1. What do writing consultants do? Consultants help student-writers think about how they might revise their writing. This means that consultants read student papers, or have students read them aloud. Consultants ask questions about those papers to help students clarify their focus and organize their writing so it flows smoothly. Consultants assist students in identifying problem areas of grammar and punctuation. Because consultants are not teachers or editors, they don't grade or fix student papers. Rather, they ask questions and give feedback to students toward improving their writing.
2. Who do I consult with, and where? Consultants work one-to-one with students in the writing center, meeting students by appointment or on a drop-in basis. Our writing center locations include LOH 120 in Allendale, the DEV student study area at the Grand Rapids/Pew campus, the Meijer campus library in Holland, and the CHS building in downtown Grand Rapids. During drop-ins, writing consultants work with students across the disciplines. Writing consultants also work in WRT 098 and WRT 150 classrooms, meeting with students one-to-one or in small groups. Upon request, we offer in-class workshops for faculty teaching SWS classes. We offer some limited online consulting via email, AIM and Yahoo! Messenger, and Blackboard sites.
3. Why would I want to be a consultant? There are many reasons! It's enjoyable to help others to write better. You'll have the opportunity to work closely with faculty in WRT 098, WRT 150, and SWS courses. You'll also have the opportunity to associate with a talented and creative group of colleagues doing meaningful work. And working so much with student-writers across campus helps you to improve your own writing and communication skills--very important in any profession you might have post-graduation.
4. How many hours can I work? Eight hours per week is the minimum. Most consultants work 8-12 hours, though you may work as many as 20.
5. How will this job fit into my schedule? At the beginning of each semester, consulting hours are scheduled to fit around your classes and other commitments.
6. How much will I get paid? New undergraduate writing consultants will be paid $8.60 an hour, well above minimum wage. New graduate writing consultants will be paid $10.50 an hour. Consultants receive a wage increase after each year of successful employment.
7. How do I learn to do the work of a consultant? You will be required to attend a two-day orientation before fall semester begins (typically we hold orientation on the Thursday and Friday before fall classes begin). You will also meet weekly with other consultants to discuss strategies and problems. In addition, we require consultants to attend a few seminars during the academic year to learn specific and specialized consulting skills. You will be paid for attending the orientations, seminars, and mentor group meetings. During the fall semester you'll enroll in a weekly one-hour class (WRT 306) to learn more about consulting. You'll earn regular college credit for taking the course, but you are not expected to pay for it beyond your regular tuition. In Fall 2010, WRT 306 will be offered on Thursdays, 6:00-6:50 in Allendale.
You must be available to enroll in this course to become a consultant. In addition, you must be available to attend orientation/training during the Thursday and Friday before fall classes begin.
8. How did I get recommended for consulting? The Center asks faculty across campus, particularly faculty who teach SWS or writing intensive courses, to recommend students who are strong writers and good responders to their peers' writing.
If you are interested in becoming a consultant, you may obtain a recommendation from a faculty member on your own. Simply ask one of your professors to send an email to Lisa Gullo (gullol@gvsu.edu), letting us know that he or she thinks you'd be a good consultant and why (a few sentences is fine). Be sure your professor includes in the email your full name and student number and the course number of the class you took from that professor.
9. When and where do I apply? Applications will be available here at our website by February 1, 2010, with an application deadline sometime in March. Interviews will be held during final exam week, with hiring decisions made in early May.
10. I plan to spend a semester off-campus in a study-abroad program, or student assisting/teaching. Can I still apply to be a writing consultant? This question doesn't have an easy answer, so bear with this lengthy explanation! Almost all the training for new writing consultants happens in the fall, so you cannot be hired as a writing consultant if you will be gone in the fall semester. Because there is a sharp learning curve in becoming an effective consultant, we do not typically hire students who will be here in the fall, then will study abroad in the winter, and then will graduate; we don't get to benefit from your intensive, semester-long training experience if you're only here during the semester of training.
If, however, you plan to study abroad in the winter term, but you will be back to work in the center the following year, that isn't usually a problem--please make this plan clear on your application. If you will be student assisting or student teaching during the 2009-2010 academic year, you most likely will not have the scheduling flexibility to work as a writing consultant (most of our work hours occur during the day, when public schools are in session). Because of the amount of training involved, our preference is to hire someone who can give us a full year of a flexible work schedule. If your particular circumstance hasn't been addressed in this answer, feel free to call us at 331-2922 to ask us about it.
PLEASE NOTE:
Your application must be accompanied by a faculty recommendation and two writing samples that demonstrate your familiarity with academic writing conventions. We are interested in knowing about your ability to write for an academic audience and cite sources, as we tend to help writers primarily with academic, research-based writing. Therefore, we would prefer seeing pieces from you that incorporate research.
