fax: 215-573-8398
Email: crit-writingsem@groups.sas.upenn.edu
Critical Writing staff and faculty
Administration
- Matthew Osborn, Interim Marks Family Senior Director and Director, The Critical Writing Program
- Carmen Meza, Associate Director, Marks Family Writing Center
- Jake Rutkowski, Associate Director, Academic Administration
- Kate Kolbusz, Assistant Director
Faculty
- Lawrence Abbott, English
- Fabian Arzuaga, Political Science
- Nikita Bezrukov, Linguistics
- Sara Byala, History
- Brian Cannon, History and South Asia Studies
- Jean-Paul Cauvin, Philosophy
- Michael Chiappini, English, Writing History and Theory
- Amanda DiLodovico, Dance Studies
- Phillip Fackler, Religious Studies
- DaJuan Ferrell, Sociology
- Jacob Friedman, Musicology
- Timothy Holliday, History
- Helen Jeoung, Linguistics
- Nick Joseph, English
- Shelby Justl, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
- Melissa Kapadia, Education
- John Kehayias, Physics
- Rafael Khachaturian, Political Science
- Kathleen Kramer, Fine Arts
- Shaleigh Kwok, Psychology
- Rebecca Lipperini, English
- Aurora MacRae-Crerar, Biology
- Yuka Matsutani, Second Language Studies
- Chloe Milligan, English and Media Studies
- Adam Mohr, History and Sociology of Science
- Justin Mullikin, Geography
- Amy Paeth, English
- Dilshanie Perera, Anthropology
- Jeff Renye, English
- Michelle Taransky, English
- Carolyn Trench, Art History
- Fayyaz Vellani, Environmental Studies
- Dana Walker, Information Science
- Keahnan Washington, African American Studies & Sociocultural Anthropology
- Patrick Wehner, American Studies and Communication
- Sharif Youssef, Law and English