Consultants: Frequently Asked Questions
You should apply to take English 383 "Introduction to Composition Theory and Pedagogy," a thorough training course offered each semester. You may need to submit a writing sample, but you will need a letter of recommendation from a faculty member. Contact us if you are interested in applying to take the class.
If you work at the Writing Center, in many cases may not see a draft of a writer’s work in advance. Your schedule will be fixed each week, though you are also “on call” for writers. You may say “no” when you get busy.
If you are assigned to a class, you are more autonomous, working directly for the professor to whom you get assigned. You will be responsible for setting up a schedule to meet writers, and you should expect all drafts to arrive in advance.
As the semester ends, Dr. Essid assigns consultants for the following term. If possible, we will work with your preferences and try to accomadate requests to work with specific faculty members.
When Dr. Essid confirms your position, Ms. Ball will complete an EPAF in BannerWeb to begin the official hiring process.
If you have never worked on campus before, you will also need to complete pre-employment paperwork, which is submitted in person at the Office of Financial Aid. Please bring original, unexpired I-9 documents in order to complete the paperwork. This step is urgent; without completing the paperwork, you cannot be hired and begin working for the Center.
You will submit an online timesheet in BannerWeb every other week. See the Student Web Time Entry guide for instructions; other payroll information and schedules can be found here.
All new hires will need to complete job paperwork for taxation and immigration purposes. Please see this page to prepare the documents needed to verify your eligibility to work.
Beyond hours worked during shifts at the Center, those consultants assigned to classes should expect to consult with 12-16 students at least twice per semester. Consultants are paid for all time worked, including time spent reading and commenting on papers and writing summary reports.
Not at all. To stay on the roster, fill out your preference form online, and let the program administrators know when you will again be available to work.
Help them! Just be sure to file a Writing Center Summary for each appointment. Then we can pay you for the time you spend. If you think you will have a lot of time to help those in your dorm, consider working a regular shift in the dorm as a writing consultant. Dr. Essid and consultants who have tried this can provide advice about how to make dorm consultations work well.
No, because this can overwhelm the student proofreader. If you work in the Center, however, a report is required for each consultation. Classroom consultants should work out a system with the professor. In Dr. Essid’s sections, consultants write a single email with advice, observations, and follow-ups for any students. Otherwise, the annotated drafts serve as the record of what you did with writers.
Do as your professor asks. They are the arbiters of what occurs in the classroom. If the professor wants you to use a red pen and mark every error, do so. Tell Joe Essid if this bothers you. He’ll do his best at some “faculty development” with your professor.
When working with a class, notify the professor. I would not return a draft to a writer who failed to show up, unless the professor authorizes this. I would make one good-faith effort to contact the writer, and I’d tell the professor that I did so.
Ideally, send in a form within twenty-four hours of the meeting. Faculty often ask for missing reports!