Employment
The University Writing Center Is Hiring!
Are you an excellent writer?
Do you enjoy working with other students?
Would you like an on-campus job that will prepare you for almost any career?
If so, apply to be a tutor at the University Writing Center.
Undergraduate and graduate students in all disciplines are encouraged to apply!
Tutors in the University Writing Center (UWC) program provide individualized instruction in the writing process to CSULB students in a variety of settings and contexts—one-on-one tutoring, group tutoring, embedded tutoring, and writing workshops. Tutors will be called upon to provide writing instruction in person and/or via Zoom.
Minimum Qualifications
- Enrollment at CSULB in at least 1 undergraduate or graduate unit toward degree progress during the semester of employment.
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in all courses at CSULB.
- Strong academic writing skills.
- Completion of or concurrent enrollment in English 497: Theory and Practice of Tutorial Instruction in Composition.
Preferred/Desired Qualifications
- Good interpersonal communication skills.
- Ability and willingness to work with students from diverse cultural backgrounds and levels of academic preparation.
- Basic computer familiarity (especially word processing, email, Google Docs, and Zoom), and a willingness to learn more.
Note: undergraduates and graduate students in all disciplines are encouraged to apply for tutoring positions in the University Writing Center; you need not be an English major to apply.
Required application Documents:
- A completed tutor application form.
- An academic writing sample.
- A cover letter addressing the applicant's qualifications for and interest in the position.
Note: Please combine all documents into a single pdf file if possible.
Benefits
- Excellent experience and training for almost any career.
- Participation in a valuable student-centered program.
- Salary: $16.00 per hour to start (approximately 10-20 hours per week).
Tutors in the University Writing Center (UWC) are CSULB undergraduate and graduate students interested in helping other students become better writers. Most are preparing for teaching careers at the high school, community college, or university level, and some tutor and teach writing simultaneously. All the tutors share two qualities: Excellent writing skills and the desire to help others. Many people become tutors because they have studied rhetoric and composition theory and want to learn how to put their knowledge to effective use; others are simply good writers who want to begin exploring the theory and practice of teaching writing via individualized instruction, and help their fellow students on campus.
The University Writing Center's central mission is twofold: 1) to provide individualized writing instruction to CSULB students and 2) to create a professional learning environment for outstanding CSULB students who wish to gain valuable experience in the teaching of writing.
As an integral part of writing instruction on this campus, the UWC exists to help students become more effective and independent writers. The UWC's philosophy is that the act of writing effectively is a process (i.e., a continuous act of thinking, drafting, revising, rewriting, and editing). Using this concept as a foundation, some of the broad range of tasks a tutor might help a student with include selecting a topic, generating ideas, developing/revising working drafts, dealing with issues of style, and acquiring proofreading and editing skills. The UWC is an instructional program; UWC staff do not simply edit, proofread, or co-author students' papers, nor do they dictate content or predict what sort of grade an assignment might earn.
The benefits tutors gain by working in the UWC are many. High schools, community colleges, and universities prefer to hire teachers who have experience; tutoring in the UWC provides the opportunity to work with real writers in real situations and thus turn theory into practice. Additionally, tutors develop the ability to read a student's work, analyze its strengths and weaknesses, and create a plan to help students improve their writing. Tutors learn how to discuss writing with other writers, and they gain valuable insight into what works and what does not. The end result is that tutors become better teachers of writing and better writers themselves.
All UWC tutors participate in ongoing professional development through pre-semester training, staff meetings, and workshops.
Applications for paid tutor positions are accepted and interviews are conducted towards the end of the spring semester. Completion of or concurrent enrollment in English 497: Theory and Practice of Tutorial Instruction in English Composition is an educational prerequisite for employment. For information about English 497, contact Dr. Tina Matuchniak at tina.matuchniak@csulb.edu.
Complete a University Writing Center Application Form (PDF), and submit it along with an academic writing sample and cover letter (in a single pdf document) to the UWC via email at uwc@csulb.edu. Questions should be addressed to Lorena Chavez, Operations Coordinator of the UWC, at uwc@csulb.edu.
Interviews: Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications/prerequisites for this hiring pool will be contacted by email or phone for an interview. Review of applications will begin April 14, 2023, for Fall 2023.
