Writing Consultant
Writing Center
Employment Period: Academic Year Only
Hours Per Week: Up to 19 hrs/wk
Rate of Pay: $8.20 for UG, $10.13 post BA student
Location: UW2-124
Duties and Responsibilities
- Writing Consultants at the University of Washington, Bothell assist student writers with the pre-writing and re-writing phases of their writing assignments. Students bring assignments, ideas, outlines, or drafts of papers to the Writing Center, and Writing Consultants confer with them individually or in small groups to provide reader-based feedback. Writing Consultants also provide written, holistic responses to paper drafts posted to the Writing Center's online service. Consultants write summaries of each conference and record student data and information on the particular skills addressed during the conference (usually developmental, grammatical, mechanical, or stylistic concerns).
- Writing Consultants meet regularly in a staff meetings to exchange tutoring techniques and obtain advice on tutoring challenges, to discuss assignments and faculty expectations, and to design and plan improvements to the UWB writing program.
- Writing Consultants are also required to attend staff orientation meetings during the first quarter of their employment, where they will receive information including the University of Washington employment policies and safety issues.
- As time permits, Writing Consultants frequently are given small administrative or educational outreach tasks. These tasks have included, for example, tabulating Writing Center records for quarterly reports, composing brochures on writing strategies, and visiting classes to publicize our services.
- Writing Consultants are also responsible for promoting the mission of the Writing Center by sharing the routine tasks of operation-greeting visitors, answering phones, helping students schedule conferences, referring students to appropriate resources, etc.-and by participating in ongoing Writing Center events.
- Paid Writing Consultants: Consultants are hired as part-time temporary employees, whose commitment cannot exceed 19 hours/week. The starting wage is $8.20/hour; $10.20 for students with a bachelors degree or above. Employment is on a quarter-by-quarter basis. The Writing Center can make no commitment longer than a single term.
Minimum Qualifications
- Consultants should be able to interact effectively in face to face and online communication.
Educational Benefits
- Student consultants place great importance on the skills and values they developed while working in the Writing Center.
- Many of the consultants who have worked here say that their experience has helped them grow more confident in their writing abilities and encourage others in their writing abilities.
- Writing Consultants also strengthen their reading and listening skills that feed into their educational experiences, their work and social lives.