Student Requirements

Participation Benefits

writing fellows working outside

Writing Fellows (WFs) have many opportunities to make meaningful connections with fellow students and faculty. They receive training to improve their writing, communication, and leadership skills in a seminar held during fall semester. These skills set participants apart as graduate school and job applicants.

Prerequisites

Students must be nominated by a professor who is familiar with their writing and has noted their strong writing skills. An alternate path to nomination is through a current WF; in this case, students should ask the nominating WF to notify the Director.

  • Typically, students nominated are at a sophomore level or higher.
  • Students should have already completed English 2010 and have a minimum GPA of 3.2.
  • Nominations are accepted between August and February.
  • Students submit applications to become a WF between January and March 1 for the coming academic year.

Training

In their first semester, WFs enroll in CHSS 4900, a two-credit training course held fall semesters. The seminar is typically scheduled to be held once weekly for 75 minutes in the afternoon. * If WFs want to earn a third credit of internship, they can sign up for one more credit during the spring semester by registering with Shanan Ballam in the English department.

Note: WFs cannot be concurrently enrolled in the class in which they are working as a WF.

Responsibilities

  • WFs must enroll in the two-credit fall seminar the first semester they begin tutoring.
  • WFs meet with the professor of the course they will be working with the first week of the semester.
  • WFs are assigned to work with 15 students on their writing.
  • Students in a course where the professor has elected to use WFs are required to meet with the WF on at least two assignments (no more than three) during the semester.
  • Once the meeting is completed students can revise their assignment before turning it in to the professor for a grade.
    The average time commitment to work as a WF is 50 hours a semester. WFs must maintain a minimum 3.2 GPA.

Compensation

Minimum compensation for working as a WF is $750 per semester. Opportunities for working in two classes occasionally arise, in which case compensation is doubled.