Information for Faculty

How We Work

The Writing Fellows Program (WFP) embeds undergraduate writing tutors into courses across the curriculum to support writing as a method of inquiry, communication, and learning. Writing Fellows (WFs) provide written and oral feedback on student writing and model effective writing processes in one-on-one conferences. We operate virtually to support USU students and faculty based on any campus across the state. WFs don’t grade writing nor attend the courses they work within—they mentor students through iterative cycles of drafting, feedback, and revision—producing more developed writing for you to grade.

Details

Workload

WFs provide 2-3 rounds of written feedback and one-on-one conferences per semester. You choose whether this entails feedback on a) multiple drafts of a single assignment, or b) multiple assignments. Your syllabus schedule should include the following deadlines for each round of student engagement with Writing Fellows: 1. Draft submission, ideally two weeks before final drafts are submitted for grading. 2. Zoom conferences, ideally several days before final draft submissions, leaving time for revision.

Pre-Semester Consultation

Meet with the WFP Director to discuss program integration and logistics. If desired, support in writing assignment design and/or scaffolding for your course can also be addressed.

Participation

Student participation is required; we ask faculty to link timely draft submission and conference attendance to student grades and include our WFP blurb in their syllabus. Students select appointment times that work for them and receive multiple submission and appointment reminders via MS Bookings, Canvas announcements, and WFs.

Initial Meeting

Meet with your assigned WF(s) during week one of the semester to discuss resources (see checklist below), deadlines, and course context. Because conceptions of “good writing” vary widely across and within disciplines, define your perspective, goals, and evaluation criteria. Post-round meetings with WFs are optional but encouraged.

Communications

Prompt responses between you and your WFs ensure students are best served.

Providing Your Students with WFP Access

Option A: WFP Canvas Shell

This is the simpler option, as it doesn’t require faculty to arrange WF/student interfacing. A Canvas shell unique to your course is built and includes many writing resources and tools for you and your students, from understanding a writing prompt to editing or citing sources in a final draft. It isn’t linked to Banner or your Canvas course; instead, it’s a sandbox for WF/student communications. Your Lead WF will enroll students using A#s before the first round begins, and students will accept invitations from their Canvas dashboard. A# sharing can be done in one of two ways: 1) Add your WFs to your course under the “TA” designation, or 2) Provide your Lead WF with a course roster.

Option B: Your Canvas Shell

If you’d rather not use the WFP shell, you can build WFs into your own. You will need to create assignments for students to upload drafts for WF feedback and conferencing, and the writing-related resources featured within the WFP shell will not be accessible to your students.

Timeline

  • Pre-Semester:
    • Pre-semester consultation with WFP Director
    • Syllabus prep: include the WFP blurb and WF draft submission & conference deadlines
  • By Week 1:
    • Provide WFs with student A#s or add them to your Canvas course as TAs
    • Conduct an initial meeting to discuss course writing assignments, scheduled deadlines, and your expectations for student writing; Your Lead WF will complete and share an initial meeting checklist (see below)
  • By Week 2:
    • Students receive an invitation to the WFP Canvas shell for WF interfacing
    • Faculty provide the “Information and Instructions for Students” document to students, clarify how their participation is tied to course grades, and invite students to explore the WFP shell for more information about the program, the WFs they’ll be working with, and student writing resources
    • Faculty communicate deadlines for WF drafts and conferencing, which are well in advance of the date students are expected to submit final drafts to the professor for evaluation (see requirements above)
  • Variable Dates Throughout the Semester:
    • Faculty remind students about WFP draft submission deadlines and conference appointment scheduling
    • Students work with WFs to improve their writing and writing processes through Canvas and Zoom
    • WFs provide post-conference reports to faculty as jointly determined (see below)
    • Faculty notify the WFP Director of their interest in future semester WFP support
  • By Week 15:
    • Faculty instruct students to complete WF evaluations through the WFP Canvas shell (link will be provided)

Professor/WF Initial Meeting Checklist

Things to cover during your initial meeting with your WFs:

  • Course title
  • Contact information
    • Faculty name, phone, email
    • Lead WF, Additional WFs (if any)
  • Number of assignments
  • Assignments described and the professor's expectations clarified
  • Assignment grading deadlines (to professor)
  • Deadlines for WF draft submissions determined (ideally 2 weeks before grading deadlines)
  • Deadlines for WF conferencing determined (providing revision time)
  • What Canvas shell will be used (WPF Canvas Shell OR Professor's Canvas Shell)
  • Student A# access provided
  • AI policy regarding writing assignments
  • WF s added as TAs to the professor's Canvas Course (to send announcements)
  • WFP participation (draft submission AND conferencing) effect on grades determined
  • Contact preferences (modes/times) communicated
  • Typical students described (i.e., year in school, majors/Gen Ed, writing strengths and weaknesses, etc.)
  • Resources provided:
    • Course syllabus (including a section on the WFP with WF contact information)
    • Course schedule with writing assignment submission deadlines
    • Writing assignments
    • Grading rubrics
    • Student models
    • Description of resources made available to students
    • Thorough description of the professor's criteria and priorities for writing evaluation
  • WF class introductions scheduled
  • Post-conference WF report protocol determined (i.e., notes emailed to professor, professor accesses Canvas notes, etc.)