Location is only one of the changes being made to the former English Writing Center.

Following a nationwide trend among communications programs, the former English Writing Center, which has moved from Ross Hall to Carver Hall, has expanded services to help students with more than writing.

The newly renamed Writing and Media Help Center now assists students in writing speeches and presentations and offers electronic media assistance.

“Now that we’re centrally located on campus, we can reach out and serve students better,” said Chris Nelson, English lecturer and new director of the center. “We’re changing as Iowa State adapts.”

Nelson said the changes are paralleled with the New Horizons Initiative — a one-year study by the college of liberal arts and sciences designed to create a more rounded curriculum — and the W.O.V.E. mission, which helps students with written, oral, visual and electronic assignments.

“English is a static discipline,” Nelson said. “We’re expanding people’s consciousness of how English works in various mediums.”

Nelson said English programs across the nation are changing and adapting to advances in technology.

“Technology has changed the dynamic of how we communicate,” he said. “It’s not the standard traditional English literature class anymore.”

Nelson estimated that 500 students used the center last semester in its old location but predicts an increase in traffic.

“I would definitely say more than [500 students] will use the center now,” he said. “Our schedule is filling up quickly.”

The new mission, however, has not yet expanded student use of the center.

“I think we’ve had about the same number of people [as last year], but more people are hearing about it,” said Rachel Mullen, a tutor at the center.

Mullen, senior in English, also said the 30-minute help periods with an instructor or tutor are disappearing fast and since the location change, many more engineers are using the center.

“I used to have a lot of breaks, but now we’re a lot busier,” she said.

Nelson said students have reacted and adjusted well to the changes in the center.

“Moving from Ross to Carver has caused more confusion than the name change,” he said.

Mullen said the center not only helps undergraduate students with projects and papers but also assists graduate students with thesis papers.

In addition to assisting students with assignments at the center, the tutors and instructors are also offering free workshops on improving the effectiveness of oral presentations, speech delivery and visual media, Nelson said.

Students can schedule appointments with the center by calling its office. Walk-ins are also accepted.