A Guide for Faculty

You can request a writing fellow for fall 2024 here.

Who are writing fellows?
Writing fellows typically discuss writing assignment goals with the professor and meet with students to review their drafts and writing progress. As paid student employees, writing fellows may work up to six hours a week. Responsibilities of writing fellows may include: 

•  Holding office hours to review drafts and discuss writing-related matters with students;
•  Leading in-class review sessions on: grammar, style, citation, and documentation   
    practices or other writing-related topics;
•  Assisting the professor with in-class peer review workshops;
• Attending labs to work with students on reports and provide feedback;
•  Advising students on group writing projects or proposals;
•  Supervising brainstorming or pre-writing sessions, in or outside of class;
•  Reading relevant course materials (up to one hr/week);
•  In W1 courses, writing fellows can expect to provide more significant support on the writing process and academic
    writing conventions than in other classes.

Faculty can support writing fellows and students by:
•  Introducing the writing fellow and explaining their role in the course on the first day of classes;
•  Identifying the writing fellow and providing their contact information on the course syllabus, Moodle page, and/or
    website; Familiarizing students with Writers’ Center practices (e.g., our focus on improving clarity, organization, and
    argumentation rather than  grammar and style);
•  Emphasizing that students of all class levels, backgrounds, and identities can use the Writers’ Center;
•  Discussing a writing assignment’s key concepts and learning objectives with the writing fellow prior to
    assigning it;
•  Encouraging students to meet with the writing fellow with each new assignment;
•  If appropriate, requiring students to meet at least once with the writing fellow.

A suggested timeline for working with a writing fellow:
Before the first day of class:
•  Share all course materials with your writing fellow
•  Add the writing fellow to the course’s Moodle page/course website
•  Meet to discuss your syllabus, assignments, writing expectations, and key dates

During the first week of classes: 
•  Invite the writing fellow to visit your class to meet the students and discuss their responsibilities

After major assignments and midway through the semester:
•  Listen to your writing fellow’s report on student’s recurring questions and/or confusion
•  Provide your writing fellow with feedback on their work;

Continually:
•  Encourage your writing fellow to hold weekly/biweekly office hours
•  Communicate expectations for your writing fellow