Become a Writing Consultant

We are always recruiting! Students who want to become writing consultants should have strong interpersonal communication skills and practice reflecting on their own writing in progress. We will train you for everything else!

Qualities of a Successful Writing Consultant

Reflective

Successful writing consultants are reflective and articulate about their own writing processes. They are able to explain their writing processes to others in an accessible way. Prospective writing consultants must be able to think critically about their own writing in order to better understand the writing of others.

Personable

Writing consultants must be excellent listeners. They exhibit patience, persistence, and flexibility in order to meet the needs of Writing Commons users. Consultants who demonstrate teamwork, professionalism, and leadership succeed and advance in our highly collaborative work environment.

Willing to Prepare

Students who wish to become writing consultants train through coursework in the department of English at Kent State University, or successfully completed a comparable training course and work in another accredited college or university writing center.

Become a Trainee! 3-Credit-Hour Upper Division English Course

Undergraduate students who want to become consultants must complete a practicum 3-credit-hour training course offered each spring semester. This course may be taken for honors or regular credit.

The course provides:

A complete introduction to Writing Center Studies and to consulting theory and history.
A complete guide to traditional writing consulting pedagogy.
Practical experience coaching writers across the curriculum.
Exposure to identity and power issues in writing center work.
Theory and practice with synchronous and asynchronous online consulting methods.
Introduction to coaching multimodal composers.
Asynchronous and synchronous online coaching.
Research methods in Writing Center Studies.
Current issues in Writing Center Studies.
Publication and presentation opportunities in the field.
Practice coaching new writing consultants.
Writing Center outreach methods.

This upper-division English course is an ideal choice for students in English, education, special education, language teaching or any of the helping professions. It is excellent preparation for graduate study. Registration is by permit through the director/instructor. This course is an experiential, hands-on course, and will provide you with the skills to ease into Writing Commons work that semester. Continued employment in the Writing Commons after the training semester requires a final grade of B+ or better, as well as recommendations from the Writing Commons senior staff and the approval of the director. Select the button below labeled "Apply to Join the Training Course" to request a course permit.

This course counts as an upper-division English elective, toward English major "writing and language study" requirements, and counts for the writing minor. It also counts toward experiential learning and diversity university requirements.

Join us as an Experienced Consultant: Positions for Previously-Trained Writing Center Writing Consultants

Undergraduates who have completed training at and worked in a writing center at an accredited college or university can apply to become consultants at the Writing Commons. This pathway is ideal for trained transfer students who have worked in a writing center at another accredited college or university campus. Select the button below labeled "Apply to Join Our Team as a Previously-Trained Writing Consultant" to be considered for this position.

Positions for Graduate Writing Consultants

Graduate students can benefit heavily from a position with the Writing Commons! Becoming a Graduate Writing Consultant will provide you with an opportunity to hone your teaching skills and interact with your undergraduate peers while receiving support from fellow graduate students. The position also offers flexible hours to better work with your schedule. Graduate Writing Consultants meet regularly with graduate students developing long-term projects such as theses, dissertations, articles, and presentations. They also facilitate feedback and accountability groups for graduate student writers. Writing Center consulting experience or experience teaching writing-intensive courses is strongly preferred for this position. Use the application below labeled "Apply to Become a Graduate Writing Consultant" to be considered for this position.

Opportunities for Professional Development as a Consultant

Once you become a writing consultant, you not only help your fellow students, you help yourself to on-the-job professional development, leadership training and opportunities to publish and make presentations. You won't find a job that offers more diverse ways to build your resume. Writing consultants are expected to develop themselves professionally throughout their semesters of employment through weekly staff meetings and in-service training days, continued coursework, presenting research at professional conferences, working on outreach projects and developing resources.

Conference Participation and Support

Writing consultants regularly make presentations at a number of professional conferences, including the Northeast Ohio Writing Centers Association, the East Central Writing Centers Association, the National Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing and the International Writing Centers Association Conference. Writing Commons Donor Funding is available to support consultant conference participation.

Awards and Honors

Writing consultants in good standing at the Writing Commons are eligible to be nominated for the John C. Tamplin Award for Writing Center Work each spring. Recipients receive an award stipend and are honored at the annual English Department Awards Ceremony.

Some people call it "the best job on campus," and you will see why when you join us!

Apply to Join the Training Course

Apply to Join our Team as a Previously-Trained Writing Consultant

Apply to Become a Graduate Writing Consultant

Contact Writing Commons Director Jeanne R. Smith (jrsmith3@kent.edu) for more information on becoming a writing consultant or graduate consultant.