University Writing CenterThe staff of the University Writing Center is a diverse group in terms of majors, career goals, ethnicity, and linguistic background. The main thing they share is a common workplace. At the end of the Winter quarter they were asked to write a paragraph on: “Working in the Writing Center: The Good, the Wonderful, and the Not So Wonderful.”
Many of the tutors wrote about the positive experience of meeting and working with different types of people. Biology major Lauren Squaglia wrote, “Being a tutor at the UWC has been my most positive experience at Cal Poly Pomona. . . . It’s great to get to know the students that I work with. I love walking around campus and seeing them waving and smiling at me!” Lehong Chow, an Animal Science major, wrote, “I have met so many people from different backgrounds that have introduced many new concepts and ideas to me. . . both from fellow tutors as well as students I have tutored.”
Max Kiert, a Mechanical Engineering major, wrote, “Tutoring at the Writing Center is not what I thought it would be–and that’s a good thing. I took this job because of my experience in proofreading papers for my friends. The focus here, however, is to improve writers, not just the papers they bring in. I feel that makes this job all at once more meaningful, challenging, and rewarding.”
Some wrote about how good it was to find a job that used their own special abilities. English major Seni Linnebur wrote “I am not a very talented person; I can’t sing, dance, play any instruments, or excel in any athletics. The one thing I can really do is write, so it feels good to use this ability to help those students whose talents lie elsewhere.”
Several tutors talked about learning about themselves from the job. English major Dan Baird wrote, “I have learned about my own ability to interact in a tutor position and based on what works and what doesn’t, I have altered my approach.” Doug Mullane wrote, “I gain a better picture of my progress as an English major; I can determine where I need to improve in terms of grammar, punctuation, and writing style; and I will use what I learn from every session to my advantage (as well as the advantage of others) in the future.”
Several tutors talked about what it felt like to help students pass the Graduation Writing Test. Laura Caplan-Gilden, a Liberal Studies major who plans to be a teacher, wrote, “One of my students was having trouble with the GWT test. He had failed it on three separate occasions and didn’t know what he was doing wrong. His content was detailed and focused, but his grammar needed some work. For two weeks before the exam, he came to me with many grammar questions and we worked through them together. After taking the official GWT exam, he came back to me very excited with a passing grade of eight.”
Philosophy major Aaron Black wrote, “It’s a great feeling when someone you’ve been helping for a few weeks comes in after the GWT and tells you that he went from a six to an eight, even though he’d received a six the last five times he’d taken the test.” Of course, successes in course work are also important. Terry Johnson, another English major, wrote “I got really excited when two students that I had tutored all quarter came in with “A’s” on their essays, from a very picky teacher!”
Not every tutoring session goes well. Aaron Black says, “It’s not all fun though; like any job teaching or tutoring there are problem students, ones who are here because they are made to be here. Those students are frustrating; their apathy is the only thing holding them back, and they won’t let it go.” Lori Lu, an English major, notes that “those who come to the UWC with inappropriate manners often don’t learn anything.”
Some tutors emphasized that the Writing Center was just a nice place to work. Saeri Lee, a Fine Arts major, wrote, “The UWC is a very friendly and comfortable place to work, and everyone is always willing to help each other.” Annie Kuo, a Political Science major, says “I enjoy helping students by answering their questions and I enjoy seeing the satisfaction on their faces after they have attended a tutoring session.” Aaron Black, who admits to being a little lazy, puts it this way, “It’s not really like work, it is more like hanging out and helping people who need it, and are smart enough to realize it.”
Students who wish to apply for a tutoring position at the Writing Center should call 909-869-5343 for information. Tutors should have at least a year of college experience, a 3.0 GPA, a “B” or better in Freshman Composition, and a “9” or better on the Graduation Writing Test. (A student who got an “8” or has not taken the GWT yet should talk to the Director). There are also two tests: a proofreading and revision test and a response to a student paper.
