Writing Center tutors are peer tutors, not experts. While some are graduate students, many are juniors or seniors. New tutors attend training workshops and are assigned an experienced tutor as a "buddy" for the first quarter. All tutors attend training sessions and are asked to read selected journal articles and other materials relevant to tutoring (usually one article per week). Their experience and skill increases quickly on the job.
Interaction between the tutors is an important dimension of a successful writing center. Tutors share techniques, strategies, and tutoring experiences, and their inter-disciplinary knowledge is an important resource for everyone.
Learning Resource Center
University Writing Center (UWC)
Want to become a writing tutor?
The UWC recruits tutors from all disciplines. Every tutor applicant must:
- Demonstrate good writing ability.
- Have a basic knowledge of the conventions of formal writing.
- Be a successful student (unofficial transcripts required).
- During the recruitment process, each applicant is asked to respond to a sample of student writing and describe how he or she would work with that student. There is no one right way to respond--the important thing is to have some insight into how to interact with a struggling writer.
- Complete a multiple choice "proofreading" test.
- Submit a tutor application with tutor reommendations.
Writing Center tutors are peer tutors, not experts. While some are graduate students, many are juniors or seniors. New tutors attend training workshops and are assigned an experienced tutor as a "buddy" for the first quarter. All tutors attend training sessions and are asked to read selected journal articles and other materials relevant to tutoring (usually one article per week). Their experience and skill increases quickly on the job.
Interaction between the tutors is an important dimension of a successful writing center. Tutors share techniques, strategies, and tutoring experiences, and their inter-disciplinary knowledge is an important resource for everyone.