Students seeking help with commas and colons may run into trouble because of cuts at the Reading and Writing Center.
"We have seen a 50 percent budget cut," said Martin Simpson, the director of the Reading and Writing Center, which is located at Broward Hall.
Simpson said one of the biggest effects of the cuts, which were made in July, is the center's hours.
The center used to be open to students from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Now it is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday.
The center has also reduced its staff by almost half, Simpson said.
"I had 13 tutors last time around, and now we are down to about seven," he said. "Of those 13, there were only two layoffs. The rest were people who had graduated."
Shorter hours and fewer employees have affected some of the center's services.
Tutor Ariel Gunn said the number of walk-ins the center can accomodate has decreased.
"Before, probably maybe half or more of our business was walk-ins, and now we are able to see maybe one or two walk-ins a day," Gunn said.
Not only is it becoming difficult for students to be seen without an appointment, but it is also becoming more difficult for students to make an appointment.
"We book several days in advance so that it is becoming harder and harder for them to make appointments and come in," said Tutor Lauren Glenn.
"We are at the beginning of the semester right now, and it is already busy. I am guessing that we are going to have to turn people away at an unbelievable rate," she said.
