On March 16, California State University, Stanislaus (Stan State) agreed to support a pilot of the online writing program Writelab.
Writelab is an automated writing assessment tool that can help students become better writers.
Stan State would be the first public university – and one with a high percentage of first-generation and English-as-a-second-language students – to offer this tool, according to University Associate Vice President Tim Lynch.
On March 10, Co-founder of Writelab and professor of English at UC Berkeley Don McQuade  and Director of Customer Success Eric Heltzel gave a demonstration of how the software works to a group of Stan State staff and administrators including President Sheley, English Department faculty and Writing Center faculty. 
The presentation gave an explanation of the program and how it can work as a tool for both students and instructors.
Unlike other similar programs that just proof-read writing, Writelab takes a different approach. Students log in to the website and upload their text to a blank page which allows the software to assess the writing.
Once the writing has been analyzed, students get their text revised with comments and feedback regarding their work. Writing within the text that needs revision is underlined and when it is clicked on, comments referring to that text show up on the left hand side. Students can then read the comments and edit their text accordingly.
The software currently focuses on writing issues of clarity, concision and logic. Grammar is another focus, but that feature is currently being worked on.
Writelab has the ability to be used by multiple people. Students can share their document for additional real life feedback from professors and Writing Center tutors.
“For this pilot, Writelab will be adopted in composition classes and in the Writing Center,” Lynch said.
“The software looks promising,” Writing Center Director Paula Barrington-Schmidt said.
Writing Center staff and tutors will become familiar with the tool and be able to use it as an additional resource in helping students.
“This program could serve to inform the tutoring session in a new way,” Barrington-Schmidt said.
During the Spring semester, the Writing Center sees around 45 students, but during the Fall semester the average number of students that come for assistance is 160 per day.
The total cost of the program is still unknown, but it won’t cost students any money during the trial run.
“We are still working things out with the program developers but the cost will be nominal,” Executive Correspondence Officer Amanda Theis said.
Funding for the program will come from the President’s office.
The trail program will begin in Fall 2016 and will continue through Spring 2017. Once the trial is completed, feedback from instructors and students will determine if this is going to be a permanent tool available to Stan State students.