How to Work with Your Writing Fellow

USU’s Writing Fellows are excited to work with you this year!

Your professor has requested support for this course from the Writing Fellows (WF) Program. This program operates virtually, so even if you’ve worked with Writing Fellows in previous semesters, please consult the following to help you better understand how WFs will be assisting you. WFs don’t grade your writing, and they aren’t part of the Writing Center (where walk-in appointments are possible). WFs are trained writing tutors who work with your professor to help you meet assignment requirements, improve your writing, and grow your writing skills by offering feedback on your initial drafts.

How to Work with Your Writing Fellow

Accept Your Canvas Course Invitation

A Canvas course shell has been designed uniquely for your course. This shell is not tied to Banner but instead serves as a space for WF/student interfacing.

Between 1-7 WFs have been assigned to your course. After they’ve conferred with your professor about your course’s writing assignments, you will receive a Canvas course invitation to the WFP shell. Accept the invitation and use this shell to upload your work and schedule your Zoom conferences with WFs.

Your professor will notify you of WFP-related deadlines specific to your course. When each writing assignment is due for Writing Fellow review, open your WFP Canvas shell.

Step 1: Upload Your Writing

  1. Share your draft by clicking on the Upload Your Writing link.
  2. You will see the writing assignments for which your professor wants you to receive WFP support.
  3. Click on the appropriate assignment, upload your draft as an MS WORD document.
  4. In the Comments box, tell your WF your major concerns with the draft (please see the What to Expect During Your Conference section below for help with this step.)
  5. Click Submit.

Step 2: Schedule Your Conference

  1. After uploading your draft, click on the Schedule a Conference link.
  2. You will see contact information for all WFs working in your course, but you only need to meet with ONE WF per assignment.
  3. On the Schedule a Conference Page, click on the Appointment Scheduler link to see a list of available times for each WF.
  4. Click on the date and time that work best for you, enter your questions/concerns in the comments box, and click Reserve.
  5. Record the date and time you selected in your calendar.

What to Expect During Your Writing Conference

Writing Fellows aren’t text “fixers” or editors. They don’t grade your writing, though they will work to help you improve your grade! All professional writers seek help with their writing, which becomes stronger through cycles of feedback and revision. The WF conference is about your writing and exists as a support system for you.

  • Our mutual short-term goal is to strengthen this particular piece of writing
  • Our mutual long-term goal is to nurture your development as a writer
  1. Your WF will begin by addressing your concerns—those mentioned when you initially submitted your writing. Feel free to use the ideas below for help in considering what these concerns might be, as well as the common concerns listed on the Canvas page where you’ll be uploading your writing.
  2. Where time remains, your WF will then focus on higher-order concerns, such as any of the following:
    1. Meeting the specific content requirements of the writing assignment (topic, genre, rhetorical context, audience, and professor-specific instructions)
    2. The presence and quality of a main idea or thesis
    3. Development of detail and examples
    4. Reasoning and logic
    5. Genre-specific organization
    6. Use of outside sources, if applicable
  3. Where time remains, your WF will then address any lower-order concerns, such as:
    1. Length and style requirements
    2. Sentence-level issues
    3. Readability
    4. Grammar/mechanics
    5. Citation

Step 4: Attend Your Conference

  1. It is not necessary to have a Zoom account in order to join a Zoom meeting with your WF.
  2. At the appointed time, return to the Schedule a Conference link.
  3. Click on your WF’s unique Zoom Meeting link to enter their Personal Meeting Room.
  4. You will be redirected to a waiting room, where you can test your speaker and webcam.
  5. Once the WF grants you permission to enter the meeting room, you can communicate via audio, video, or chat messaging. Your WF will explain the logistics of online tutoring and several relevant Zoom features.
  6. During the appointment, your WF may screen-share your paper and feedback, and/or grant you remote control of the file. With this permission, the tutor and student can take turns controlling the essay, with the student typically taking the lead.

After the Appointment

You will have the option to save any chat history before leaving the meeting room. Once you leave, your WF will upload the draft with their feedback to your WFP Canvas assignments. You can then download the draft and use the feedback and conference session to revise before submitting to your professor. Sometime after conferences are complete, you will be prompted by your WF to complete a brief survey.