SVC Writing Center

SVC Writing Center Consultant (Peer Tutor) (Mount Vernon Campus)

Writing Center Consultants work with fellow Skagit students to provide guidance and assistance in writing for courses in any discipline, at all stages of the writing process. The purpose of our Writing Center work is to help students build their skills, their confidence, and their comfort level as writers and as students. To best support these goals, Consultants also integrate strategies for effective study and time management into their sessions and refer students to other college resources when appropriate. The Writing Center offers both in-person tutoring on the Mount Vernon Campus and online support through our WCOnline system. Consultants may also communicate with instructors and may participate in workshops or other Center activities.

Our work is informed by the broader research on writing center and tutoring theory and practice, and Consultants complete initial training in those areas to gain an academic and pedagogical base of support. As members of the Writer Center team, Consultants also attend weekly meetings for continuing professional development and discussions about Center work and services.

This is a paid position. Both initial training and ongoing weekly meetings are paid. Writing Center Consultants are classified under the State of Washington employment system as Teaching Assistant I. Applicants must be at least 18 years old.

NOTE:

• This application is for the SVC Writing Center on the Mount Vernon Campus.
• Under normal circumstances, newly hired Consultants work in person in the Writing Center for at least one quarter before consulting online. New hires this quarter may begin to receive training for online sessions earlier, as we negotiate our return to campus.

Responsibilities:

• Assist students who seek help with their writing (individually, occasionally in small groups) in the Center
• Assist in ongoing tasks (e.g., greeting students, answering the phone, keeping records, collaborating on WC projects) to ensure the Center runs smoothly and efficiently
• Adhere to Writing Center policies and enforce Center rules
• Attend weekly Consultant meetings
• Communicate with instructors, when appropriate, to discuss how to best serve writers in their courses
• Refer students to other campus resources when appropriate
• Present Writing Center orientations (in the Center or in classes)
• Meet with the Center Director as part of ongoing Consultant evaluation and complete self-evaluations
• Maintain payroll and Center data records thoroughly and on time
• Consultants will later train to work with students online using our WCOnline system, in synchronous (“real-time”) and/or asynchronous (“feedback”) formats
• May also have opportunities to participate in specialty student and faculty development workshops and to develop resource materials for the Center

Position Requirements

• Writing Center Consultants must demonstrate academic achievement and good writing skills, intellectual curiosity, respect for and interest in the ideas of others, and an ability to establish rapport and communicate clearly and easily with fellow students both in-person and through online formats.
• They must have good time management, promptness, and a sense of humor.
• It is critical that consultants have the ability to work well when things get busy (in Center), to be comfortable enforcing Writing Center rules, and to work with a range of student personalities and respond to a range of consulting situations.
• Applicants must have completed at least ENLG&101 (ENGL&102 preferred), hold a 3.0 or better in composition courses and a minimum overall GPA of 3.0, and provide a written faculty recommendation (see application). Preference may be given to applicants who have completed CMST& 210, Interpersonal Communication.
• Once hired, consultants must complete Consultant training (arranged with the Director) and attend weekly Center meetings. Training is paid hourly.
• Consultants must maintain a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 to continue employment.